BASKETBALL
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Hawks guard Rhys Martin believes it would be a "huge" setback to their mid-season surge if teammate Tyson Demos can't recover in time for Sunday's home stoush with Cairns.
Demos remained bedridden yesterday on antibiotics after being admitted to hospital on Sunday night suffering from cellulitis in his lower leg.
And with rookie guard Dominique Cooks (knee) already in the injury ward, the Hawks' stock in the back court is running dangerously low.
"We have a solid guard rotation that we have got going right now, especially with Dom already out, so we don't really want to lose Tyson for this game," Martin said.
"It would be huge for us. He has been playing really well, so hopefully this doesn't set him back at all and he can come back playing the same way."
While hopeful that Demos could return to the court, Martin was confident his teammates would step up to fill the void should he be unavailable.
"I think maybe a couple of other guys are going to have to carry the ball up the court some of the time," Martin said.
"Tim [Coenraad] might have to play the two spot some of the time or it could even be Kevin [Tiggs]."
Regardless of who lands the job in the Hawks backcourt, Martin believes they must be ready for an improved performance from Taipans import Jamar Wilson, who was lacklustre from the floor making just 1/9 in Wollongong's 82-79 win in Cairns last weekend.
"I don't think Jamar is going to have two bad games in a row," Martin said.
"We did a pretty good job at making him take shots that we want him to take instead of allowing him to just get whatever he wanted.
"I think he is probably going to be a little bit more forceful with that this week," Martin said.
Sunday's encounter will be the third time this season the Hawks have played the same team in successive matches.
"It is good for the guys that are new - the imports and other guys," Martin said.
"They didn't really have to think too hard about who they are playing against.
"It is the same guy and the same match-up, so hopefully they can make the adjustments to who are shooters and who aren't.
"Because, in Cairns, there were a couple of occasions where we were running the guys who aren't shooters and leaving somebody open that we don't want."