Illawarra Hawks fans have ridden a rollercoaster with the team this season, but undoubtedly the highlight has been watching the emergence of the team’s rookies Emmett Naar and Daniel Grida.

The Hawks signed the young guns this season on multi-year deals when other sides were not prepared to back them in. The Hawks’ faith and the Hawks faithful will be richly rewarded.

While few other rookies have been given a chance to shine in the 2018-19 National Basketball League, housemates Grida and Naar have been blooded for the future and will form a strong foundation for the Hawks’ campaign next season.

Both Naar and talented forward Grida are deservedly being spoken about as potential NBL rookies of the year, probably behind clear leader Harry Froling of Adelaide.

Naar unleashed in a breakout game last weekend, helping his side record an impressive win over arch rivals the Sydney Kings at Qudos Arena.

Coming off an impressive US college career, Naar has shown incredible smarts and poise in the point guard position and had even the harshest critics raving about his future.

His vision, decision making and uncanny ability to work himself and others into space led us to give him a special front page based on Ini Kamzoe’s song, The Hotstepper. While Ini Kamoze was a one-hit wonder, Emmett Naar will be far from it.

He will be providing highlights for Hawks fans for many seasons to come and on Friday night will lead the Hawks into battle against the New Zealand Breakers at the WIN Entertainment Centre in a do-or-die clash for both sides.

The Hawks are hoping to keep their play-off hopes alive before embarking on two milestone games next week.

Next week the Hawks head to Melbourne for an open air game against United within the Australian Open precinct before heading to Canberra to bring NBL basketball back to the nation’s capital for the first time n years.

It will be a landmark week for the NBL’s only remaining foundation club.

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