SKILLED Goldfields Giants coach Wayne Creek wants his players to focus on their own performance rather than the opposition ahead of tonight’s State Basketball League clash against Bunbury who are yet to win a game this season.

The Slammers have not won a game at Kalgoorlie’s Neils Hansen Basketball Stadium since 2002 or beaten the Giants in their past 14 meetings.

Further stacking the odds against Bunbury is the fact head coach David Petroziello tendered his resignation three days before their first game and in their last outing, they were thrashed 92-64 by Stirling for their fifth loss in as many games.

But the Giants have their own problems after they were beaten convincingly by former coach Stephen Charlton’s Cockburn Cougars 103-84 last Saturday, giving rookie coach Creek a 3-3 win-loss record.

“I’ve said to the players these guys (Bunbury) are going to make it scrappy and we will have to fight for it,” Creek said.

“There has always been a strong rivalry between the two country towns and they have just flown in another American import.

“Trey Clarkson is a shooting guard who played with Rockingham last season and he’s a good spot-up shooter for them.

“We definitely won’t be underestimating them.”

Creek said the Giants had adjusted quickly without captain Ryan Hulme, who misses six games due to his honeymoon in Mauritius.

The Giants will also be without the unavailable trio of Tane Moran, Tom Kendall and Peter Toman tonight, running with 11 players.

It means guards Jimmy Bowler and Hamish Bowden will carry a heavy burden again.

“Jimmy’s been playing well and he’s performed for us all season,” Creek said.

“Hamish played a bit more last week and Todd Earle stepped into the starting line-up quite well.

“I expected us to struggle a bit to be honest, but it was our shooting which suffered on the road trip.

“It was not overly flash, but you have good and bad games.

“Shooting is something that can be rectified from game to game and we’ve put up a lot of shots at training this week, so hopefully that will show in the game as well.”

In Hulme’s absence, Matt Leske has been appointed acting captain.

Leske, in his fifth season with the Giants, has averaged a career-high 10.5 points per game through the opening six matches.

“He’s a very under-rated player and he sneaks up on a lot of teams,” Creek said.

“He plays a defensive role within the team, but he is very under-rated on the offensive side. He quietly goes about his business and can end up with a 20-point game and you think ‘wow’.

“He’s playing more minutes this season and it’s well deserved.”

Article by Jarrod Lucas (Kalgoorlie Miner)
Photo by Travis Anderson (Andmedia /Sportsvision)