Championship hangover? Three questions await Illawarra this NBL season

You'd never count out the defending champs, but the Illawarra Hawks have been weakened in the offseason and will be looking to prove themselves once again.

It was a little less than seven months ago that the Illawarra Hawks were lifting the NBL trophy at the WIN Entertainment Centre. Plenty has stayed the same since that night in Wollongong – the Hawks have returned seven fully contracted players from their title-winning team, including some of the stars of their playoff run. Tyler Harvey is back after a career-best campaign, with breakout star Will Hickey alongside him in the backcourt, while Todd Blanchfield, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk and Dan Grida bring continuity and depth. At the helm remains Justin Tatum, heading into just his second full season as a head coach and already with a title to his name.

Still, a lot has changed too, and this year’s Hawks feel like a whole new proposition. Gone is Trey Kell, arguably the team’s best player last season, with he, fellow import Darius Days and sharpshooter Lee Hyun-jung earning big paydays in Asia, while Lachlan Olbrich turned his strong season into an NBA contract. On top of that is star big man Sam Froling, who remains a Hawk but will miss a large chunk of the season as he recovers from a torn achilles. They were all key contributors, making up five of Illawarra’s top eight in minutes played and points per game.

In a league that has been drastically reshuffled during the offseason, it’s tough to know where to place the defending champions in the pecking order. Other teams have loaded up, but almost every roster has its own set of ifs, ands or buts. Adelaide added plenty of talent, headlined by Bryce Cotton, BUT can they overcome a clunky fit across the roster? Sydney are similarly stacked on paper, BUT can Matthew Dellavedova and Kendric Davis coexist in the backcourt? The new-look JackJumpers are ready to bounce back into contention, IF they can stay healthy and can make the new pieces click.

Illawarra’s rise to the title last season was remarkable, but so often, the rise comes before the fall. It would be foolish to rule them out this season, but they might have more question marks hanging over them than anyone, and they’ll enter the season with a target on their back as the defending champs. These questions will be answered before too long, one way or another, and they’ll decide if the Hawks are hungover or spraying champagne once again come season’s end.