THE leaky defence of the Albury-Wodonga Bandits has been well-documented of late, but it'll be on the offensive end that the Bandits will be looking to regain their mojo on Saturday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Though they were statistically one of the league's best on offence, personnel changes and injuries have thrown off their rhythm to some extent in recent weeks.
Up against a struggling Frankston Blues outfit at home this weekend, head coach Brad Chalmers said having an even spread of contributors would be of great importance.
“Our defensive intensity and overall engagement and focus in the contest will be really important,” he said.
“There have been a few times where we’ve lost our way on defence, but it’s happened a little bit on offence as well.
“At times we’ve gotten a bit too quick, a bit out of control and not really been getting good quality looks.
“Other teams have done well to force us out of our stuff a little, but we know that when we’re aggressive, good things will happen.”
Being able to knock down outside shots will be key against the Blues on Saturday.
Not only does it mean the Bandits will be putting points on the board, but it prevents their opposition from grabbing defensive rebounds and getting out in transition.
“We put up 74 points the other week in a loss to Dandenong where we shot poorly, if we hit our average of around 94 points per game, we are in a position to win,” Chalmers said.
“It was the same to an extent against Canberra last week as well.
“We need to continue to play well on the offensive end, and hopefully the defence will continue to develop and catch up.
“Unfortunately we’ve had some weaknesses at both ends and inconsistency has reared its head, that’s cost us a couple of game we would have like to win.
“A few injuries haven;t helped us either.
“We need four, five, six contributors to get that effort and intensity we need, in the past few weeks we’ve probably only had two or three.”
Small forward Sawyer Dearborn looks set to make his return, despite only playing four minutes during last week.
His return will be crucial, with sharpshooting forward Darcy likely to miss at least two weeks after suffering an ankle injury last Sunday.
The last time the Bandits faced the Blues they recovered from a 13-point first quarter deficit to post an impressive 104-90 victory on the road.
Deba George starred, posting 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on 10-16 shooting from the field.