Why a 3-4 United isn’t panicking yet

Heading into Round 6 of the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 Season, heavyweights Melbourne United sit in eighth spot with a 3-4 record.

That poor start to the campaign was capped by a disappointing defeat to the last-placed Illawarra Hawks on Sunday.

While injuries to Chris Goulding and Shea Ili have played their role in United’s slow start, so has their inability to play for the full 40 minutes.

“The message to the group this week has been being above the outcome,” United coach Jacob Chance said during the club’s media availability.

“The record is an outcome. Whether a shot goes in or not is an outcome. The scoreboard is an outcome.

“Good teams don’t get blown out and we haven’t been yet. We’ve given ourselves a chance to win games when we could have been so much better.

“I felt like our floor was really low [against Illawarra], and that 20 minutes in the first half was disappointing.

“The most important thing isn’t the result; it’s actually do you just do what you said you were going to do and be accountable to that.

“It’s not to say that we’re not ready to win games of basketball. We are ready and we’re disappointed that we’re not winning games of basketball.

“Can we find a way to have urgency [that’s not] a response to a two-game losing streak?

“Instead [it should] just be a staple, something we’re proactive in, and not reacting to outcomes.”

United star Luke Travers echoed his coach’s call for greater consistency in effort.

“I think it [the key] is still urgency, but consistent urgency,” Travers said.

“We haven’t really put together a full 40 minutes.

“It doesn’t have to be perfect, but the intent’s got to be there.

“This League’s too good to drop off in terms of intensity and effort.”

United next play Perth at RAC Arena on Friday from 9.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.