"They're saving my butt": Tatum praises coaching staff

Interim Illawarra head coach Justin Tatum has keenly deflected the praise being thrust on him for the Hawks’ recent performances, and believes the coaches around him haven’t earned enough credit for the side’s season-defining run.

Tatum was appointed as interim coach following Illawarra’s 2-7 start to the season and has since led them to three victories in four games.

He opened his account with a low-scoring four-point win over New Zealand in Round 8, before the Hawks suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to Brisbane.

Illawarra has been irresistible in its last two games though. First game a cruisy 18-point win over Perth to end the Wildcats’ six-game winning streak, before a dominant 28-point mauling of South East Melbourne.

“I get all the credit right now because I’m the interim head coach, but people don’t understand my management and my assistant coaches are really saving my butt right now,” Tatum said.

“They know the league, they know the players, and they’re really good at what they do.

“I do my job as far as standing on the line coaching the guys and managing what the situation is, but my team doesn’t get enough credit.”

Despite shifting the praise for the Hawks' improvement, it's impossible to ignore Tatum has them playing at such a high level, just weeks after the departure of outgoing coach Jacob Jackmomas. 

The Hawks’ pair of Round 12 fixtures against Tasmania and Sydney have already been categorised as make or break in the team’s unlikely push for a position in the post-season.

First they’ll host the JackJumpers at the WIN Entertainment Centre on December 23, before heading to Qudos Bank Arena to take on the Kings on Christmas Day.

Kings owner Paul Smith recently stated his side will “spank” the Hawks in the Christmas Day fixture.

But Tatum is only looking as far forward as the clash with the JackJumpers at this stage, and says his side is still a work in progress.

“We need to be consistent to keep this good run going,” he said. “What we’ve been doing in practice [is] competing, having fun, respecting each other, finding what works for us on the court and learning each others’ ways of actually putting guys in good spots, so they can be successful.

“They’ve been getting after each other hard here, and then it translates into the games.

“Hopefully everybody in Illawarra shows up and gets us going and cheering for us, and we respond well, continue playing well, and keep this going.”

Illawarra’s clash with Tasmania will tip off on Saturday night at 5:30pm AEDT, live on ESPN via Kayo.