With seven new faces on their 11-man roster, the Hawks clicked into gear at last week's NBL Blitz, winning two of three games in emphatic fashion. 

The most impressive stat was the 21 assists the Hawks averaged across the three games, including 28 dimes on 39 field goals in a 14-point win over New Zealand.

Coenraad said it showed the selflessness that's been the common denominator in the Hawks most successful campaigns. 

“I think the biggest upside from the Blitz was the amount of assists we had,” Coenraad said.

“We're very unselfish, sometimes a bit too unselfish, but you'd rather have that then a bunch of selfish guys who are just worried about shots. It's been the Illawarra mentality from day one for me. 

“We took so many positives out of the Blitz and one of the things everyone was saying about our team was that, even though we've got seven new guys, it looks we've already got that chemistry.

“I think it's massive having that this early. Even with the amount of new guys we have, they've been able to fit in seamlessly into the offence and into what we do.”

While a team-first mentality is nothing new for the club's veterans, Coenraad's been super-impressed at the buy-in from the club's youth brigade of Emmett Naar, Daniel Grida and Marshall Nelson.

All three rookies clocked big minutes over the Blitz as coach Rob Beveridge looks to manage his veterans through an 11-game preseason schedule that includes next week's four-game trip to Malaysia for the eight-team international Seri Mutiara Cup. 

"The young guys had an amazing Blitz, they all learned so much and all performed so well,” Coenraad said.

“They're are pushing us every day at practice. They go hard every time and that's what you want from the young guys. You want them to be energetic and you want them to be eager to learn and that's what they are.

“They don't have huge egos, they don't complain, they don't want shots, they don't complain when they don't get them.

“They fit right in, they work hard and from young guys that's all you can ask for. It's really a perfect fit with us older guys.” 

It's certainly mentality Coenraad has bought into on the personal front, making fine fist of a switch to a power forward role having spent the bulk of his career in the three spot.

He's averaged 16 points, six rebounds and two assists over his side's first four preseason games, leading the Hawks in scoring at the Blitz.

“I've loved it and, as I get older, I think it's more my fit,” Coenraad said.

"The way our line-up's shaped up, we want to get to the basket this year. You bring in guys like Brian [Conklin] and Dave Andersen with AJ [Ogilvy] as well, I think we just needed that stretch four where you can play small-ball.

“I think it suits the league, the four spot's not an overly big spot anymore. In the past whenever guys have been hurt and I've had to play the four spot I've been pretty comfortable.

“I'm really glad that it's happened this year because some of the three men and the guards coming into the league are a little too quick these days. I just want to bang away with the big guys now.”