They may be 3-22, but Jacob Jackomas' men have earned respect around the league from rivals and fans for the courage and grit they've shown through shocking adversity, with seven of 12 single-digit defeats coming by six points or less.

Given the injury toll and how undermanned they've been for much of the season, one could easily assert that Illawarra haven't been the league's most disappointing team. Adelaide will be the season's biggest flops should they not reach the play-in given the big-money roster they've put on the floor.

History, though, tends to take a very empirical look at things. It will not tell the story of a Hawks team far more competitive, and certainly far tougher, than what a franchise-low win-loss ledger will suggest come season's end.

There are a myriad of factors at play in the club's on and off-court position: an unprecedented import injury toll, questionable recruitment and retention, ownership ructions. Yet, as a horror season draws to a close, we can expect to see the finger of blame turn where it always does on the back of a poor season; the fans.

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You can feel it rolling in on the breeze. Crowd numbers will be trotted out to feed those ever-present relocation talks. We'll hear all the same rubbish about how fans need to 'vote with their feet' and 'prove they deserve' a team in the NBL.

Expect to hear more of the same BS when all's said and done this year. It comes around every couple of years like La Nina. Most frustratingly, it inevitably flows down from NBL HQ, be it in subtle digs in the media or calculated leaks for the same purpose.

Never mind the fact the league once again produced its annual piss-take when it came to the Hawks home schedule.

Hoopla long ago stopped posing this question to the league brass given how empty the answers are.

It's always the same talk about how the league understands the "unique challenges" that come with being in the league's smallest market and assert that it will "assist in any way it can."

And yet, when the schedule dropped this season, it handed the Hawks another excrement sandwich to the tune of four Monday night games, one Tuesday and three Thursdays.

That's eight of 14 home fixtures on week nights, the most of any team in the league, significantly so.

Most tellingly, the Hawks were not given a single Sunday afternoon game - not one game in the prime-time slot for crowd numbers. So much for understanding the challenges of a small market.

By comparison, Sydney have seven Sundays on their home schedule, including four in a row between rounds 9-12.

Melbourne United also have seven Sunday afternoon games, including three of their first four of the season. The Phoenix have five Sunday games (with six Saturdays and just two week-night games).

Adelaide has 12 of its 14 home games on weekends. Tasmania has nine, with one of its two Monday games coming on Boxing Day.

The utter unfairness of the Hawks home schedule reveals itself in the numbers.

Crowd figures haven't dropped below 3000 for any weekend fixture. The lowest listed crowd figure was 3139 against Melbourne on a Saturday in round five.

The Hawks season-opener against Sydney on a Saturday drew 4008. The second home clash with the Kings in round 11 drew 3288.

The New Years' Eve clash with Perth on a Saturday in round 13 drew 3776. Saturday's clash with Brisbane drew 3503. Over five weekend games, the Hawks have pulled an average crowd 3543.

Could it be better? Sure. Does it need to be to ensure the club's ongoing viability? Absolutely, but those numbers are for a team currently 3-22.

In seven weeknight home games, the Hawks' highest attendance was 2846 against the JackJumpers in round 15.

A Thursday-night clash with the Phoenix in round two drew 2806, while the highest Monday night crowd was 2718 against Cairns in round 13.

All up it's an average of 2422 over seven week-night home fixtures. That's a week night to weekend difference of 1121. In a small market, it's a significant gap.

The Hawks are not alone in this disparity

Melbourne United have thus far played nine of their 13 home games on weekends, with crowds climbing above 10,000 three times and dropping below 6000 three times.

They've pulled an average of just over 8000 for weekend fixtures. The number drops to 5596 over four week-night games, a difference of 2404.

The numbers on the 'Throwdown' with the Phoenix are particularly illuminating.

The Sunday afternoon derby in round six drew 10,300 to John Cain Arena. The Thursday night derby in round 13 drew just 6228. Same arena, same rivalry, but a weekend to week-night difference of more than 4000.

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The flip-side is also interesting. The Phoenix hosted their first Melbourne derby in round seven, on a Saturday with a 5.30pm tip-off. It drew a crowd of 10,175. The Phoenix hosted their second Melbourne derby on Saturday just two rounds later but, with an 8pm tip-off, it drew just 5651.

It shows the importance of family-friendly time slots when it comes to generating crowds. The Kings have certainly seen the benefits of their seven Sunday afternoon games.

It's hardly rocket science to suggest weekend games draw bigger crowds than weeknight games, but it shows how disadvantaged Illawarra is, year in, year out, when it comes to home scheduling.

To put the team in the smallest market so far behind the eight-ball to start with, and then turn around and suggest the fans need to lift their game is, frankly, absurd.

This season is no outlier. Remember the NBL scheduled LaMelo Ball's first game at the WEC on NRL grand final day, while three of his subsequent five games in Wollongong were on a Monday night.

So much for understanding the challenges of a small market.

It's an historical wrong the NBL needs to right before it, and those who commentate on it, start pointing the finger at Hawks fans.

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