Former South East Melbourne Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell on how to beat Melbourne United — and which teams are best equipped to do so
Can anyone stop Melbourne United? Former NBL coach Simon Mitchell looks at the case for every team and why his former club South East Melbourne can deliver a blockbuster Grand Final series.
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Melbourne United are title favourites in NBL24 with a stacked, cohesive unit that, health permitting, will be difficult to beat across a three or five-game finals series.
But South East Melbourne’s foundation coach Simon Mitchell says it’s not time to hand the chip to the men in blue just yet.
Mitchell, who spent time at United under Dean Vickerman before taking the Phoenix job, says as many as six teams could be equipped with the tools to topple the champions-elect.
Here’s his take on how to — and who can — stop the United juggernaut.
TIER 1
Sydney Kings
Without a doubt, the reigning champions are United’s nearest challenger.
I think their length, athleticism, ability to break down a defender one-on-one while also getting out in transition and punishing teams makes them the best equipped to take Melbourne down.
We saw on Tuesday night, Perth managed a winnable score, despite being pretty poor offensively with their decision making and their general aptitude, because they were able to get out and run they were able to compete on the boards.
Sydney has both of those aspects in their pocket. They rebound the ball well, they’ve been a far-improved offensive rebounding team and we know what they can do in transition.
They’ve got multiple ball handlers. So you’ve got a DJ Hogg who can get a defensive board and go, you’ve got Jaylin Galloway who can get a board and go. It’s not like ‘OK, get a rebound, find the point guard’ — who happens to be a former NBL MVP in Jaylen Adams — and that means Shea Ili and Matthew Dellavedova can’t get up the floor and target that point guard or primary ballhandler.
It makes Sydney very multidimensional.
Defensively they’ve got the guys that can go after Chris (Chris Goulding) — Galloway’s developed amazingly in 12 months on the defensive end and his length and athleticism on the perimeter and ability to get through small spaces makes him the Kings CG43 stopper.
One of the big things that was overlooked in last year’s grand final series against New Zealand — which the Kings won — is that when they gave their best defender Justin Simon a rest, there was no drop off because Galloway was just as dominant at that end of the floor, I also like the fire and passion that Angus Glover brings to the Kings and he can combine with Galloway to tag team Chris if needed.
I like the two-headed monster at centre — Jordy Hunter and Jonah Bolden — to go after Melbourne United’s two-headed monster, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr and Ariel Hukporti.
I think it’s even a three-headed monster because the kid Toohey has played some really good minutes as a small-ball five and been really effective.
He’s only 19 but he’s a really tough match up for both JLA and Hukporti on the perimeter.
Former NBA man Denzel Valentine might be the sleeping giant for the Kings. He’s been solid and he’s had some moments, here and there, but they’re fairly loaded and you talk about guys who sacrifice their game and he seems to be the guy who’s really content to step back and let things evolve in front of him.
His history will tell you he will get better and there are going to be moments where it’s his turn to go and he’ll turn it on.
He’s a great fit with Adams, who plays his best basketball alongside another guard who can handle the ball.
TIER 2
Tasmania JackJumpers
Styles make fights, right?
The Jackies have beaten United eight out of 10 times and they’ve shown they can beat them in Melbourne.
The Jackies were out of it for the majority of the game in Melbourne in round earlier in the season but were just close enough to win in the last quarter.
Melbourne, to me, doesn’t look like a team that’s got it completely together, just yet — and this will evolve — but you can’t expect them to be the finished product after 10 games, especially when they’ve been without at least one injured player for all of 47 seconds.
The JackJumpers have a player in Milton Doyle who is very smart on the offensive end and you have to throw multiple looks at him on that end of the floor to keep him guessing, otherwise he will kill you — as he did in that game against United when he had 14 points in the last quarter to steal the win.
At the Phoenix, we had a good record against the Jackies and one thing we would do is we’d start the game being really aggressive and trying to get the ball out of Doyle’s hands, but he’s got the ability to split screens, get through those small spaces and score at the hoop or find guys when the defence collapses. If you drop on screens he will kill you with that mid-range or deep shot. You have to find ways to buy even a millisecond of time to make sure he has to make different reads and give you a chance to stop him.
