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R9 Preview: SE Melbourne Phoenix vs Melbourne United
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Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Both Melbourne teams are battling the injury bug, but once the ball goes up in the Throwdown it will be on like Donkey Kong, with Mitch Creek and Chris Goulding depserate to lead their teams to victory.
When: 7.30pm (AEDT), Wednesday 10 March
Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Broadcast: ESPN; Sky Sports NZ; SBS On Demand; Twitch
The last time
Melbourne 96 (White 22, Goulding 19, Landale 16) d SE Melbourne 90 (Sykes 24, Wetzell 17, Creek 13), Round 3, Bendigo Basketball Stadium
After pipping Perth by a point, the Phoenix jetted across the Nullarbor and almost pulled off a remarkable double. Despite trailing by 15 early in the final term and looking out on their feet with only 59 points on the board, Simon Mitchell’s men exploded as Keifer Sykes, Mitch Creek and Cam Gliddon piled on 27 points between them in the final nine minutes to be within four with 40 seconds to play. They couldn’t quite seal the deal, however, too much damage done from range by Jack White, Shea Ili and Chris Goulding earlier in the game.
The now
Going 2-5 in close games has done some damage to SE Melbourne’s record, but there is plenty to like about how they're playing when switched on. Even without the penetration and playmaking of Sykes, the poise and perimeter play of Adam Gibson and the pick-setting of Dane Pineau, the Phoenix have racked up 90ppg in their past three games. However, they weren’t able to keep the ball moving against Sydney’s aggression, and they’ll need to plug the leak in their defence that allowed the Kings to own the interior.
Just when Melbourne thought they'd have close to a full crew on deck against Brisbane, Scotty Hopson was ruled out with an adductor strain, leaving them down two key men for this episode of the Throwdown. The Bullets and Phoenix ball movement has exploited Melbourne’s defence like no other teams this season – expect some disruptive D to limit penetration from Kyle Adnam and Mitch Creek, who United will struggle to match-up on – while at the offensive end Melbourne continue to rely on their three-point shooting.
The stats
- Melbourne’s defence has given up 94ppg at 51 per cent against Brisbane and the Phoenix, compared to 79.6ppg at 40 per cent against the rest of the NBL
- United are first for three-point makes (10.9) and second in conversion (37%), but rank ahead of only New Zealand and Cairns for two-point makes (22) and rank eighth for made free throws (11.6)
- The Phoenix defence leaked 56 points in the paint to Sydney last round. They are -86 on PiPs in their seven losses, and have not won that category once in defeat
- In wins, SE Melbourne are undefeated when it comes to points in the paint, going +44 across their six Ws and conceding just 41 PiPs, compared to 50.9 in losses
The key men
Cam Gliddon – The ‘other CG’ was 1-of-7 from long range in the Phoenix’s loss to Sydney, after knocking down 24-of-48 triples in his previous seven games to transform SE Melbourne’s offence. In those seven, they scored 92 points or more six times, after not reaching that mark once in regulation in their opening five outings as Gliddon shot 9-of-36.
There is a long history of Gliddon-Goulding shootouts, but where Goulding dominated this match-up during Cam’s Cairns days, he has scored 20 or more only once since 2018/19, with Gliddon’s teams boasting a 5-3 record over United over that stretch. Gliddon has averaged just 10.3ppg against United in that time, however, so they’re both due to fire.
Shea Ili – Coach Dean Vickerman’s comments that Shea is playing injured are telling. After he recorded a plus-minus of +22 in three-and-a-bit games before getting injured, Melbourne have been -41 with him on the floor in three games since his return, compared to +39 with Ili on the pine, something that doesn’t bode well heading into the clash with the Phoenix.
