Can "deplorable" Phoenix rise again?

There’s pressure on South East Melbourne as the NBL approaches its mid-season break. The proclaimed title contenders have dropped a pair of games they absolutely had to win to define themselves as genuine threats in the competition, and legendary guard pair Damon Lowery and Derek Rucker have put the heat on the Phoenix’s starting backcourt of Gary Browne and Will Cummings.

The Phoenix fell to an undermanned Melbourne United by 12 points in Round 7, before giving up an 18-point lead against Adelaide in Round 8. They currently sit fifth on the ladder with a 6-6 record, but had they defeated United and the 36ers, could be sitting as high as second.

“They must be sick going into the break. This has been a sheer catastrophe over the last three rounds. That loss to Melbourne United when they were playing against Melbourne United’s c-team – no disrespect – that was deplorable, unacceptable right throughout the organisation and that has been a marker for where they are this season,” Rucker said.

“Do they have the resolve as individuals in that team, do they have the fight as an organisation to come back from that?

“Because they didn’t come back in Adelaide. An 18-point lead on the road in Adelaide against a struggling Sixers team, they squandered that.

“I’m disappointed in the guard play – (Will) Cummings and (Gary) Browne should be better; I like those dudes as people. Talking basketball with them, they’re brilliant minds, but I need to see productivity when it matters.

“Go out there and play basketball. Knock down shots, make your teammates better, stop getting injured and stay on the floor.”

“Right now, I don’t trust the Phoenix, the backcourt – you know I love me some little guard – mi amigo Gary Browne, Will Cummings, Ben Ayre coming off the bench. Between those three guys I love all the pieces, but I feel like they’re not watching my back.” Damon Lowery added.

Cummings arrived in the NBL with a reputation as a consistent, high-level scorer from over half-a-decade playing in Europe.

He’s been named as the league MVP in both the German Basketball Bundesliga and French LNB Pro A, and was the top-scorer in Germany during his 2019 MVP season.

The 31-year-old was also the top-scorer in the 2017 Greek League, and arrived at the Phoenix off the back of a 2022 EuroCup title.

After starting the season on fire, he’s struggled to find his shot though, and is shooting 18 per cent from three this season.

While Alan Williams’ consistent foul trouble continues to be questioned in the NBL media landscape, Lowery says Cummings also needs to learn how to stay on the court in order to positively impact his side.

“Those European leagues, yes they’re more physical and you can get away with more stuff. You have to be able to adjust, adapt and overcome,” Lowery said.

“Will, you get out there and get those cheap fouls, and then you look at the ref like ‘what? That’s a foul?’. Yes, that’s a foul, you can’t do it.

“Now you go off the court and your rhythm is broken. You’ve got a nice shot, you’re good in transition, [but] you’re playing choppy minutes, because you don’t know how to stay on the floor.”

Rucker countered that he believes Cummings will find a way to return to his early-season form.

“In the Blitz he looked so sharp, and the first game we did against Perth he looked so sharp then. Perhaps the injuries have knocked his rhythm out a little bit.

“You shouldn’t have that type of variance in your efficiency levels, and you’d think as a true pro player you wouldn’t be dipping down into the teens. Based on that, however, you always regress to the mean and it could be now he lives up to his mean and goes on a tear.

“He should be an 18-point per game player in this competition.”

South East Melbourne will next play New Zealand on Saturday, November 2.