Hawks Building Toughness

The Illawarra Hawks have shown improvements this season, and coach Jacob Jackomas says the team has built a different level of toughness at the tail-end of the campaign.

In the last Freeway Series clash of NBL23, the Hawks came close to upsetting the Sydney Kings but lost to their NSW rivals for the fourth time this season, 84-79.

The bottom of the ladder Hawks are just 2-21 but have played admirably against the league’s best teams and Jackomas appreciates the “level of toughness” the group is showing.

“We’re showing a different kind of toughness right now,” Jackomas said.

“Every time we play one of these games, we get a little bit tougher. 

“Our record is disappointing; our injuries are disappointing. The losing is disappointing but the way we’re playing isn’t disappointing.”

In his first season as head coach for the Hawks, Jackomas made it clear the relationship of the group has made it easier to bounce back from their losses.

“Our last games, it’s been the same thing, I thought we played a little bit better today against such a quality opposition,” Jackomas said.

“We had a young group; I’m not making excuses but I’m not going to be frustrated with them by no means.

“I’m going to teach them, and I’m going to grow with them in my role, but I’m definitely never going to be frustrated with these men.

“I have to teach, and I have to support.

“Within that, we have to focus on winning and I think what we’ve done well is put ourselves in a position to win every time.

“We didn’t do that at the beginning of the year, but it wasn’t frustrating it was teaching and learning.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Hawks are on a RUN ?<br><br>Watch live and free on 10 Peach and 10 play | Live on ESPN2 via Kayo Sports + Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/RYL0FwAbo1">pic.twitter.com/RYL0FwAbo1</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1614515596577894400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Illawarra guard William Hickey spoke on the ease of entering games with a team who have developed a positive off-court relationship.

“A lot of us are on that same journey, trying to break through and get our foot in the door. Just through that we all find comfort in each other,” Hickey said.

“It makes it easier to come into an environment where Jake facilitates that and that’s where the whole playing hard has come from.

“We’re pretty close with each other so we’re all playing for each other in that sense.”

The Hawks play another tough game against the New Zealand Breakers on Thursday at 5:30pm AEDT.