NBL23 Review: South East Melbourne Phoenix

Friday, March 31, 2023

With the NBL23 season in the books and Free Agency officially opened, the time to review the season is now.

From bottom to top, NBL Media will be running through each side’s most recent campaign and assess the good, the bad, the ugly, and the upcoming off-season.

The Phoenix entered NBL23 hoping to put the injury issues and late season capitulation of NBL22 firmly in the rear-view mirror.

They did one of those things.

South East Melbourne rose as high as second on the ladder in the latter half of the season, but injuries once again saw the Phoenix drop key games and fall down the standings as the season progressed. In fact, if the new Play-In Tournament had not been brought in ahead of this season, they would have missed the post-season once again.

It certainly wasn't a season filled with doom and gloom for the Phoenix though. Mitch Creek levelled up to put himself in the MVP conversation, Alan Williams proved to be a massive success in the centre position and has since signed a contract extension, and thee club has the ability to rebuild from the ground up heading into next season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">3?0?0? Games ?<br><br>Read all about Mitch Creek's journey here: <a href="https://t.co/lMMwkFT4OW">https://t.co/lMMwkFT4OW</a><br><br>Catch the milestone live and free on 10 Peach and 10play | live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/Cwjm2uUmV5">pic.twitter.com/Cwjm2uUmV5</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1596685115404402688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Good – Depth players standing up
The one positive out of star players consistently going down injured as they did in South East Melbourne’s NBL23 campaign is it gives other players the opportunity to stand up – and that’s exactly what happened in the Phoenix’s case.

With the guard/wing trio of Ryan Broekhoff, Gary Browne and Trey Kell playing just 61 of a possible 84 regular season games between them, opportunities presented themselves to the likes of Kyle Adnam, Junior Madut and Owen Foxwell throughout the season.

Co-captain Adnam showed his ability to be an effective influence as an off-ball guard as well as play at the point and pulled together a number of incredibly impressive scoring performances across the season – most notably his match-winning 30-point performance in the side’s opening game of the season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">? 30 PIECE NUGGETS ?<br><br>Watch SEM's Kyle Adnam score a career-high 30 points as the Phoenix held on against a tough Tasmania JackJumpers. <br><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> on ESPN <a href="https://t.co/taaWGOBgJV">pic.twitter.com/taaWGOBgJV</a></p>— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ/status/1576161148092571648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Madut offered a different type of impact to Adnam and established himself as an impressive defensive presence in the backcourt, and while his team option has not been picked up by the side, ESPN Insider Olgun Uluc says there is still a chance he could return.

Foxwell’s performances over the season ended up with him earning a place on the full roster, and at one point he was in the competition’s top five players for steals per game – and he made the leap from exciting young talent to genuine NBL option across the season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RE-SIGNED ??<br><br>Owen Foxwell has inked a two-year extension with the <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SEMelbPhoenix</a> and will join the full roster from NBL24 ?<a href="https://t.co/D0SXJQeW96">https://t.co/D0SXJQeW96</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1635522455916912640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Zhou Qi’s early exit from the season led to increased burn for the likes of first-year players Grant Anticevich and Anzac Rissetto, while Reuben Te Rangi and Tohi Smith-Milner once again provided a strong veteran presence when the side was undermanned.

The Bad – The Play-In Qualifier loss
Perth’s energy-sapping run-in to the post-season meant that South East Melbourne entered their Play-In Qualifier against the Wildcats as favourites.

Yes, Ryan Broekhoff was far from 100 per cent fit, but it was expected the Phoenix would have enough firepower to overcome a Perth side that had been playing with a drastically shortened rotation for some weeks.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our path to the Hungry Jack’s NBL Championship Series. <br><br>It all starts with a home Play-in Qualifier against the Wildcats!<br><br>Ticketing info coming shortly. <a href="https://t.co/zDGP3OHC4m">pic.twitter.com/zDGP3OHC4m</a></p>— South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1622138674917044225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The biggest stress entering the clash was the dismal performance MVP runner-up Bryce Cotton had put in the game before against Sydney. He was primed to rebound from possibly the worst performance in his NBL career, and he did so in immense fashion.

Cotton’s 26 points, eight rebounds and four steals got the game burning offensively for Perth, and Brady Manek’s 24 points helped keep it away from the Phoenix.

But it was Mitch Norton – the two-time champion point guard whose role had been reduced to practically nothing at the end of the season – who made the difference for the side.

The Phoenix may have entered the clash well-rested, but it was the battle-hardened Wildcats that won the fight, and South East Melbourne was left to lament yet another ‘almost’ season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">King Cotton ?<br><br>The Phoenix are eliminated and the <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PerthWildcats</a> move onto the Play-In on Sunday ?<br><br>The Foot Locker Player of the Game is Bryce Cotton ? <a href="https://t.co/yh1WWUqFrK">pic.twitter.com/yh1WWUqFrK</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1623615180163940353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Ugly – Injuries, injuries, injuries
When South East Melbourne’s first choice starting five all took to the floor together they were one of the most well-balanced, impressive units in the competition. The problem is that it didn’t happen as much as they would have liked over the course of the season.

Across the regular season Ryan Broekhoff missed nine games, as did Gary Browne. Trey Kell was absent for five clashes – largely at the start of the season – while Alan Williams missed just one game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ryan Broekhoff making the defender (and the fans) jump for joy ?<br><br>Catch the final few minutes of this close one live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel <a href="https://t.co/ioNNaVpnVi">pic.twitter.com/ioNNaVpnVi</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1598991928304930817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mitch Creek was the only starter to play all 28 home and away games.

There were availability issues on the bench too. Chinese shot-blocking machine Zhou Qi played just nine games for the season, before returning home for family reasons.

It’s not the first time injuries have derailed a season for the Phoenix. In NBL22 injury to Broekhoff saw them drop from second to sixth and outside the Playoff spots in the space of just seven rounds.

The Off-Season – Starting Fresh
Former NBL Coach of the Year Mike Kelly has only just been announced as South East Melbourne’s new figurehead for NBL24 and beyond.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The South East Melbourne Phoenix have finished their search for a new head coach, and have named former NBL Coach of the Year Mike Kelly as their new figurehead. <br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/TEwi37HIak">https://t.co/TEwi37HIak</a> <a href="https://t.co/FNzbsSzFbU">pic.twitter.com/FNzbsSzFbU</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1641169800188809217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The South East Melbourne Magic legend has arrived back in the Heartland on the day NBL Free Agency opens, and with just four contracted players on his roster – Alan Williams, Owen Foxwell, Reuben Te Rangi and Mitch Creek.

Williams and Creek will undoubtedly once again be key pieces in the starting five, Foxwell is one of the most exciting young guard talents in the NBL, and from his time at the Breakers, Te Rangi brings the type of championship pedigree that’s hard to come by.

Aside from that quartet, Kelly and company have the ability to do whatever they want with the side’s roster.

He could elect to bring in former charges Mirko Djeric and Majok Deng, who both played key roles in Kelly’s Cairns side that finished third in the NBL20 season, and former development player in that Taipans side Tad Dufelmeier has put together some strong NBL1 form in recent seasons to push for a recall into the NBL.

Regardless of whether Kelly elects to recruit players he already intimately knows, he has the ability to turn this Phoenix side into anything he wants heading into NBL24.