The competition's reigning Coach of the Year, McLeod is in the midst of a season he admits has been the toughest in his career.

A spate of new arrivals, a difficult early season schedule and a series of crucial tight losses has left the Hawks sitting at the foot of the NBL competition ladder with a league-worst record of 2-12.

It makes the club's play-offs charge from the year before seem so long ago. Yet, McLeod finds time to see the silver lining.

"When you are in the trench and the position we are in, you get to see what people's resolve is all about," McLeod says.

"You get to see which people have the preparedness to roll their sleeves up and find a way to compete and get there.

"It is easy to go to war when you have got all the pieces. You can be confident, but if you are not travelling that way you have to find ways as a team to operate as a team and get a result."

Results, more than anything, have been hard to come by for the Hawks this season.

With five new additions, Wollongong's struggle to find cohesion on court saw the club go down in a club record 11 straight games.

"We have had the luxury over the past years to have a nucleus of guys together which really helps that process. With this group that is taking longer," McLeod said.

"Of course, the frustration for everyone is about not being able to get the success that we want to have.

"The success will only come by the individual improvement of everyone in our group and how well we can play as a team, because everyone needs the player next to them to be able to be a good player.

"Everyone has to give something up for the team. That's a really important thing for us going forward."

While play-offs aspirations are all but gone, the Hawks will get the chance to upset the fortunes of many of their competition rivals.

That starts with the Sydney Kings in Wollongong on Saturday.

Led by former NBA player Josh Childress, the Kings sit one win out of a play-off spot on 6-5.

"The thing about Childress's game is that he is multi-dimensional," McLeod said of the Kings star's all-court talent and effective, constant effort.