NBL champ issues United "complacency" warning

Going into the FIBA Break, Melbourne United sat on top of the NBL standings with 13 wins from 15 games, including nine straight to start the season, which had everyone pencilling them in as the team to beat.

After back-to-back double figure losses in Round 11, Dean Vickerman is searching for answers to get his team back to the form they had a few weeks prior.

“Some teams come out of the FIBA Break rejuvenated and with a different game plan,” Dean Vickerman said following the 25-point Throwdown loss on Sunday.

“Right now, on the two performances we have had, it’s been the opposite for us.”

NBL champion Damon Lowery believes that what he has seen in recent games from United, may be a product of their hot start to the season.

“I’ve said all along that their biggest challenge would be complacency,” Lowery said on NBL Overtime.

“It’s hard to stay on top, what’s going to motivate you?”

Former United champion Pete Hooley echoed those sentiments from Lowery.

“Before the FIBA Break, they were the best team in it and everyone was saying they’re the team to beat,” he added.

“So when you’re going into that break, what do you really want to work on?”

When questioned as to whether it could have been because head coach Dean Vickerman was away for the break, as he took up the head coaching position for the Australian team against New Zealand, Hooley was quick to shut that down.

“I’m not putting it down to that, they’ve got fantastic assistant coaches, I want to know what they tried to work on," Hooley said.

“When you’re the top dog going into the FIBA Break, do you still have that same spark going into this, compared to another team that really needs to get after it?

“I don’t think they had that this year, compared to years gone by when they were, say, fourth, and perhaps knew they weren’t great defensively. Then for five days they’re going to beat each other up in that regard.

“I think that’s just a product of being the best team for the first 10 rounds.”

United face another gruelling double header in Round 12 as they look to get back on track, with a top of the table clash in Adelaide Friday, before welcoming the Sydney Kings to John Cain Arena on Sunday.

Both fixtures will be live on ESPN.