By Oliver Lees
The Sunbury Jets remain focused on making finals in their first season in the Big V championship division.
After starting the season with an unblemished five-game winning streak that saw them top the table, the Jets now sit in seventh place with six wins and seven losses.
Jets coach Ryan Addison said the team was still adjusting to wholesale roster changes brought on by the pandemic.
“It’s been a tough season, from a good start to a pretty tough midway point, it’s definitely had its challenges,” Addison said.
“We’ve had changes to our available players due to lockdown and work availability which has been difficult for the group. But I still feel like we’ve made some really good steps forward.”
The Jets are playing their first season in the championship division following their division 1 championship win in 2019.
The Jets have lost five consecutive games since their last 80 to 76 win over Chelsea in round eight.
Jayce Beasley has helped to buoy the Jet’s offence, leading the team with 15.2 points per game at 44 per cent shooting.
“Jayce has been great, he was one of those guys that really had to step up with changes to our roster,” Addison said.
“At the start of the season he looked like he might be coming off the bench but ended up with a starting role. He’s one of those guys that really wants to go as far as he can with his basketball.
“He has the right mindset and always wants to get better.”
Nathan Baker has also been a regular contributor, averaging 12 points, including 43 per cent from the three point line, putting him in the top 20 players in the league for accuracy from that distance.
Meanwhile Trevon Clayton has averaged a double-double across the season, at 13 points and 10 rebounds per game.
In a regular Big V championship season, the top five sides at the end of the year compete in finals.
The Jets’ hopes of making finals are still alive despite their form slump, as they sit just two wins behind Wyndham in fifth spot with four games of the season remaining.
Addison said it would be a big achievement if they were to scrap into finals in their first season.
“Due to games being postponed, there’s some talk of changes being made to the finals structure, so we’re sort of in a state of limbo,” he said.
“To be only two games out [of finals] is a really strong effort. That’s absolutely what we’re shooting for, I believe our roster is good enough.
“Last game against McKinnon, who have been the strongest side in my opinion, we probably just lacked a little depth in that game.
“But if we make finals I think we can make some noise.”
