Crocs Have Plenty Of Room To Improve

I have gone back to the basics and have been using the "Smart Ball" to find my groove.

Well, so far the Crocs are four games into the season and are off to a flier with a record of 3-1. After a disappointing first up loss to Adelaide, we have strung three solid wins together and the most exciting thing is that there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Kelvin Robertson, now a 200 game veteran, has come out of the blocks strong and has been our most consistent player to date. After being a teammate of Kelvin’s for the past four seasons I can see the difference in his game and most importantly his self confidence. He has always had the tools to be a match winner, as he demonstrated last Saturday night. The difference is now I think he can see it himself.

The reunion of former Sydney Kings Russell Hinder and Cameron Tovey has also been productive for the Crocs thus far.

I think these guys are relishing the freedom Coach Trevor Gleeson allows them and have taken it upon themselves to stamp their impact on the game.

Hinder has built a reputation for his defense, hustle and rebounding but the guy can also knock down the open shot. This was one facet of his game that was grossly underutilized in Sydney.

A big guy like Rusty knocking down the perimeter shot opens up the keyway for Rosell Ellis to work his magic under the basket. The next thing you know, Corey Williams has his pick of driving lanes and anyone who has seen Homocide at work knows that can be dangerous.

Cam Tovey bursting onto the scene with the Crocs has probably left many people scratching their head as to how this guy was without a job until Brad Sheridan went down with a long term injury.

The young Sandgroper adds a new dimension to the team at the defensive end. He has an uncanny ability to find the ball, whether it be on a rebound or steal. At the offensive end his slashing ability has caused our opposition headaches so far this season.

Now the rest of us need to keep up with these guys and start pulling our weight.

Don’t think that I don’t realize that I have been getting around in a coma to date. I’ve been through this before. It comes with the territory when people recognize your game by how you shoot the ball. The best part of going through a shooting ‘slump’ is coming out the other side. I always have confidence that the time I put into my shot will see me through. This is no different.

I think team mate Rosell Ellis will welcome our 13 day break as well. The rugged import has been playing through a leg injury and the break should allow him the necessary time to take care of the injury and will come back playing on two strong legs.

Much like me, I’m sure Brad Williamson and Michael Cedar are wishing more of their perimeter shots would have dropped so far. This is our bread and butter so you can’t help but be disappointed when your strength in your game lets you down.

So as you can see, a 3-1 start to our season is great for a few reasons. We are at the top end of the ladder and have plenty of room for growth as a team, which I think is very exciting.

Hopefully we are able to use this break to shake out any niggling injuries we have and to get in some extra shooting practice so that the Crocs can show what we can do when we are firing on all cylinders.

You can catch my article in the Townsville Bulletin every Wednesday.