Coaches pleased with positive signs after first Blitz game

While we may have come up short of the victory in our first game of the NBL Blitz in Canberra, the coaching staff are taking plenty of positives away from the contest.

Falling by six points to the Perth Wildcats, Assistant Coach Rhys Carter, who took the reins for the matchup, touched on his major take-aways.

“I think we showed some really good signs,” he said.

“We had some really good moments, good patches, but probably had a few poor patches. Only 10 points in the fourth quarter is not enough to win a game.

“Six of 30 from three. I thought we created some good looks, the ball moved around and we got some good ones, we just couldn’t throw them in today.

“First game as a group, we’ve still got guys to add, there were enough positives there where we feel pretty good.”

Milton Doyle led the way in the scoring department, tallying 15 points, while Finn Delany added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Wednesday night was also the preseason debut of Jesse Edwards, who showcased his ability to impact the game with his interior presence. 

The big-man finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and a block in 23 minutes of action.

“Obviously his size and length in the paint was great for us,” he explained.

“We were able to get him some lobs, finish with some dunks in the paint. He changed shots, he blocked shots and he rebounded really well, so I think that’s a good start.

“Just one full practice and a shoot around, so he hasn’t really got up to speed with everything we do yet but I think we can really work with him and he can be a great player for us.”

United’s final game of the NBL Blitz will come on Saturday evening from 5:45pm against the Brisbane Bullets at AIS Arena.

Fans can tune in via Disney+ or Kayo.