Stoddart, Steindl bright spots for JackJumpers

Despite their recent struggles, Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth is still finding positives with an eye to next season, including the form of two players at opposite ends of their careers, Clint Steindl and Nick Stoddart.

It has been a rollercoaster ride in the championship defence of the JackJumpers this season with them starting at 3-8, but they went on an eight-game winning streak coinciding with the return of Sean Macdonald to run the ship.

However, Tasmania has since lost Macdonald and Will Magnay with Majok Deng also missing three games before returning on Thursday night in the home loss to the Illawarra Hawks.

The JackJumpers have now lost six of the past seven matches to slip to a 12-15 record with two games to go and with a top six finish unlikely unless they get back to winning, and Adelaide falls in a heap.

There are still positives and the entire season of championship winning captain Steindl continues to impress Roth.

He couldn’t have thought of anyone better to captain Tasmania the past four seasons, and desperately wants him back next season after he scored all 13 of his points in the second half against Illawarra on Thursday night.

"I thought he was fantastic tonight and he's probably had one of his best seasons, at least of the past four or five years with the minutes he's been playing and the quality he's been doing so he has been another bright spot for us," Roth said.

"We want him back next year and we'll have conversations to get him back without question. He's an integral part of what's been established here for the last three years, and into this fourth year. He has some good mileage still left in him.

"I hope does well in these next two games because he deserves and we want him back next year because he's been an integral part of everything we've done here."

The positive of the recent injury troubles the JackJumpers have had is the chance for some younger players to get chances to show what they are capable of in the NBL.

Archie Woodhill is getting more chances in the absences of Will Magnay and up until Thursday night, Majok Deng, while another injury to Sean Macdonald has opened up chances for Stoddart in the back court.

He is showing that he can be a playmaker and ball handler, and a knockdown three-point shooter. In his last year of eligibility to be a development player, though, Roth knows that to earn a full contract next season, Stoddart needs to keep showing his improvement and development.

"I think he's getting comfortable and he has a skill set that is useful and he continues to have flashes, and he's been practicing well for us for a few weeks," Roth said.

"I think his season will end on a positive note and I anticipate him doing well when we play United and when we play the last game of the year.

"Another judgment will come again when he has his NBL1 season to see what growth is there, but he's earned the right to maybe turn some heads which is always great and a compliment again to my coaching staff for the work they do with kids who come in here like that."

One thing that Roth does want to see improved from Stoddart when he's on the court is to play more like he does in practice, and in the NBL1 at the Ballarat Miners, and that's to be more aggressive and not defer to the likes of Milton Doyle or Jordon Crawford.

"He's very laid back in general and very easy going, which is a good quality, but I don’t really care for it very much on the floor," Roth said.

"I would rather have him being a little bit more in attack mode and we've talked about him being much more aggressive like he is in practice, and not deferring.

"He has the ability in late clock to break someone down and get to the rim and score, and when he's aggressive and has a bit more of a nasty streak in him that will be probably his next area of growth."

The JackJumpers now face a swift turnaround to playing Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on Saturday night.

It will be United's homecoming for the first time since December 23 after going 5-2 in their seven matches on the road in between, but given it's a building the JackJumpers enjoy and celebrated the championship on last year, Roth hopes for a strong showing.

"It's going to be quite difficult again and they're probably at full strength, and they're playing obviously very well," Roth said.

"We'll definitely have to be on point and our margin of error's zero, and we can't afford to be a step slow or just making poor decisions with the ball.

"We'll have our hands full in that building but there should be a good atmosphere and our guys do enjoy going in there and playing."