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A coach new to the NBL and unfamiliar with how the league operates was risky for Melbourne United. But there is something genuinely refreshing about Dean Demopoulos – and the proof is in the pudding for the ladder-leaders.
Demopoulos means it when he says he doesn’t know the intricacies of certain parts of the way the NBL is run, particularly the importance of season splits between teams and rules where the league follows FIBA rather than what he is used to in the US college system or the NBA.
But it’s that fresh approach to the NBL that has Melbourne playing a different brand of basketball to the rest of the league.
Demopoulos coaches differently to long-time NBL coaches like Illawarra’s Rob Beveridge, Adelaide’s Joey Wright, Cairns’ Aaron Fearne and Perth’s Trevor Gleeson.
And while it has had periods of working and not working throughout this season, the way Melbourne is positioned on top at 17-8 and the way they are playing means they are close to the minor premiership and deserve to be championship favourites.
It started brilliantly at 9-0 but losing seven of the next nine saw Demopoulos’ lack of familiarity with the NBL beginning to show.
However, by not being familiar with the game in Australia or trying to adjust to what everyone else is doing, Demopoulos is becoming successful. He is doing things the way he has been brought up and honed his craft his whole life, and now his team are responding by playing how he wants.
By winning in Perth last Friday night in an overtime classic in front of more than 12,000 hostile fans, Melbourne moved a game clear of the Wildcats and secured the season series.
For the first time this season, Demopoulos relented on his relentless drive to get the best out of his group, to let them know he was proud of them.
“It’s not relief. I am genuinely happy for these guys. I’m new in this country, I just showed up,” Demopoulos said.
“Stephen (Holt) is new too but that group is coming in and they are listening to a guy who they don’t know anything about. Who has just showed up and has no background at all that they are familiar with. And I’m trying to teach them a way to play that I’m very familiar with and some of them aren’t.
“They’ve done a terrific job to be where they are because it’s a brand new organisation with eight new players, new coaches.
“I could honestly say that at this point in time it’s the first time I’ve actually really felt pleased for what we’ve accomplished to this date. It’s nowhere near over but I have liked this team all along.
“I liked them when we were 9-0, I liked them when we lost seven out of nine and I like them now. They should feel good about what they’ve accomplished so far and this is the first time I’ve said it to them. They deserve it.”
The faith Demopoulos has put in his team was on display, with big men Hakim Warrick and Majok Majok having significant impacts at different times, while Holt had his best game as a pro with 33 points, nailing 7 three-pointers.
Then there are Chris Goulding, Daniel Kickert, Nate Tomlinson and Todd Blanchfield, who are experienced NBL players thriving under Demopoulos.
But Demopoulos has been around long enough to know that foreigners, whether they be players or coaches, can easily fail if their attitude isn’t right.
He has been afforded the faith by Melbourne’s management to run the team but their success was always going to hinge upon how the imports went.
Ekene Ibekwe was initially signed but he left on the eve of the season, replaced by NBA veteran Warrick. He has more length and moves in the post than anyone in the NBL and after injury troubles early on, he is now delivering.
Holt is at the other stage of his career, in his first year as a pro, but has also done a tremendous job as point guard and is getting better at both ends of the floor.
Demopoulos can’t speak in more glowing terms about the import pair.
“It doesn’t work out this way all the time, but the two men that we brought from my country to play here, they have fit in and been accepted by the players better than I could have ever dreamed of,” Demopoulos said.
“Not only have they been accepted but they demonstrated the qualities that demand acceptance. They are fair, they are humble, they come to work, they don’t stay off to themselves and it’s a tight-knit group.
“Those two guys I couldn’t be happier with them, both as basketball players and as people. But more importantly it’s the type of people they are. If you don’t have that, regardless of the talent level, it doesn’t work and this league is replete with situations where it hasn’t worked not because of skill sets, but just attitude and approach. They have been terrific, both of them.”
Round 18 NBL fixtures
All games shown on Fox Sports 3, all times (AEDT).
Wednesday
Adelaide 36ers versus New Zealand Breakers, Titanium Security Arena, 7:30pm
Thursday
Illawarra Hawks versus Melbourne United, WIN Entertainment Centre, 7:30pm
Friday
Cairns Taipans versus Adelaide 36ers, Cairns Convention Centre, 7:30pm
Perth Wildcats versus Sydney Kings, Perth Arena, 9:30pm
Saturday
Illawarra Hawks versus Townsville Crocodiles, WIN Entertainment Centre, 7:30pm
Sunday
New Zealand Breakers versus Cairns Taipans, North Shore Events Centre, 3pm (also shown on 9GEM)