Crosscourt: Latest NBL news, whispers and preview game three of the Illawarra Hawks vs. Melbourne United grand final series
Rivals wanted Andrew Bogut as head coach before Sydney locked him in as assistant and the 36ers have flown to China to convince Kendric Davis to stay, plus much more in CROSSCOURT.
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Andrew Bogut has received interest to become a head coach now, but knocked back advances to complete a proper apprenticeship under the NBL’s GOAT Brian Goorjian at the Sydney Kings.
Code Sports understands a host of clubs expressed a desire to lure the legendary Australian centre in a coaching capacity.
Bogut was flattered by the interest – but in the end he opted to take the patient road to becoming a head coach via an assistant role with the Kings.
“I could jump into a head coaching role right now, but that would be stupid to do,” Bogut told Crosscourt.
“I think I could do it and I’d learn along the way and make mistakes, but I just think being an assistant for a coach in Goorj who has had 40-50 years of experience is more important for me to do it the right way.
“I don’t want to be given a job just because of my name and I’m a firm believer in that you’ve got to do the hard yards.”
Bogut has long possessed the ‘coaching itch’, dating back to 2020 when Goorjian offered him a role with the Boomers prior to the Tokyo Olympics.
He had just retired, so he opted against the coaching move.
Four years on, the big man feels like he is ready to jump into the coaching hot seat via an assistant role under a six-time title winner in Goorjian.
“Taking time off after retiring made me miss the game,” he said.
“Over the past year I thought about getting involved again and when a few assistants moved on at the Kings I flagged my interest.
“Goorj’s strength is the people management and cultural piece and I want to learn how he does it.
“As a young bloke, Goorj was the master and someone that I really looked up to. He had me has a 16-year-old, so to be working under him now is fantastic.”
So could we see Bogut replacing Goorjian as the next Sydney coach when the legendary mentor moves on?
Or taking on a role with the Boomers or even an NBA team? Bogut is keeping all his options open at this point.
“Down the line you never know,” he said.
“The goal is to (head) coach one day, I’m not going to lie about that.”
SIXERS TABLE DAVIS OFFER, ICE STAYING PUT
Adelaide is pulling out all the stops to secure NBL25 MVP runner-up Kendric Davis, basketball boss Matt Weston flying into China during the week to table what sources told Crosscourt is a three-year deal.
Last month, Crosscourt revealed Sydney had expressed interest in the dynamic scoring guard, who led the league in assists in his maiden campaign, but the Sixers are determined to ensure if the 25-year-old does return to the NBL, his landing spot will be the City of Churches.
Sources said the Sixers have been in regular contact with both Davis and his agent Corey Barker since they opened talks in January and, while there’s still some detail to work through, Adelaide wants to build its roster around the American and wants to lock him in long term.
Adelaide hasn’t completely shut the door but it is increasingly unlikely fiery big man import Montrezl Harrell returns, with recruiters understood to be hunting a knockdown three-point gunner at power forward to provide more spacing for Davis to operate alongside local stars Dejan Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries.
Humphries’ camp has denied claims the 213cm centre was open to departing Adelaide, despite having two years to run on his contract.
FAN FUSS BEHIND CLARK AMID LAST-SHOT LAMENT
Star Melbourne import Ian Clark says the moment he called out a disrespectful Illawarra fan during game one in Wollongong is in the past as he aims to replicate his hot form in United’s return to WIN Entertainment Centre.
Clark pointed out and admonished a person in the crowd over comments made during the game, leaving former Hawks coach Rob Beveridge calling for the fan to be banned.
But Clark, who responded with a 31-point masterpiece in game two, won’t hold a grudge.
“It’s nothing, it’s behind me,” Clark said.
“I have a relationship with a lot of fans because we keep it basketball. We’re losing, they get to talk to us and I can’t say nothing. When we’re winning I can say ‘hey man, we up, look at the scoreboard’, nothing disrespectful.
“When it crosses that line, you know, that’s when, things get a little bit muddy and disrespectful and so, that’s where it got there.
“But I’ve left it in game one, it doesn’t bother me. I’m not going to be looking for him, my focus will be on winning the game and that’s all I’m going to be worried about.”
