JackJumpers Sitting Calmly Heading into FIBA Break

The Tasmania JackJumpers are content heading into the FIBA break, standing at 5-5 and sitting fifth on the ladder.

“We’re going into this break in a relatively good position. Not satisfied by any means, but standing at 5-5, we have got eight or nine days now for ourselves to regroup and relax a bit,” coach Scott Roth said.

The JackJumpers have a 13-day break before they next play against the New Zealand Breakers.

“These guys have a few days off, and then we’ll slowly get back to work and then really start our prep work the following week,” Roth said.

“They’re just good players and good teams, it’s great to be coaching in it and seeing it. I appreciate just how well this league is talent wise, and we have to be on point and sometimes it’s with you and sometimes it’s not.”

Roth has spoken about Tasmania’s travel heavy schedule to start the season but declares he and his players make no excuses from constantly being on the road.

“Zero (excuses), no. I’ve said this probably in the past, people actually work for a living, they get up and go to work at seven, come home at five, and we’re just asking these guys (players) to show up and play 15-20 minutes here or there depending on the workload they have,” Roth said.

“The fans don’t care how you got here, they just want you to go out there and play as hard as you possibly can, so we make absolutely zero excuses about that.

“We’re privileged to play this game; energy has to be there nightly for us, and travel is travel.

“We have a lot of growth and a lot of areas that we can improve on.”