Basketball: Sleepy Hawks plucked twice

The Hawks were many people's favourites for the national basketball title when the season opened but two losses in Auckland at the weekend has the team re-evaluating its attitude.

Coach Shawn Dennis and point guard Paul Henare both conceded there was some complacency and a lack of energy in their 84-65 loss to the Harbour Heat on Friday and an 90-81 loss to Auckland on Saturday.

Team owner Jeremy Bayliss said he'd watched training last week and thought the team was underdone.

"I'm not concerned because I think we peaked a bit early last year and you look at the champion teams like the Titans and Auckland and they lose some games early, adjust and get things right and then get on a roll and that's what we want to do."

In both games there were problems. The Hawks gifted 30 turnovers to the Heat and as Henare said, "It's impossible to win when you keep giving away the ball."

Both Henare and Dennis agreed they had not deserved to win, given the enthusiasm with which Harbour pursued the ball and the way the Hawks let them.

On Saturday it was Auckland Stars forward Casey Frank who killed them with precision shooting in the dying stages. Frank shot 22 and Lindsay Tait showed he's after Henare's place in the Breakers and Tall Blacks with the top score of 23.

There was confusion as the final quarter opened, the scorers crediting the Stars with some Hawks points.

"Our manager was talking to the [scorers'] bench, we wanted to know whether we were down four or down nine," Dennis said, "and then the game starts - it was amateurish."

He said it was not a game they deserved to win. "Possibly there's some complacency and if this group thinks it will win the league then it is sadly mistaken. It is not as good defensively as last year's team."

He had hoped for better leadership within the team but that hadn't come.

Australian Dusty Rychart did not provide the impact expected but Dennis said that was due to the team not utilising his skills "and that's the chemistry we don't have yet, that's what we'll be working on".

Henare described their first-up effort on Friday as "an absolute shocker" and Saturday's loss as "better but not good enough".

"We needed a wake-up, obviously. There might have been some complacency. Obviously we have a talented team and this just shows that talent without work won't get us anything."

He said he couldn't believe how well the Heat's new import Matt Lottich shot the ball on Friday (24 points) after just 24 hours off the plane. "What's he going to do once he's settled in?"

But Lottich's game was no surprise to Heat coach Steve Done, who comes from the same area in the United States and has watched him play many times. "He has lots of energy, he's good on defence and he's unselfish."

The Auckland double shapes as something to be avoided, the Rams one-from-two and the Hawks none from two, with Nelson, Otago and the Manawatu Jets still to come.

The Titans enjoyed the services of imports Greg Lewis, 26 points and 18 rebounds, Kamtrail Horton 12 points, and Pero Cameron six points and eight rebounds as they shaded the Jets 78-70 in Hamilton on Saturday.

The Titans led 46-28 at the main break and took the foot off, allowing the Jets a comeback.

After round two the Heat and Nelson Giants are unbeaten, the last three title-holders are mid-table and this year's favourites are without a win.