Hawks struggling under weight of expectations as team searches for answers

A team with no expectations that was in the finals hunt, led by the greatest mind in the sport, Brian Goorjian.

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Basketball was fun.

This year, not so much.

After the arrival of star studded recruits, including Duop Reath and Antonius Cleveland, the expectations were sky-high.

With the Hawks 6-6 and reeling after back to back losses, Goorjian admits his side is struggling under the weight of that pressure.

"I've said this to the guys, it's a different situation completely to last year," Goorjian said.

"Last year we were like the Jack Jumpers. We were playing by the seat of our pants and the world's your oyster, everything you do everybody's clapping.

"Now we've accomplished something, we've added players, now we're trying to hit with the big boys. It's an area this organisation over the course of time hasn't been good.

"It isn't fun right now, it's stressful, it's tough, you're getting hit mentally. Basketball isn't always fun."

The Hawks fell to South-East Melbourne on Monday night in a thriller.

Illawarra led by one with one second to go when Xavier Munford threw up a last-ditch heave from deep.

Contact was made, a foul was called and Munford stepped to the line to seal an 88-87 victory for the Phoenix.

Goorjian recognises it's moments like that where his side, a team with title expectations, needs to deliver. He's confident, however, it will ultimately prove a learning opportunity for the Hawks.

"This situation that we're in is good for the development of this program and the development of this team. A lot of stress gets alleviated if we get over the hump, we did what we needed to do to do that.

"To have what took place at the end, I'll go there again and again in my mind. We're definitely not having fun, but that's not a bad thing.

"It's part of getting tough, getting nasty, going to some place where we haven't been before and playing under pressure. There wasn't a lot of that last year."

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