Broekhoff Building Towards "Peak Condition" for Finals Tilt

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell is happy with what he’s seen from star recruit Ryan Broekhoff in his first week at the club and says he’ll slowly build into a major piece of the Phoenix puzzle.

Broekhoff arrived at the club last Monday following two weeks of hotel quarantine in Sydney and appeared on the NBL hardwood for the first time in wins over Cairns and New Zealand over the weekend.

The former NBA wing played just 22 minutes over the two fixtures as he builds his way back to match fitness, having not played a competitive game since February last year for Dallas after choosing not to enter the NBA bubble in Orlando.

(Broekhoff has come off the bench in his first two games)

The Phoenix outscored their opponents by 14 points in the 22 minutes Broekhoff saw the floor, highlighting the flow-on effect of having such an elite threat on court.

“His legs clearly aren’t there at this point of time and we didn’t expect them to be this early, but we’ve got to continue to work together and grow as a team,” Mitchell said.

“He requires that much attention and opens up the floor for other guys because you’ve got to guard him nose to nose.

“There’s also elements to Ryan we need to explore that isn’t just standing in a corner and spreading the floor, he’s got more game he can show in the NBL…and we’ll start to build that into our repertoire as an offensive unit.

“You can see the IQ coming out on the defensive side, we’ve just got to get that body up to shape where he can execute what he’s talking.”

It’s no coincidence the Phoenix have gone undefeated since bringing Broekhoff into the fold.

The 30-year-old Boomers star is a high-IQ addition to the squad and has already made his voice heard at training, imparting his wisdom on the young group as they continue to rise up the NBL ranks.

“He brings a wealth of experience - World Championships, Olympics. He’s got great advice and he asks good questions of the coaching staff as well, if we’re having a team meeting he’s going to hold us accountable,” Mitchell said.

“He’s just a professional and a great guy, he’s fitted into the group which was never going to be a question.”

With the impending returns of Keifer Sykes, Dane Pineau and Adam Gibson, the eye-catching form of Kyle Adnam and the emergence of Izayah Le’afa, the Phoenix’s depth could rival any in the competition.

Currently sitting fourth on the ladder with a 9-7 record, the team from the Heartland have a great opportunity to make their first finals appearance this year.

(Simon Mitchell is loving having Ryan Broekhoff around the group)

And if that scenario plays out, their new star should be in peak condition.

“We’re going to be really patient. Ryan and I have great communication and we’ve been talking the whole time saying we’re going to take this one slow,” Mitchell said.

“We want him at the business end of the year being at peak condition. If we try throw him in there too early and something tightens up or something tears, it’s not going to be good for us, so we’ll take our time with him.”

The Phoenix host Adelaide and Melbourne over the next two Saturday nights at John Cain Arena with tickets going on sale this week.

Sam Bunn for Phoenix Media (16/03/2021)