Most NBL players would probably breathe a sigh of relief knowing they didn’t have the impossible task of stopping Josh Childress.
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Not Wollongong forward Tim Coenraad.
He hated seeing the multi-skilled Sydney Kings import’s magnificent season derailed by a pectoral injury three weeks ago and wishes he was lining up against the Hawks on Sunday.
‘‘Playing against him is a chance for me to get better and learn a few things, so I’m kind of disappointed he’s not playing,’’ Coenraad said.
Childress would’ve been a shoo-in for NBL MVP honours if he hadn’t got injured. He has probably missed too many games to rack up enough votes to win, but his statistics remain mind-boggling.
The 31-year-old former NBA star is first in the NBL in points per game (21.1), rebounds (9.2) and blocks (2.1). He also provides for teammates with 4.2 assists per game, ranking him fourth in the league.
In three previous meetings with Wollongong he averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Asked if he was glad Childress was out, Coenraad said: ‘‘I don’t see it that way. I’d rather him be in so I can learn and get better. They’re the kind of guys I need to be able to guard if I want to become a good three-man.
‘‘It’s not like I can take a break because Childress isn’t playing. Kevin White will probably come in and he just knocked down six threes on the weekend. You can’t sleep on anyone. Everyone out there is a professional basketball player and they’re here for a reason. They’re all talented players.
‘‘Whoever comes in, I just have to do the same thing and play solid team defence. The way our system works, you’re not really one-on-one with a guy all that often. We do a lot of switching and rotations, so it’s more of focus on a team defensive effort.’’
Wollongong (5-20) are assured of last spot, regardless of whether they win their final three games.
They need one more victory to avoid finishing with the worst win-loss percentage in club history. The 1983 Hawks side’s 4-18 record (18.18 per cent) is the lowest single-season mark in the club’s 36 years.
‘‘It’s a rivalry game and I suppose that provides extra motivation, but every game is important whether you’re in the playoffs or not,’’ Coenraad said.
‘‘You don’t want to finish the season on a low, especially myself because I’ve got another year here. I want to be confident going into next season.
‘‘Every week we get to play in great arenas in front of thousands of people. We get to do what we do for a living and we’re pretty lucky, so you shouldn’t need much motivation to go out and give it your all because this game’s given so much to us.’’