IT HAS been a rollercoaster of a season for the reigning champions in the National Basketball League (NBL), but the Illawarra Hawks will be still optimistic about their chances of defending their title in the coming months.

Fresh off an exciting championship win last season, the Hawks came into the year with a game-changing addition in three-time NBA Champion JaVale McGee. The big man was still in tremendous form and his addition to the Hawks immediately shot them into championship favouritism with the chance to go back to back a strong possibility.

However, it was a surprisingly slow start to the season for the team from Wollongong, with the Hawks unable to get some wins on the board in the early stages of the fixture. Illawarra seemed to have all of the key pieces of a championship contender, but could not convert that to its record, and even spent some time on the bottom of the ladder.

However, the return of point guard William Hickey was a turning point for the team, with the Australian Boomer giving the Hawks much more shape on the offensive end, and he made an immediate impact upon his return. Since then, last year’s champions have looked much more dangerous, although there is still more work to go if they are to repeat their efforts.

Coming out of the international break, the Hawks sit with a record of four wins and nine losses from their 13 games – they have played less due to competing in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup early in the season – and are in ninth place on the ladder, leading only the Cairns Taipans and needing to lift in the back half of the fixture.

The Hawks undoubtedly have the talent to get the job done, and no one has been more impressive than McGee on the roster. Currently in the top two favourites for the Most Valuable Player award at season’s end, the big man is averaging 21.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and two blocks per game to be one of the dominant players of the competition.

He showcased his ability to take over a game by dropping 37 points on the ladder-leading Melbourne United earlier in the season, and is still one of the biggest headaches for opposition teams going around, so he can be proud of his efforts.

Also impressing is Hickey, who has been a game-changer for the Hawks since re-joining the team over the past six weeks. A player who brings others into the game, the point guard has controlled the tempo beautifully, and even chimed in for a rare triple-double for Illawarra to show just how balanced his game is.

The biggest area of improvement for the Hawks comes in their ability to look after the ball, with Illawarra the biggest culprits in the NBL in this department. Averaging a competition-high 15 turnovers per game, the Hawks have been frequently caught on the back foot and allowed the opposition to score in transition at a high clip. If they are to make a run at the championship once again, Illawarra will simply need to hold on to the rock.