Small ball set to define Game 4?

The absence of Marcus Lee in Thursday night’s potential Championship Series decider will almost certainly have a defining impact on the game. Without the twin tower rotation of Will Magnay and Lee at the center position, the JackJumpers will almost certainly have to play more small ball than initially desired. The question then becomes, 'how does Melbourne counter it?'.

Dean Vickerman lamented his side’s ability to adjust to the hot hand of Majok Deng and the floor stretching lineup Tasmania played in the fourth quarter of Game 3, and eventually elected to try to match the JackJumpers’ style of play by putting Kyle Bowen at center.

Vickerman has since said he feels his team could have an advantage with one of Jo Lual-Acuil Jr or Ariel Hukporti on the floor when Tasmania runs small ball, and Peter Hooley – who played in Melbourne’s 2018 title under Vickerman – says Lee’s absence will dilute the strategic coaching battle of Game 4.

“If Magnay’s off the floor Tassie are going to be small, they’re not going to have the choice. It’s been the chess match of ‘if they’re taking Lee or Magnay out are they going to switch, or are they going to put Krslovic or Majok Deng in to try and spread he floor’,” Hooley said on NBL Now.

“Now they know if Magnay is off the floor – whether it’s resting or foul trouble – they are going to play small, so Melbourne United all week will be preparing for that one way or another.

“It puts a lot of weight on Will Magnay’s shoulders, he’s going to try and come and lead the charge, and JLA is going to be hungry, Hukporti’s been dominating the post and defensively with physicality.

“It’s definitely a challenge for Tassie.”

With the combination of Majok Deng and Fabijan Krslovic likely to back Magnay up at the center position over the course of the remainder of the series – however long that may be – Hooley says the pair need to be locked in to any opportunity they get to shoot the ball from range.

It was the hot hand of Deng that prompted Vickerman to sideline both Lual-Acuil Jr and Hukporti, and Hooley says holding Melbourne’s centers accountable in their defending away from the rim will be crucial to forcing any potential changes.

“The things that’s going to weigh up is if they have more of an advantage with JLA and Hukporti on one end, and can they (the JackJumpers) hold down the fort on the other until they get back to a normal lineup?,” Hooley said.

“Krslovic can knock down a couple of timely threes, and Majok Deng can light it up from outside ... that’s going to be the thing they weigh up in the game.

“If you are Scott Roth you’re telling Fabijan Krslovic and Majok Deng when you’re out there and you’re open, you have to let that thing fly, because if you knock down a couple, it really makes Dean Vickerman think of how they want to adjust going forward.”

Game 4 of the Championship Series between Melbourne and Tasmania tips off at 7:30pm AEDT on Thursday, live on ESPN via Kayo. Live coverage begins with the Coca-Cola Pre-Game Show from 7pm AEDT.