X’s and O’s: South East Melbourne Phoenix

Written by Melbourne United Media 

Across NBL22, the Throwdown, delivered by DoorDash, has delivered some of the best games of basketball all season.

With all three games having been decided by eight points or less, let’s take a look at the crucial aspects United will be locked into heading into Thursday night in this week's X’s and O’s.

Move the ball, attack the hoop 

While Zhou Qi has established himself as one of the league’s best rim-protectors, Melbourne must apply pressure in the paint from the opening tip.

The Phoenix have struggled to keep teams out of the paint over their past five games, allowing the third highest percentage of shots at the rim and the highest percentage of made shots at the rim over that stretch.

Coming into Thursday as the away team, United will carry some confidence in the game, having shot a combined 40-75 in the paint in their previous two meetings.

Armed with Dean Vickerman’s offence, United have excelled with their off-ball movement, creating mismatches, something they’ll look to do often to drag the Phoenix’s bigs away from the basket.

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Take the play above as an example. Melbourne get into their offence with a Hukporti-Ili pick-and-roll that SEM blitz.

United then make two smart passes, one to the wing, followed by a look inside to get Big A an easy floater over Mitch Creek.

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In this play, they again use Hukporti’s threat as a screener at the top of the arch to pull out Brandon Ashley, leaving Jack White open to spin around Creek without any help defence on the back end.

With Both JLA and Big A establishing themselves as threats to score on long jumpers, look for Melbourne to stretch the Phoenix and create opportunities at the hoop.

Wall up, force the Phoenix to hit jumpers

South East Melbourne are at their best when they are going downhill towards the rim.

Mitch Creek has been elite scoring around the hoop all season (scoring 1.41 points per possession at the rim), while Xavier Mumford and Zhou Qi have both been effective.

Melbourne’s best bet to slow them down is to rotate quickly off shooters and wall up around the hoop, forcing the Phoenix to make the extra pass.

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The play above is a prime example of Melbourne’s rotating defence, as Delly quickly shifts inside to take away Creek’s lane to the basket.

This forces Creek to make the extra pass to Ruben Te Rangi, who Jack White is able to recover out to for a contested three.

Over their past four games, SEM have struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 25% on their looks from deep.

If Melbourne can force the Phoenix to rely on their so-so three-point shooting to beat them, United will be poised for another important victory.

Throwdown XVI, delivered by DoorDash will be broadcast live on ESPN via Foxtel and Kayo from 7.30pm.