IT WAS a tale of highs and lows for the SEM Phoenix in the 2022/23 NBL season, with a lack of consistency costing them a spot in the top four, despite spending plenty of time in contention for the title.

Coming into the season, with a similar roster as last year, where they missed the top four by a narrow margin. Looking to rejuvenate his side, coach Simon Mitchell managed to get the best out of his times during a hot patch.

The Phoenix had patches of brilliance throughout the fixture, but fell away in the back end of the season after a big form slump. Despite having an MVP candidate on the list, South East Melbourne could not maintain its winning streak and were eliminated in the first match of the play-in. Mitchell has since stepped down from the head coach role.

The Phoenix will be looking in a different direction next year, as their gameplan was found out at times. With a new man at the helm, the team will be eager to bounce back as they strive for a first title.

South East Melbourne Phoenix

2022/23 season – 15 wins, 13 losses

The Phoenix snuck into the play-in in the last round of the season, but could not make it count as they were beaten by the Perth Wildcats in an elimination game.

MVP – Mitch Creek

Creek had a career-best season with the Phoenix in 2022/23, becoming one of the competition’s premier two-point scorers. He attacked the rim with ferocity and took his game to another level on the offensive end. As he has been for the past few years, the forward was the main source of scoring for the Phoenix, and averaged 23.5 points, seven rebounds and 2.9 assists. He was an elite performer in some big games, including a career-best 46 points against the Kings.

Surprise Packet – Alan Williams

Williams came into the team as a replacement for Zhou Qi, and quickly made the position his own with some big performances. There were no better rebounders in the competition than ‘The Big Sauce’ as he crashed the boards with intent against some of the best big men in the league. He posted numbers of 16.6 points and 9.9 rebounds, the latter of which being a league-best average for the season.

One to watch next season – Owen Foxwell

Foxwell caught the attention of many when Mitchell entrusted him to play crunch time minutes and guard the opposition’s best player when the result was on the line. A pesky defender, Foxwell came up with some big plays over the course of the season, and at just 19 years of age, has plenty of growth left in the coming years.