If alarm bells weren’t ringing before Wednesday\u2019s loss to Cairns, they\u2019re deafening now for Melbourne United.<\/p>\n
After opening the season on a 9-0 win streak, Dean Vickerman’s side have now lost seven of their nine games.<\/p>\n
During that stretch, United’s offence has fallen off a cliff, only averaging 87.9 points per game and having the second-worst offensive rating (108.7). United also rank second-last in field goal percentage (42.6), three-point percentage (29.4), effective field goal percentage (48.2) and points per possession (29.4).<\/p>\n
Contributing to that is their third-worst turnover percentage (14), where only Queensland duo Cairns (16.9) and Brisbane (16.5) are worse statistically.<\/p>\n
Equally as bad is Melbourne’s defence, who is conceding 93.8 points a game since Round 11, which is the third-worst mark in the competition.<\/p>\n
Fed up with their poor play and losses, United captain Chris Goulding said he was “pissed off” following Wednesday’s loss and two-time NBL MVP Chris Anstey believes his frustrations are warranted.<\/p>\n
“I agree entirely with Chris Goulding’s comment after the game, they should be pissed off,” Anstey said on Thursday’s episode of NBL Now.<\/p>\n
“I got to sit courtside [in Bendigo] and they’re not competing on the defensive end. They’re soft, can’t keep their man in front of them and are avoiding physicality.<\/p>\n
“They’re really quick in their rotations in and off the bench, so no one’s getting in a rhythm.<\/p>\n
“Offensively, you look at it and you’re like who’s the man at Melbourne United because they’re playing my turn, your turn, which I love when it’s working. But somebody’s got to just step up and take 20 odd shots a game. That aggressiveness is going to then open [up others].<\/p>\n
“[Thursday] was a hard watch and you kept looking up the scoreboard thinking ‘when will United put their foot down and lock in on the defensive end?’.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
United’s road back to the winners’ circle doesn’t get any easier, with the Sydney Kings, who they’ve lost to on two occasions this season, next on the schedule.<\/p>\n
Anstey, who won three NBL titles during his career, encouraged United to bring those frustrations with them to Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday and play “pissed off”.<\/p>\n
“It might be as simple as them coming out against Sydney and playing pissed off,” Anstey said.<\/p>\n
“They’re not going to change too much this time of year, but try playing with a level of anger and edge, hit some people, be physical and don’t settle for three point shots early in the shot.<\/p>\n
“They’re not doing anything to the level that they did at the start of the season and to me, that’s effort.”<\/p>\n
Sunday’s Round 16 clash between fourth-placed Sydney and third-placed Melbourne tips off at 4.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN and 10 Drama.<\/p>\n
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