United turn anger into action

Melbourne United are currently in their worst run of the season, having lost eight of their past 10 matches, including their past three.

The recent slide has drawn sharp criticism from within, with star guard Chris Goulding admitting he was “pissed off” by the team’s performances.

That frustration has been echoed by club great Chris Anstey, who labelled United “soft”, a stark contrast to the group that opened the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 season with a dominant 9-0 start.

During the club's media availability, coach Dean Vickerman explained how his six-time champions are trying to address this drop in form, highlighted by their -7.1 point differential since the FIBA Break.

"When you go through a tough patch, there's going to be a frustration level about not performing the way that you want to perform," Vickerman said during the media availability.

"Being pissed off and sitting in a corner doesn't do anything. Being pissed off and having great conversations that allow you to get better is what we've really been seeking with this group.

"The minutes have gone up for a lot of guys recently, and sometimes that fatigue plays into us not getting the connection that we need.

"It's more about how we sub guys, go hard for a period of time, trust the guys coming in and then go hard again. That's where we want to get back to."

As well as that, three-time NBL champion Vickerman believes staying positive is the key to 're-igniting' his side ahead of a championship tilt.

"It [positivity] fluctuates with even our bench support and how good we are continuing to celebrate our own success," he said.

"We know we saw that in the first 15 games, at different times, but again, we're really pushing that right now to when we want to build confidence back in players.

"Even as a coach, I've got to limit my frustration at different times to make sure I'm pushing positive energy towards the group to really stay confident.

"[If we do that] it will help us rediscover what's been missing at times and ignite us [on both ends of the floor]."

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Two of those most recent losses have come against Tasmania, who United lock horns with on Saturday night as part of the 2026 HoopsFest in Perth.

"Going against Tasmania, they always challenge you with how disciplined you are in a lot of areas of the game," Vickerman said.

"From the last time we played them, (Will) Magnay had a big influence on the game with his defence and his offence, [so it's abou]t how we can contain him a little bit better.

"[It's also] getting back to us getting stops and finding pace in the game and let the basketball pop, is certainly where we're trying to get back to."

Saturday's Round 17 fixture tips off at 9.30pm AEDT (6.30pm AWST), live on ESPN.