NBL26 Report Card: Hawks’ flight path derailed early

As the Free Agency period tips off, NBL Media is putting the microscope on every club's NBL26 campaign.

Pete Hooley analyses every team, starting with the tenth-placed Bullets, all the way through to the Championship-winning Kings.

Report Cards >> Brisbane | Cairns

The ladder says

8th - 13 wins, 20 losses

Four word summary

The start cost them

The final marks

Grade: C-

The reigning champs re-loaded in the off-season and their biggest signing, JaVale McGee, was the drawcard and the foundation for their quest to win it all again. The three-time NBA champion made an instant impact on the floor, dropping 32 points and pulling down 13 rebounds in his debut.

Unfortunately for the Hawks as a whole, their season really derailed from the pre-season, with the injury to Will Hickey being the biggest hurdle to overcome. With one of their key pieces sidelined, the Hawks struggled to get off to a strong start and keep their heads above water, losing six of their first eight games and having to make a move on import JaQuori McLaughlin.

When Hickey returned and Sam Froling completed his astonishing comeback from an Achilles injury on Christmas day, the Hawks looked as if they could begin putting it all together and make a late post-season push. Their early January form became a tale of two very different teams, as their best basketball looked as if they could make the Finals, but their worst was tough to watch.

Season highlight

When Sam Froling went down in Game 4 of the NBL25 Championship Series, no one could have expected he would be back on court as quickly as he was. A true testament to his work ethic and resilience during his rehabilitation, Froling made a miraculous return to the court on Christmas day and made an instant impact. The story alone of him just being available to play was a special moment, but the fact he went out and dropped 13 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes just put the cherry on top.

Season lowlight

As mentioned above, their start to the season was a real kick to the guts for Hawks fans who expected to see a team pick up where they left off. Even through all their tough moments, by the end of December they still had the potential to be a headache in the post-season as they looked to have figured out their identity.

Round 16 was their low point as their momentum came to a screeching halt, after a tough road loss to the Phoenix and then losing to the Breakers at home. Those two losses made it very difficult for this team to mount a post-season charge and looked to have taken a toll mentally on a group who needed to play perfect basketball down the stretch.

Stats don’t lie

When looking at the numbers from this Hawks team, it’s hard to envision they finished eighth, considering they were the best rebounding team in the league (44.7 pre-game), had the most blocks (4.5) and led for points in the paint (47.6). Adding to that, they were one of the better shooting teams in the league, from inside, outside and the free-throw line.

Their biggest negative statistic was they committed the second most turnovers per game (13.8), just trailing the Brisbane Bullets in that regard.

MVP

He was one of the biggest off-season signings in recent history and his performances lived up to the hype, as JaVale McGee put on a show in NBL26. The NBA veteran averaged just under 20 points, 10 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in just 24 minutes per game. Those numbers were enough to be selected to the All-NBL Second Team, but it was some of his big individual games and highlights that will be spoken about for a long time.

Surprise packet

A long time Hawks fan-favourite, Dan Grida gave them many positive moments in a tough season. Another inspiring story of pure resilience and hard work, the 27-year-old took advantage of his opportunities in NBL26 and showed just how important he is to the club.

While his numbers will never jump off the page, Grida's contagious play style and effort is what makes him important to their success when he’s on the floor.

Another season of good health and Grida is beginning to put it all together after overcoming some big injury setbacks early in his career.

What's next?

For a team that finished eighth on the NBL standings, the Illawarra Hawks can still boast some of the best talent in the League.

The Hawks already have key names in Tyler Harvey, Will Hickey, Sam Froling and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk signed on for NBL27, providing a strong core to build around a potential bounceback season.