Coach's advice to Sharks: Player development key
“We’ve just got to get a bit more aspirational with the programme that is put in place with the pathways that can help some of these guys emerge.
Southland Sharks coach Guy Molloy believes the organisation needs to get “aspirational” in developing its own talent.
The Sharks wrapped up its 2023 National Basketball League campaign on a positive note on Sunday with a 99-75 victory over the Nelson Giants in Nelson.
Josh Cunningham finished with 34 points.
It meant Southland finished its campaign with a six-win-12 loss record and again missed the top six playoff spot.
Molloy believed those at the top end of the league had made improvements and that had “probably shown up that we are a bit in average territory now”.
“Where we were at might have been good enough a few seasons back is now not quite good enough.
“I think the tide has risen and I think we are doing the same.”
“I think if you look across the board, the small market clubs like Nelson, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Invercargill - we are all the ones struggling with that.
“We are probably all asking ourselves similar questions to be honest, how we keep things in touch.”
“If I’m back as head coach I need to clarify what our strategy would be to best maximise how we go about things.”
He has identified the pathways programme as an area of importance for the Southland Sharks.
“To me, there are some good things happening down here in the pathways, we just need to accelerate it. Because ultimately it is better if you can be growing players from within.
“But it’s at its most fragile when it’s in its early stages. You need to devote some good time and resources and coaching to some good young blokes too.
“The investment normally pays off, but it normally doesn’t pay off straight away. They are the decisions the club needs to be able to make.”
Before Molloy arrived in Southland for the NBL season Harbour Basketball had got him working for them, including coaching its Under-19 team which won the national tournament.
He said two of those Harbour Under-19 players stepped into the Auckland Tuatara NBL team and have played well this season. He added there were probably another four or five players that could be very handy NBL players.
“It just goes to show when you’ve got the population it just gives you the luxury of the players to choose from.
“When you don’t have the population, you’ve just got to get focused and work really hard to prioritize and create the opportunities.
“It’s not a quick fix but we certainly need to see a flow on of local players emerge, and then compliment that with the top-end recruitment of the imports.”
“There’s plenty of basketball expertise in and around Invercargill with the coaches that are here to make that happen.
“We’ve just got to get a bit more aspirational with the programme that is put in place with the pathways that can help some of these guys emerge.
“It’s hard work because it’s not an automatic fix. You can’t just do it for six months and all of a sudden Reuben Te Rangi pops out of it, or Rob Loe.
“It might take you for or five years and you don’t have a player but you might have half a dozen good bench players.
“That’s my advice to the Sharks. We’ve just got to be really aspirational in investing in that area.”