"They look a mess": Rucker's blunt verdict on winless Hawks

Derek Rucker has delivered a blunt verdict on Illawarra's winless start to NBL27, urging the Hawks to go all-in on an impact big rather than settle for a role player.

With NBL25 championship import Darius Days gone, Illawarra has an import spot to fill, and Rucker wants them to aim high.

"They look a mess right now," Rucker said. "They do not look good and they've got to figure out a way to get it right. The import situation looks dicey."

The Hawks fell to 0-3 with Sunday's 121-100 loss to the Sydney Kings, and injuries to Todd Blanchfield (thumb) and Mason Peatling (foot) have only rubbed salt into the wound.

Rucker said the replacement for Days can't be a stopgap.

"Let's see what they have lined up in terms of that next import. I think it needs to be an impact big," he said.

"I don't want to hear about, 'oh, we're getting a role player import'. Nope. They've got to go after it and get somebody that can change games."

Sunday's game showed why. Illawarra lost the offensive glass 16-7, and Sydney went to the free-throw line 32 times to the Hawks' 17. The Kings shot 56 per cent from the field, with Kendric Davis leading the way with 31 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds in 28 minutes.

The problems haven't been confined to the front court, and Rucker noted Justin Tatum's lineup changes are yet to pay off.

"The starting lineup has struggled and Justin Tatum has made a change bringing Tyler Harvey off the bench," Rucker said. "It hasn't quite worked in terms of the team success."

Tatum backed his side after the game and promised a turnaround once his roster is back at full strength.

"My guys gave a lot of effort and I'm very proud of them," he said.

"We're undermanned with guys hurt and coming off a back-to-back, and we're a little inconsistent on our roster situation right now, but I'm so happy with those guys with what they came out and did today.

"We're still in every game outside of this one, really, and our free throws could have been better in the last two games, which could have given us a chance to win, and we're still scoring 95-plus points.

"We're still working on having a full roster, so I know our season's going to change drastically and swiftly once we get everybody on the same page, when our roster is at full strength and we keep building the confidence of the guys we have in the locker room."

The Hawks finally play at home on Friday night, when they host the Adelaide 36ers at WIN Entertainment Centre, before travelling to face South East Melbourne.

"There was nothing negative that I said to those guys in the locker room, it's nothing but positive, and we're going into this week to prepare for Adelaide and then we go back on the road to South East," Tatum said.

"What don't break us will make us stronger. I promise you in a month's time we'll be having a different conversation."