Mitch McCarron and Yudai Baba have carried a huge defensive load this season, and both showed signs of fatigue against Brisbane. With SE Melbourne’s offence heavily on-ball dependent – and Kyle Adnam having dished 23 dimes in their past three wins – Melbourne needs the Ili of old disrupting full-court and blowing up ball-screens before they happen.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Death, taxes, Kyle making tough buckets ? <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleAdnam?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KyleAdnam</a> <a href="https://t.co/gGAZOcI0f7">pic.twitter.com/gGAZOcI0f7</a></p>— South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1368130530374344705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The quotes
It was the night injuries finally came back to bite Melbourne United. Playing a Brisbane outfit that is growing ominously, the ladder leaders weren’t able to produce yet another Houdini effort to pinch the W.
United were 8-1 in close games heading into that clash, but one of the biggest reasons for that record was on the sidelines, meaning Vickerman couldn’t send up the usual ‘Bat Signal’ to Scotty Hopson.
“Hop being out, he’s been a target for us in the last five minutes of games because he’s such a good passer, so creative, and he’s been really good for us,” Vickerman said.
“I thought he was really finding a rhythm in end-games in the last three, so how do we change that, where do we go right now for those key plays? It’s something we’ve got to figure out quite quickly.”
Returning skipper Chris Goulding was the one who put them in a position to steal a game Brisbane thoroughly deserved with an epic third quarter, but in his first game back couldn’t produce the same heroics down the stretch.
“I should have stayed off a little longer, the boys were going alright,” he said despondently post-game.
“It’s a team game, but I've been watching them win, I've been on the sideline cheering on wins in close games, and we have a close game and can’t get over the line so it’s disappointing.”
Melbourne’s ability to find contributors through adversity has allowed them to sit 2.5 games clear atop the Hungry Jack’s NBL ladder, however they must now bounce back or risk allowing Perth to join them in a race for first place.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crucial 4?? point play!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithUs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithUs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisGoulding43?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisGoulding43</a> <a href="https://t.co/H8Ta8NNKek">pic.twitter.com/H8Ta8NNKek</a></p>— Melbourne United (@MelbUnitedHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnitedHQ/status/1368414451645382660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“We’ve obviously bounced back well from whatever situation it’s been this year, but again it’s about getting your team healthy, great to get Chris back out there tonight, Shea played hurt tonight and he was affected by his ankle,” Vickerman said.
“His first game was great coming back but people are carrying little things so it’s about how do we get this whole group healthy? Mitch and Jock have carried a big load for this team at times they just looked a fraction off tonight.
“How do we freshen up? We've got big games against South East and Illawarra to finish off this tournament, two really good teams that play fast and we need everybody to be as close to full health as possible to win those two.”
Freshening up is a common theme, and Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell was looking to take a leaf out of Adam Forde’s book after the Kings overran his team to close Round 8.
“I thought Adam did a wonderful job tonight rotating his players,” Mitchell said.
“Outside of Casper I don’t think many of the guys played really big minutes – Dejan as well – and they seemed fresh coming off a two-day break.
“Maybe we need to get another player or two through the rotation, see if that can freshen us up and find a little energy.”
Of course, they were hoping that other player might have been Ryan Broekhoff on Wednesday night, but Phoenix fans will have to wait until at least Friday to see their marquee signing in green.
That doesn’t perturb Mitchell too much, knowing it’s about what his team does on the court – rather than who they have on the floor – given the likes of Izayah Le’Afa, Reuben Te Rangi and Yani Wetzell have all stood tall this season.
“We've got four pretty good players to come back into our team over the coming weeks, basketball can be a cruel sport at times,” he said.
“We’re down three soldiers at the moment and obviously Ryan’s going to join us, and it would be nice if it wasn’t all (out) at the same time, but I’m pretty comfortable with the guys I've got.
“You’ve seen Izayah Le’Afa come out and perform, we’ve got guys who are ready, so you’ve just got to go in with what you’ve got.
“As with all these games with quick turnarounds you’ve just got to try and get these bodies right. The main process is to get our bodies in a good position to go and compete.”