I think they can beat Melbourne in a series — they need injured centre Will Magnay back, even if he can’t be what he once was, he gives you another guy who can do what Marcus Lee can do, will cover Lee when he gets in foul trouble and they both act as an insurance policy for a team that isn’t as good, defensively, on the perimeter, as it has been in the past two seasons. They’re the get-out-of-jail-free card for the Jackies.
TIER 3
SEM Phoenix
They need to show they can beat teams on the road. However, playing Melbourne in a playoff series requires not travel. I like the roster and I think they can beat anyone on their day but I want to see it together consistently — Sunday’s Throwdown is going to be a really interesting watch and we’re obviously hoping United’s injured trio of Luke Travers, Clark and Hukporti all suit up and Phoenix can bring back Will Cummings and Gorjok Gak so both squads are at full strength.
They need Alan Williams to stay out of foul trouble and they need Gak to stay healthy because I don’t think they can go long stretches with Rhys Vague at the five.
With Gak out with an ankle injury, former Sixers big man Daniel Johnson has been brought in as an injury replacement. He is not the defender Gak is, but he is offensively superior and can carry the second unit.
The same applies, though, with Gak out, if Sauce or DJ get in foul trouble, the Phoenix need to get creative.
Maybe if they do need to find cover for one of those bigs they could try (Mitch) Creeky at centre, go small and just see if they can run the gauntlet.
But, as they say, in your imagination, it always works, right?
WILDCARDS
Cairns Taipans
New Zealand Breakers
Perth Wildcats
We haven’t really learned much about Cairns or New Zealand on the floor. They’re both wildcards. They’ve both had injuries and absences and both been to the states for the NBA games, interrupting their seasons.
The Taipans were underrated last season and they made it all the way to the semi finals. This season they are a different team but they are so long and athletic and that gives them switchability defensively. They can really shoot it — there are times where the Taipans will put out five-man line-ups of high level shooters.
But, we’re a third of the way through the season and we just don’t know what their best starting five is. What is their optimal rotation?
From what I’ve seen, I don’t think they can beat United in a series right now, but that might change as the pieces come back together and mesh.
The Breakers are similar in that we really don’t know right now. They’re the second worst defensive team in the league. I don’t think that’s going to be where they end.
William McDowell-White had a delayed start — he will get much better.
I don’t think they’re a championship contender but I think they’re a top four contender if they can get their team on the floor, they could push United.
Perth’s struggles are well-documented, but they’ve got some talent on an albeit imbalanced roster and they also have a guy named Bryce Cotton. You can’t write them off because he only has to get really hot five times and he could carry them through it all.
BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR
Brisbane Bullets
Adelaide 36ers
Illawarra Hawks
Brisbane have shown great improvement this season and have surprised a lot of people — but they couldn’t get any worse than last season.
I love what Justin Schueller is doing, mixing up his coverages at the defensive end and bringing some accountability to his players. It’s going to take time to build but they’re moving in the right direction.
I don’t think Adelaide and Illawarra, on available evidence look like playoff contenders or teams that will bother Melbourne in any area of the game.
UNITED’S BACK COURT CONUNDRUM
There’s no denying Ili and Dellavedova are the best defensive back court in the league. They might be one of the best the NBL has ever seen.
But, offensively, I think both have had their struggles.
I know that sounds odd, with Delly putting up the numbers he has (13.2ppg) but you watched him against Perth and you could see every time Bryce Cotton was in front of him, his eyes lit up. He was waving guys away and yes, Bryce has his limitations at that end and I love Delly’s aggression, but other guys weren’t getting their touches. He needs to find a balance there.
Shea seems to be battling himself at the offensive end and trying to shoot his way out of it — and he can shoot it, but he’s most effective when he’s getting his feet in the paint or he needs to make sure he’s releasing the ball earlier and getting it through hands.
There have been too many times this season where CG has had big scoring stretches and then he goes too many possessions without a good touch.
It’s up to Delly and Ili to make sure that doesn’t happen because you want to get Chris as many touches in his favourite spots as you can.
I think Clark — it’s the best basketball he’s played in the NBL — and he has to close games and that will mean Deano will need to make a decision on who of Delly and Ili partners him — and it might be whoever he feels is going the best that night, or a clear closer of the two emerges.
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Originally published as Former South East Melbourne Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell on how to beat Melbourne United — and which teams are best equipped to do so
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