NBL22: South East Melbourne on verge of wasted season

Whatever has caused South East Melbourne’s recent slump, the Phoenix must commit to giving up “flesh and bone” if they want to avoid a wasted season. Is it too late?

Good team on paper, didn’t put it together when it counted.

That’s the harsh reality South East Melbourne is staring down the barrel of after another chance to re-establish footing in the NBL22 finals “dogfight” went begging.

A loss to Adelaide Sunday made it five defeats in their past six games, putting the Phoenix on the verge of a season that will go down as a missed opportunity if they are unable to turn things around.

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Were they spooked by the moment?

“It’s the gravity of what you’re playing for, sometimes, that affects,” coach Simon Mitchell said.

“With the gravity of our situation, the importance of needing a win, It looked like it affected some of our players.”

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell is searching for answers to his team’s slump. Picture: Getty Images

Now two games out of the four with six to play, Mitchell has challenged his troops to rediscover the endeavour that had them in title reckoning for the majority of the season.

“(It’s) fighting for positions on the floor, fighting for every square inch and just

giving up your body, giving up some flesh, giving up some bone on every possession,” Mitchell said.

He invoked the example of fellow expansion team Tasmania in a bid to inspire a response. In their first season in the league the JackJumpers’ roster, on paper, does not have the prestige of South East Melbourne’s.

But, on the court, they have carved out an identical record under Scott Roth.

“You look at a team like Tassie and they’re cracking in on every play and we’re taking way too many plays off and giving up our physicality,” Mitchell said.

The inference is the Phoenix, with so much at stake, didn’t — and haven’t — been putting their bodies on the line for the cause, an assessment from the coach that is biting.

Star Mitch Creek has bounced back, but his team is still struggling. Picture: Getty Images

Without towering centre Zhou Qi and with talented reserve big man Brandon Ashley’s frustrating foul trouble now the rule, rather than the exception, the Phoenix were bashed up on both ends by an Adelaide side playing for nothing else but pride.

The Sixers, seventh in the NBL in scoring at around 80 per game, tore down 17 offensive rebounds — almost matching the Phoenix’s 20 defensive boards — and made more than half their field goals on their way to 100 points.

This was a 36ers team which, last time out, was annihilated by 27 points by Melbourne United and had not reached triple figures in any of its 19 previous games.

The three ball hasn’t fallen all season — they’re the second worst in the NBL and made just eight of their 35 attempts (22 per cent) against the Sixers, but still managed 92 points. No wonder Mitchell is urging his charges to get their feet in the paint more often and seek more points at the basket.

It’s been hard without Ryan Broekhoff. The injured forward is the team’s Xs and Os man. He’s the defensive marshall who knows every match up, the team’s best rebounder and a threat to go off from deep at any moment. In five games without him, if you take out the win over struggling Cairns, the Phoenix have conceded 91 points or more in every one, including 103 against the Illawarra and 98 against United.

The Phoenix had worked hard to make defence a calling card and, early on, it looked like a raging success — they only conceded more than 88 points once in their first eight games.

Kyle Adnam admits he is among the Phoenix players who need to lift if they are to make the NBL final four. Picture: Getty Images

To compound the loss, top-of-the-table United coughed up their clash with the fourth-placed Hawks Sunday.

Sydney is fast becoming unbeatable, only a dreamer could hope for Perth to miss and the Hawks now look like the contenders many pundits pegged them to be at the beginning of the season.

The good news for Phoenix is Qi is expected to be back in the line up for next week’s clash with Cairns. He will give them the rim protection and strength they missed against the Sixers.

And the basketball Gods have somewhat smiled on the Phoenix — the Hawks have a brutal run home — they play the Kings twice, United in Melbourne again and the Wildcats in Perth.

Four of the Phoenix’s last six games are against teams below them on the ladder, with United and a trip to Perth looming.

“We do have a lot of basketball to play,” captain Kyle Adnam said, with a glimmer of hope.

“All teams are going to provide a dogfight.

“I challenge the team, challenge myself, to be up for that.

“I feel like we’ve got the group to do it.”

Adnam, since raining 24 points on the Wildcats a month ago, has scored just 30 points in the past seven games and the Phoenix bench has lacked punch.

Take care of their own business and hope the Hawks struggle and the Phoenix just might get their chance to make some noise.