Clark couldn’t have done much more to help his team in their heartbreaking game two defeat at the hands of Illawarra.
His 16 points in the fourth quarter almost snatched victory but Hawk Tyler Harvey’s tough game-winning trey came on the former Golden State NBA champion’s watch.
“I watched the game twice yesterday and I look at it and ask ‘how could I be better?’,” Clark said.
“I could have made him do something different, rather than kind of rising into the shot. Now, granted, it was a tough shot. He’s a tough shot-maker and I didn’t want to foul him.
“Throughout the first three quarters of the game there are things that we can do better as a group that are controllable.
“So we go up to Wollongong and have the confidence that we’ve won there before but also know it’s going to be loud, it’s going to be hostile, and they’re going to come out with confidence from this past game.
“We’ve got to make sure we match their energy.”
ANSTEY: ADVANTAGE ILLAWARRA, BUT HERE’S HOW UNITED CAN BOUNCE BACK
Former NBA man Anstey, a dual NBL MVP, said United had to find a way to keep the Hawks’ big three in Tyler Harvey, Trey Kell and Sam Froling — who combined for 65 of their 102 points in game two — on a leash and dare someone else to beat them.
“Illawarra has a number of ways to beat you but it mostly centres around Harvey, Kell and Froling and United can’t let them all get going like they did in game two,” Anstey said.
“Can they make Will Hickey and Darius Days increase their volume and dare them to beat you? That creates an environment where Illawarra is trying to win the game in a way they’re not as well rehearsed in.”
Anstey said United had to find a way to create more points in situations where its elite offensive system broke down.
“United has got to try to continue to score the basketball — they’re always going to defend well but, even at their best, Illawarra will find a way to score, they’re the best offensive team in the league,” Anstey said.
“I still like Illawarra — they’re healthy, they’re deep and their ability to create shots off broken plays is better than Melbourne United’s.
United is more dependent on its system creating shots for (Chris) Goulding and (Ian) Clark and creating mismatches for Delly (Matthew Dellavedova).
The former Melbourne Tiger believes the game two win will provide a massive mental boost for the Hawks.
“It’s one thing believing you can win championship series games but actually doing it is a different thing all together,” he said.
“Now that they’ve done it, it’s not quite monkey-off-the-back but it’s evidential proof they’re capable of winning this thing now — it’s not just theory-based anymore.”
SIMPLE MESSAGE BEHIND HARVEY’S MATCH-WINNING EXPLOSION
After Illawarra’s All NBL First Team back-court laid an egg in game one of the grand final, Trey Kell had a simple message for his game-breaking running mate Tyler Harvey.
“Just keep shooting it.”
Held to just 15 points between them in game one, the American duo combined for 42 in the Hawks’ 102-100 win, Harvey leading the way with 24, including the game-winning three with 5.7 seconds left.
Post-game, Kell told Crosscourt their ability to quickly flush game one was key to squaring the series.
“It obviously starts with me and him and we were both disappointed with how we performed in game one,” Kell said.
“My biggest thing was I just told Tyler to be Tyler. I think sometimes he doesn’t shoot the ball when he misses a couple.
“I just told him, ‘I don’t care if you shoot it 30 times, bro, just do what you do, just keep shooting it’.
“The numbers don’t lie.”
It’s no coincidence the Hawks are two games away from an NBL title after the 31-year-old sharpshooter put together the best campaign of his five seasons in the league.
Harvey has shot the ball better from the field, three and the free throw line, set a career high in assists and a career low in turnovers, while remaining one of the few NBL players who fearlessly takes and makes game-winning shots.
HEAL’S BATTLE WITH SYDNEY ENDS IN FLAMES
The protracted legal battle between former coach Shane Heal and the Sydney Flames has finally ended – and it’s not good news for the Kings and Boomers legend.
Heal’s defamation case against the Sydney Flames, Hoops Capital, Paul Smith, Robyn Denholm, Victoria Denholm and Julian O’Brien over his messy exit in early 2023 has been dismissed by the Supreme Court of NSW.
And Heal has to pay the defendants’ costs.
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