Giants find consistency after early season crisis meeting provided honest discussions

With the Goldfields Giants on the cusp of a return to the NBL1 finals this weekend, interim coach Lennon Smartt attributed a crisis meeting earlier in the season for drastically turning around the squad’s fortunes.

After winning the season-opener on the road against Lakeside, the Giants lost five of their next seven games.

After 10 games, the Giants’ win-loss record was 4-6.

It was a start that Smartt said required urgent attention for a talented, but under-achieving group.

“We got to a point when we had that team on a Monday night that required some real honesty, across-the-board, from the players and the staff,” Smartt said.

“The players then had their own discussions afterwards and from there, we’ve gone 6-1 so it’s been a terrific improvement.

“Now I see a great opportunity this weekend against two solid opponents (Warwick and Willetton) on the road to show everyone where we’re at again.

“Then we have three more games (of the qualifying series) to really maintain a rhythm that hopefully extends into the first round of the finals.”

In the past seven games, the squad’s lone blemish was a three-point loss on June 15 to Willetton, who have dropped just two games all season.

The Giants are sitting in sixth place.

But they are just a game outside the top-four and will play two of their last qualifying games on their home court at Niels Hansen Stadium.

Smartt has been at the helm for the past fortnight while head coach Matt Van Pelt attends to family matters.

Goldfields made the playoffs in 2022, but last year they slipped to 11th with a 7-15 record.

NBL1 West ladder:

Geraldton (16-1); Willetton (14-2); Joondalup (13-4); East Perth (11-6); Mandurah (10-7); Goldfields Giants (10-7); Rockingham (10-8); Warwick (9-9); Perry Lakes (7-11); Lakeside (5-10); Eastern Suns (5-12); Perth (4-14); South-West (3-14); Cockburn (3-15).