Actions, Not Words
Tagged in: NBL
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There comes a point in every NBL season when ìwoulda, coulda & shouldaî simply doesnít cut it Ö when the only statements that mean anything need to happen on the court.
ìI love this time of the year,î deadpans Blue Chip Nelson Giants coach Nenad Vucinic, who is a man of few words at the best of times.
Presumably, heís serious, but itís hard to believe the NZ Tall Black coach actually loves the position his team find themselves in right now.
On paper, the Giants (9-5) sit squarely in the middle of the six-team pack still jockeying for Dominion Finance NBL semi spots. In reality, their five losses have them perched precariously at the back of the bunch with a season-defining home-and-away series against Century City Wellington Saints (8-5) looming.
Another loss could see either franchise fall off the pace for good.
ìSix losses might get you there, seven wonít unless youíre extra lucky,î estimates Vucinic.
ìItís a great time of the year. The players and coaches have to perform, really Ö there are no second chances.
ìI donít think anyone is in a position to look at other teams. They need to be looking at themselves.î
Itís also that time of the season when teams will go to desperate lengths to gain a winning edge. To that end, Nelson still hope to add veteran Tall Black Phill Jones to their line-up, even though he is already unable to fit in the five regular season games required under league rules.
It would require an exemption, one that wasnít allowed two years ago under similar circumstances, and Vucinic isnít holding his breath. In his favour, though, Jonesí name has been listed on the Giants roster since the season began, so some intent was always there.
His late, but legal, return from Italy midway through last season may have backfired slightly on the Giants, who saw a seven-game winning streak turn into a three-game mini-slump as they assimilated him into the rotation. His 14.9 points (40.6% FG, 60.6% FT) over nine games were also his worst offensive output since 1994.
Adding Jones would be a gamble and they do not have the same margin of error this year.
ìPhill really didnít play that great, but weíd always take him back because he is our player,î insists Vucinic. ìIt shouldnít be a matter of how many games he can play Ö he has played for us whenever he could for the past 10 years.î
With or without Jones, Vucinic is looking to his core players to step up under pressure. Usually a rock solid stable outfit, the Giants are now onto their second replacement for original import Faron Hand, adjustments that have had a ripple affect on team chemistry so important down the stretch.
The latest recruit – American Jamil Terrell - has realised just 10.0 points (40.9% FG) and 4.0 rebounds in his two appearances.
ìI think heís a very good player, the kind of player we needed at the start of the season,î maintains Vucinic. ìHeís still learning the system and finding where his shots are going to be.
ìWe could blame our position on changing imports, but I donít think thatís the bottom of it. Itís not the reason why the rest of the players should be so inconsistent in terms of effort and execution.î
All said and done, these issues mean nothing when the ball is tipped at 7pm Friday. Then it is time for whichever five players are on the floor to produce the goods or suffer the consequences.
ìWe have to forget about what has happened up until now and focus on the last four games. We need players to play well, otherwise we just wonít make it.î
Itís that simple.
Dominion Finance NBL Guide (Round 12) (pdf 1.3MB)
