DrinkWise Preview: Round 14 v Illawarra Hawks

Melbourne United moved into top place on the ladder in Round 13 and will be looking to keep the chasing pack at bay in Round 14. Riding a seven-game winning streak, United’s next challenge is the Illawarra Hawks at John Cain Arena.

It’s been an impressive few weeks for Melbourne and the winning streak began when they took care of business against Illawarra in Round 10.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Sam McDaniel has had a breakout season for United so far and against the Bullets on Monday night, he produced a career-high 15 points, to go along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

After getting the start, McDaniel was a huge spark and passed his career-high in the first half with 13 points. He’s been playing more minutes than ever and Coach Dean Vickerman clearly has faith in what McDaniel can do.

When injuries have hit, McDaniel has been ready and whether he’s playing 10 minutes or 25 minutes a game, he’s had a real impact.

In the Round 10 win over the Hawks, McDaniel was heavily involved and was a beast on the boards, bringing down 9 rebounds as well as scoring 7 points.

KEY MATCH UP

Illawarra’s Justin Simon is a defensive dynamo and although he may not be matched up on Mitch McCarron directly throughout the game, both will be looking to have a huge presence on the defensive end for their team.

Simon and McCarron are both relentless defenders and neither will take a backwards step at any moment. So much of what they do doesn’t show up in the box score, but if you watch them closely on court, they’re involved in everything and always buzzing around.

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McCarron dished out a ridiculous 12 assists in the win over Brisbane and just as impressive was the fact that he only turned the ball over once in 38 minutes of playing time.

Whilst Simon has struggled at times on offence this season, his value to the Hawks is unquestioned and as the business end of the season approaches look for his defence to really come to the fore.

THE OTHER GUYS

The Hawks had a hectic Round 13 schedule, playing three games in five days. Incredibly, they finished with 82 points in all three games, coming away with wins over South East Melbourne and Cairns and a loss against Brisbane.

With a 12-11 record heading into Round 14, the Hawks are in the thick of the action in the race for the post-season and will need to keep winning to keep maintain their spot in the top four.

Tyler Harvey was massive in Round 13, averaging 25 points across the three games and he lit the Taipans up with 35 points in their 82-80 win last Sunday. He’s one of the most dangerous players in the league and the moment he crosses half-court, he feels like he’s within range.

Justinian Jessup is another offensive weapon for the Hawks. He’s been torching defences all season long and is averaging 15 points per game while shooting a healthy 41% from three-point land.

Sam Froling and AJ Ogilvy love to battle in the post and the two big men will be working hard to make life as difficult as possible for Jock Landale after his phenomenal performance against the Bullets in which he finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

Deng Deng and Deng Adel provide plenty of energy for the Hawks and whilst neither has set the league on fire this season, they remain dangerous propositions and will need to be kept in check.

GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United v Illawarra Hawks.
Tip off: 3:00pm (AEST), Sunday 18 April.
Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne.
Watch: SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.