Hawks hoping Oscar Forman fills void

By Tim Keeble
Updated November 6 2012 - 12:11am, first published April 28 2010 - 11:20am
Oscar Forman in action for the New Zealand Breakers. He has the talent and size to become a reliable interior scorer.
Oscar Forman in action for the New Zealand Breakers. He has the talent and size to become a reliable interior scorer.

He has made a living in the National Basketball League as a streaky three-point marksman.But new Wollongong signing Oscar Forman has vowed to transform himself from a small forward into a power forward to help cover the loss of former Hawk Cam Tragardh."Picking up Oscar should help fill the void of losing Trigger (Tragardh)," Hawks coach Gordie McLeod said.

  • Full Hawks coverage"He's very keen to make the transition from the three-spot (small forward) to the four-spot (power forward) and it's something he knows he has to work on - and we'll be working on it with him."While Tragardh is an instinctive post player and comfortable receiving the ball with his back to the basket, Forman is most effective when facing the hoop, particularly in three-point territory.McLeod is confident 205cm Forman has the talent and size to become a reliable interior scorer."There's a lot of blokes in the NBL who can't play with their back to the basket," he said."Oscar certainly brings some other attributes to the table and he really feels like he's ready to take on a greater role at the four-spot."Forman has joined the club on a one-year deal after previous stints with New Zealand and Adelaide and is relishing a positional change."I'm looking forward to the opportunity to join the Hawks," the 28-year-old said."I spent my off-season last year with the Australian Boomers ... it was a great experience and it also taught me that I could play the four-spot effectively and that I felt it was more of my natural position on the court."It's good to be joining a team that has kept the majority of its core roster. I'm hoping to come to Wollongong a bit earlier this off-season so I can settle in and start working out with the guys and get adjusted to playing with most of them."I'm here to work as hard as I can to help the Hawks win and really keen to continue to develop and learn under the guidance of Gordie and the coaching staff."Everything I've heard about Wollongong has been great ... the lifestyle, the fans, the community support and local media coverage. It's a great club to be involved in and I'm really looking forward to playing in front of such a loyal and supportive crowd."In further good news for the Hawks, American forward Dave Gruber has agreed to terms and is expected to soon re-sign with the club.The no-nonsense enforcer is likely to be an Australian citizen within the next 12 months and the Hawks are keen to stitch him to a two-year contract with an option for a third season.Gruber is the most likely candidate to take Tragardh's spot in the starting line-up, with Forman filling a back-up role."We have to look for someone to give us that impact Trigger did off the block (low post)," McLeod said.
  • Subscribe now for unlimited access.

    $0/

    (min cost $0)

    or signup to continue reading

    See subscription options

    Get the latest Wollongong news in your inbox

    Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

    We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.