NBL23 Review: Illawarra Hawks

With the NBL23 season in the books and Free Agency just around the corner, the time to review the season is now. 

From bottom to top, NBL Media will be running through each side’s most recent campaign and assess the good, the bad, the ugly, as well as the upcoming off-season.

After back-to-back Finals appearances in NBL21 and NBL22, the departure of legendary coach Brian Goorjian and a raft of injuries saw the Hawks bottom out this season, and they bottomed out hard.

Illawarra sat rooted to the bottom of the ladder for almost the entire season, and its record of just three wins for the season set a new – and unwanted – club record.

The previous lowest win season in the history of the foundation club was the four-win campaign in 1983, when the season ran for just 22 fixtures.

Tyler Harvey celebrates hitting the game-winner against New Zealand in Round 16.

The Good – Young players earned good burn
Lachie Dent, Davo Hickey and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk saw a level of court-time that had previously eluded them over the course of their burgeoning careers, and all three put their best foot forward when called upon by Jacob Jackomas.

Dent averaged just under five points per game across 25 appearances in NBL23 – a far cry from his zero points across just six appearances in NBL22 - and emerged as a genuine NBL-level backup option as the season progressed.

And who can forget that breakout 19 points in 14 minutes in the first round of the season against the Sydney Kings.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LACHIE 2 HOTTY.<a href="https://twitter.com/lachlandent_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lachlandent_</a> is having himself a night ? <br><br>A career-high 19 and counting <br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live on ESPN via Kayo &amp; Foxtel <a href="https://t.co/P2WQVxJkmw">pic.twitter.com/P2WQVxJkmw</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1576176921695514625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After struggling to establish himself at both Melbourne and South East Melbourne in seasons past, Will ‘Davo’ Hickey earned the court time he’s been champing at the bit for in Illawarra.

In the first two seasons of his career combined, Hickey played just nine times in the NBL. In NBL23, he took to the court on 24 occasions and has since been rewarded with a new contract for next season.

Three-time NBL champion Wani Swaka Lo Buluk was handed extended responsibility at the small-forward position, following injuries to George King and Michael Frazier II, and Sam Froling stepped up and filled co-captain duties alongside Tyler Harvey, despite being just 22 years of age.

There’s no disputing it was a tough campaign for the Hawks this past season – a tougher campaign than any of these players are likely to experience again.

The lessons learned by some of the side’s youngest charges – and even first-year head coach Jacob Jackomas – could prove invaluable as the side looks to launch itself back up the ladder and into the Finals picture next season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Davo Hickey with the hands and the JAM! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HawkNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HawkNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/7xprwOOfDE">pic.twitter.com/7xprwOOfDE</a></p>&mdash; Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1581938407517073408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Bad – Losing 14 games by 10 points or less
Illawarra’s season could have fallen a drastically different way if they had figured out a way to close out games better. Too often it was a case of so close, yet so far for the Hawks on a near week-to-week basis.

The Hawks lost 25 games this season. On paper, that’s bad. In practice, that’s bad. Depending on your outlook though, the fact that 14 of those 25 losses came by 10 points or less can be seen as something of a positive.

Yes, it indicates the Hawks’ inability to close out tight games – and seven of those 14 narrow losses even came by six points or less – but it shows the depleted side was around the mark of competitiveness.

Illawarra’s emotive and drought-breaking win over New Zealand almost never even came to be thanks to this apparent ‘deer in headlights’ reaction when faced with a close game.

A final minute Tom Abercrombie steal and dunk put the Breakers up with just seconds remaining, but a Tyler Harvey match-winning heave still sealed the win and produced one of the moments of the season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TYLER HARVEY TO WIN THE GAME. HE IS MAGIC ?<br><br>UNRIVALLED DRAMA<br><br>WHAT A GAME OF NBL BASKETBALL ? <a href="https://t.co/218UNw8XkS">pic.twitter.com/218UNw8XkS</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1615989417155637250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

If Illawarra had won just half of those 14 games they would have finished the season ahead of the Brisbane Bullets and just three games behind the Adelaide 36ers.

That would have still been a rough season where they fell out of the Playoff picture early, but nothing like what they experienced.

Sam Froling reflects on Illawarra's Round 1 loss to Sydney.

The Ugly – Import season-ending injuries
When Justin Robinson, Sam Froling and Tyler Harvey combined at the pre-season Blitz it looked like the dawn of a new NBL big three. After just 31 minutes on the court in the season proper though, disaster struck.

Robinson fell clutching his knee towards the back end of a tight clash with the Sydney Kings. His 10-point, eight assist performance would prove to be the first – and last – time fans saw him strut his stuff in NBL23.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justin Robinson putting on a show in New Zealand! <br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@illawarrahawks</a> import with 21 points at the end of the third.<br><br>Stream the final quarter live + free here:<a href="https://t.co/XjUAVrBnKA">https://t.co/XjUAVrBnKA</a> <a href="https://t.co/JQ8Z4t9DAG">pic.twitter.com/JQ8Z4t9DAG</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1568502238552944643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With Robinson sidelined, fellow import George King took it upon himself to help fill the scoring hole left by the former Milwaukee Buck, but just nine games into the season he found himself on the sidelines too.

An ankle injury disrupted what had been a promising start to his own campaign, and King returned home to America mid-way through the season to rehabilitate the injury.

The Hawks took some time to replace the injured pair, and brought in a pair of players who already had NBL experience. Former Breaker Peyton Siva and former Wildcat Michael Frazier II were brought into the fold.

Siva picked up from where he left off from his season in New Zealand. The Hawks looked a drastically more threatening side, but an inadvertent shoulder injury suffered when running into a heavy screen on New Year’s Eve.

While Frazier II had flattered to deceive during his time in Perth, he brought an element of exceptional scoring to the Hawks’ lineup, but he was placed on the sidelines just three days after Siva with a forearm injury.

The injury bug bit the Hawks this season, and although it was almost totally out of their hands – it bit them hard.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Hawks are coming - they&#39;re on an 18-8 run in the third quarter, and Peyton Siva is hitting DAGGERS ??<br><br>Catch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/IGN1qbctGM">pic.twitter.com/IGN1qbctGM</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1588105039708450819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Off-Season – Retooling from the bottom up
After the final buzzer sounded on the Illawarra Hawks’ season only Sam Froling, Tyler Harvey and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk had contracts for NBL24.

In the weeks since Justin Robinson, ‘Davo’ Hickey and Dan Grida have all committed to the club for next season.

RELATED: Grida Re-Signing Indicates Hawks' Off-Season Strategy

With six players confirmed to be on its books at the time of writing, it means the side has one import spot and a number of starting and depth positions to fill.

ESPN Insider Olgun Uluc has reported that Deng Deng is likely to explore the free agent market, while the Hawks may be interested in bringing in more defensive minded players across the board – and earmarked local talents Mason Peatling and Bul Kuol as potential targets for the side.

Returning to the well that is Mangok Mathiang could also be a very real possibility. The backup centre is currently starring in Israel alongside Adelaide star Antonius Cleveland – and he’s gone on record as having enjoyed his time with the side.

He’s currently averaging 11 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks per game with Hapoel Eilat.

RELATED: NBL Abroad: Cleveland, Mathiang Dominate

It can be expected Harvey, Robinson and Froling will make up the core of the side’s primary offensive options, so bringing in the pieces that can support the exciting trio will be the key marker by which the Hawks will judge their off-season.

Illawarra has the opportunity to almost totally tear down and rebuild its rotation heading into NBL24. If they can do it successfully, they can leave the struggles of last season as nothing but a distant memory.