GAME ON
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At an imposing 2.18 metres, Luke Nevill is a sizeable mark of the Wollongong Hawks’ intentions.
The Hawks have been living by modest means and the goodwill of a diehard section of the community.
But new owner James Spenceley’s words, and late acquisition of Nevill, have shown a determination to change the ingrained survivalist culture.
‘‘The Hawks have always been in survival mode, just keeping it alive and putting a team on court,’’ he told Mercury basketball writer Tim Keeble. ‘‘We’re approaching it in reverse, getting people in there who are driven with lots of energy.
‘‘Our internal goal is to win a championship within three years.’’
Is it realistic?
On the early evidence, before Friday night’s season opener against Townsville, it’s reasonable to say it is.
Coach Gordie McLeod has a proven record of attracting talent on a limited budget, Gary Ervin and Rotnei Clarke being the best recent examples.
Now he has a Boomers centre to fill an important gap in the roster, especially with Larry Davidson still recovering from a knee injury.
McLeod also has Jahii Carson – who only a few months ago was confident of being picked in the NBA draft – as well as Ervin, determined to rebuild his cult-hero status at the Hawks after winning the 2010-11 league MVP.
Put simply, they aren’t battlers any more and should not be viewed as such. Which is exactly what Spenceley wants.
But with great expectation comes the pressure to deliver and capture the imagination of the wider public.
As Spenceley himself declared in Friday’s Mercury interview, the Hawks must be able to consistently boost crowd numbers and regain the interest of past and new fans alike.
Basketball is an attractive and entertaining product, it’s the ability to change public perceptions and culture which presents the Hawks’ biggest issue.
It’s worked with packed houses at almost every game in Perth, so presumably poaching new general manager Kim Welch from the Wildcats is designed to replicate their success here.
Of course, the NBL continues to have an image problem.
It’s in the summer market to avoid being suffocated by rugby league and AFL, but is still struggling for oxygen when the A-League giant is not just awake, but dominating the landscape.
At the preseason blitz, the NBL revealed that a team in Brisbane would return to the competition next season.
Chief executive Fraser Neill made the announcement but, with only a handful of media in attendance and not even a press release to provide more detail, the news hardly made an affect.
If anything, it has sparked fears about the viability of existing franchises, with Friday night’s opponents Townsville continuing to struggle financially.
Lack of mainstream television coverage remains a problem.
Bizarrely, the NBL set a deadline for media accreditation on September 10, before leaving the clubs to announce on October 8, two days before the season tip-off, they would be handling individual media access game by game.
These are some examples of the NBL needing to get its house in order, let alone being able to capture the imagination of new markets and fair-weather fans.
October looms as an important month for the Spenceley-era Hawks.
They have seven games between Friday night and October 31, including two against defending champions Perth Wildcats.
It could be the making of their season but it won’t be easy, given that Nevill is a late arrival and Carson and Davidson have missed vital preseason action.
Having 11 players on their roster – including Nevill – could prove to be a vital asset for the Hawks in a condensed schedule.
And the famed McLeod magic has worked with much less talent at his disposal.
