Goorjian looks ahead to Breakers
Sunday, 4 January 2009
As soon as his side lost to the Perth Wildcats on Saturday night, South Dragons coach Brian Goorjian quickly turned his attention to next weekend's top-of-the-table clash against the New Zealand Breakers.
Goorjian was making no excuses for the Dragons loss to the Wildcats, but his side was lucky enough to hang on to top spot on the NBL ladder because the Breakers lost to the Sydney Spirit on the same night.
It means that Saturday's clash against the Breakers becomes even more important for both teams, with the loser to end the match having lost three games in a row and in danger of dropping out of the top two.
With the Australian Open kicking off on January 19, the game against the Breakers has been moved from Hisense Arena to Melbourne's Sports and Aquatic Centre and after that the Dragons won't be seen until January 26.
Goorjian wants his team to give it their all against the Breakers before they embark on a 16-day break.
"We have had a pleasure run, with nothing but compliments all year on how well everybody is doing and what a great season it has been," Goorjian said.
"So to take a couple of smacks right now it will hopefully toughen us up a little bit."
"We have got this game against New Zealand and then we have got a 16-day break before we play the next one."
"So this one against New Zealand is all out and lay it down and give it everything we got."
Goorjian believes his team is currently in a mini-slump and even suggested that a couple of his players may be fighting a bit of fatigue after being involved in an Olympic campaign prior to the current season.
"Guys like (Mark) Worthington and Joe Ingles look fatigued," Goorjian said.
"I don't think that they don't play hard. It is just a physical thing. A wearing down over the course of the year."
"We are defiantly dealing with a bit of adversity at the moment and how we handle that 16-day break as far as moving forward and freshening guys up is going to be a key for us."