Seven Seconds Or Less: SEM Phoenix takes from Round 3
1. Winning breeds winning
After their win over Illawarra, the Phoenix now extend their perfect start to 3-0. Winning and the mentality that comes with it is contagious and as is clear with South East Melbourne, claiming that opening win has been huge for their group and their confidence.
Belief is a massive thing in all sports and this Phoenix team believes.
2. Best 1-2 punch in the league
Once again the combination of Mitch Creek and John Roberson saw Phoenix take victory from another fixture. They combined for 49 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds and staked their claim as the best 1-2 punch combo in the competition.
https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1185501304866521089?s=20
Across three games they average a combined 50.67 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 11.67 assists per game. If they keep going at this rate, South East Melbourne will make noise in the postseason.
3. Offence for days
It's safe to say that the Phoenix are going to be one in a lot of high-scoring contests like they were against the Hawks. 208 points were scored in total on Saturday night and considering the way South East Melbourne run and gun and shoot the deep ball, we'll see plenty more of it.
https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1185506758921347072?s=20
The front office and league itself will be loving this because it's an exciting brand of basketball that people love to watch.
4. Jersey game strong
Phoenix's dark grey and lime green jersey is quickly becoming one of my favourites in the league. They look great on court and fans can easily identify players as their numbers are clear and easy to read in bold white.
If they make the playoffs a sea of 10,000+ plus in South East Melbourne green would look incredible.
5. Dane Pineau is all heart
Mitch Creek is a massive fan of him and NBL fans are quickly understanding why. Dane Pineau is not necessarily blessed with incredible athleticism and is by no means the biggest guy in the league but he continues to get the job done.
The 25-year-old finished the game with 12 points on 6/7 shooting and 10 rebounds including six offensive boards. Don't be surprised if he quickly becomes a fan favourite.
6. Sam Froling has a bright future
Obviously South East Melbourne walked away with a victory and it is one they will be very happy about, however one very exciting this to see for Hawks fans and everyone watching was the performance of Sam Froling.
https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1185502426922532869?s=20
At just 19 years of age, Froling had a great cameo, scoring 10 points and collecting six rebounds in just under 13 minutes. Keep your eye on him because this kid is going places.
7. The biggest test is next
Next week we get to see what the Pheonix team is really made of as they travel to Perth for what has been known as the toughest road game in the league for years. That game is on Friday night before they return home to play the 36ers on Sunday.
Obviously they will be looking to go 2-0, but you get the feeling that the coaching staff will be happy if they can walk away from the double-header with at least one win.