NBL 2023: SEM coach Mike Kelly calls out squad as star import Alan Williams vows Phoenix rise

Alan Williams says South East Melbourne is tired of being “middle-of-the-pack” but coach Mike Kelly says the fifth-placed Phoenix are “where we deserve to be”.

After two calamitous fade-outs that have left South East Melbourne in an all-too-familiar mid-table dogfight, coach Mike Kelly has challenged his team to match its much-vaunted talent with the discipline required to be an NBL contender.

Kelly is known as one of the nicest people in basketball, so when he points out his side “shoots itself in the foot” with patches of ill-discipline and complacency, you know there’s frustration because he believes he has the mix to win the title this year.

However, too many moments of malaise, especially on the defensive end, have left a side that has MVP candidates Mitch Creek and Alan Williams, star guards Gary Browne and Will Cummings and a group of seasoned veterans sitting 6-6 at the FIBA break and in a middle-of-the-table pack (fifth) that is chasing runaway leader Melbourne United.

YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE IN THE NBL

The Phoenix has made a habit of jumping out to leads in NBL24 that should be sustainable, only to end up in a battle to hold off fast-finishing opposition tsunamis.

Adelaide led by 18 last weekend but discipline its waned and led to a litany of second-half defensive mistakes – multiple missed box outs, giving up looks after failing to foul late in quarters and simple mistakes such as failing to carry a hand on close-outs.

The result: a near-unforgivable three-point loss.

The good thing for Kelly and co is that the Phoenix’s struggles can be fixed.

He is pulling no punches and driving home the message that his side has received exactly what it deserves and talent only gets you so far.

“I think we, at times, think we’re pretty good and we show that by getting up by 15 or 20,” Kelly said.

“But we have to realise that teams that are good at the end of the year are really disciplined and good for 40 minutes and they are the elite defensive teams in the league.

“We’re where we deserve to be.

“We have all the talent to do it (win the title) and when we combine that with great discipline and being on the same page with each other, we’re going to be a really good basketball team.”

Alan Williams and Mike Kelly have opened up on South East Melbourne's middling form.

TIRED OF BEING MID

Charismatic big man Williams said the players were under no illusions about the challenges.

There has been a “point blank” video review of the 36ers game, a rambunctious practice session on Tuesday, part of the early steps to tighten up a unit that has the league’s fourth-worst defence this season (leaking 113 points per 100 possessions).

“We, as a group, know what’s going to take us to the next level,” Williams said.

“It’s understanding that we’re a very talented team but just because that talent’s there, doesn’t mean we can skip steps.

“(It’s) on us to find time during this break to really get in and drill home those little things – those carrying the hands on the close-outs, those extra efforts on the box outs – just so we can get past that little thing that’s in our way of finishing basketball games.

“Otherwise, we’ll just be a middle-of-the-pack team and everybody here is tired of that.

“I look at the ladder and think, ‘damn, we can beat those teams’, but I take a real look in the mirror and say, ‘at this point, if we’re playing this way, all these teams can beat us, too’.

“So, how do we separate ourselves from the rest?”

STICKING TO RULES AND GETTING IN EACH OTHERS’ GRILL

As mentioned, the Phoenix abandoned ship on a host of non-negotiables against Adelaide.

The “heavy” film review on Monday was followed by a “chippy” practice on Tuesday that Kelly said centred around composure in pressure situations.

“The group was a little chippy with each other and I like our guys to have a chip on their shoulder and have some fight and edge in practice,” Kelly said.

“But I also want them to be able to channel that the right way.

“We talk about moments on the floor when a game can turn and we lost those moments in the Adelaide game.

Phoenix All Stars draft
Captain Moller pick No.1 - “Kenny”
Captain Rhys pick No.1 - Ben Ayre.
Creeky has an extra day off, Gorjok not practicing but looks less ginger on the foot. Foxy tweaked an ankle.
Some work to do for the Phoenix over the FIBA break. pic.twitter.com/emmmyXAMgK

— Michael Randall (@MickRandallHS) November 21, 2023

“In those moments, you have to be able to take that fight and use it in a positive way.

“I want us to be able to have those moments but stop your eyes from rolling back in your head and keep your composure so you can make good decisions on the next play.”

Creek was given two days off this week to freshen-up following a relentless schedule, while Browne and Cummings were on light duties due to niggles.

Owen Foxwell tweaked his ankle during the session.

Kelly said centre Gorjok Gak was still awaiting a clearance but he hadn’t given up hope of a return from a calf twang to face the Breakers on Saturday week.

PULLING TOGETHER

Change might begin off the court.

Big Sauce is bringing his teammates and staff together for a Thanksgiving meal this week.

It is an opportunity to connect away from the basketball bubble on a special day for the Phoenix, Arizona, native and his US teammates.

The shindig isn’t related to the club’s present struggles but Williams believes it will have an organic benefit.

Thanksgiving in Australia was a success 🇦🇺🦃 feeling thankful and blessed! An amazing evening✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/SicXtoVa01

— BigSauce (@alantwilliams) November 23, 2023

“It’s one of my favourite times of the year back at home and we have other Americans in the team, so I wanted to take it on myself, open it up for the boys to come by with their families if they want to and just create a space for us to hang out and have a time away from basketball where we can reflect on the things we’re thankful for,” he said.

He didn’t explicitly say it but the Phoenix don’t play again until December 2, so the FIBA break is an opportunity for the team to draw a collective line in the sand.

He said the early-season injuries to key players that ravaged the club were no longer an excuse. Only Gak is yet to return.

“The break is so great because we’ll be able to break down those finite details that we can fix and that can propel us forward,” he said.

“We can have more real conversations, we can have more chippy days at practice where we’re pushing each other to try to be better over the break and then, coming out of it, we can emerge as the Phoenix that we all saw ourselves to be at the beginning of this year.

“It’s just on us to turn that tide and I’m really looking forward to that look on everybody’s face when they see us at the end of the season and they are like ‘damn, they did what they said they would’.”

Originally published as NBL 2023: SEM coach Mike Kelly calls out squad as star import Alan Williams vows Phoenix rise