"Best season in the NBL" Co-Captain, Tyler Harvey

It’s not something many have paused to think about, least of all the man himself, but Illawarra skipper Tyler Harvey may well be in the midst of his best season in the NBL. Yep, even better than his first campaign in Wollongong.  

The California native arrived prior to that season carrying the shine of an NCAA scoring title and 58-point G League game in his not-too-distant past. It showed in a 2020-21 season in which he was All-NBL First Team and runner-up in MVP voting.  

It saw the club go all-in on the now 31-year-old as its franchise player, with the Hawks having finished top four in three of four years with him carrying the tag. They’re all but certain to do so for a fourth time in five this season. 

Still, for all the class, competitiveness, and leadership he’s shown in subsequent campaigns, the first year has been the gold standard on the personal front. It’s one some suggested he may struggle to reach again, even as he inked a fresh three-year contract extension prior to this season. 

At a cursory glance, his numbers this year are still down on his first NBL season in which he averaged 20 points, four rebounds and three assists in 32.1 minutes a game. On the present campaign, he’s averaging 18 points, three rebounds and three assists in 29.9 minutes.  

The latter stat is telling given, when it comes to efficiency, this season’s unquestionably his best to date. His 46 per cent from the field, 41 per cent from long-range and 88 per cent from the line are all career highs,  

The numbers suggest he’s anything but the “shot chucker” back-court foil Trey Kell frankly admits he had his now captain pegged as before playing alongside him. 

Kell’s arrival and a fully settled back court has certainly played a role in Harvey’s high clip. Justin Tatum’s roster also boasts a depth Harvey’s rarely been able to bank on through his Hawks tenure, with the reduction in minutes seemingly leaving more juice in the tank for the late surges becoming his trademark. 

Those suggestions are merely anecdotal. For his part, it’s not something the skipper himself is giving a great deal of attention to.  

“I don't know,” he said when asked what he put the efficiency down to. 

“I don't look at percentages to be honest with you. I just care about winning, and I feel like percentages always take care of themselves. That's how I’ve always been.  

“I put the work in day and day out, I try to stay consistent with my routine, and sometimes the ball goes in, sometimes it doesn't. This year, it's been fortunate enough to go in at a high clip, but other guys have been stepping up and getting me open shots. I’ve just got to make them.”  

Harvey was naturally focused on winning against Tasmania on Tuesday – which his team managed 89-84 – after perhaps the most disappointing loss he’s endured in a Hawks uniform against Cairns four days earlier. 

The bounce-back factor has always been pronounced under Tatum, and Harvey said the build-up to the JackJumpers showdown was no different as his team looked to snap back from two losses on the bounce for only the second time this season. 

“If you let what happened last game linger, that's a recipe for disaster for any team,” Harvey said. 

“Those two games hurt, but this league happens so fast, we're onto the next game three days later, so you can’t hang on to losses as much. I think one thing that makes JT special is he picks and chooses his moments and he knows how to lock the screws back in. That's what he does well and that sets the group up for success.  

“If you had a coach that lingered with it, then you'll have players out there that are rattled and don't want to make mistakes because of what happened the day before, but he's not like that. I think that's why the group came out the way we did [on Tuesday].”  

The Hawks are back in action against New Zealand in Wollongong on Saturday, with former NBA behemoth Tacko Fall returning to the venue at which he became the tallest man to ever set foot on an NBL floor in November. 

It was an otherwise forgettable night for the Breakers, the Hawks blowing them out by 38 points, while they’ll return this time without talisman Parker Jackson-Cartwright who’s still serving a suspension. 

It will see the Hawks start heavy favourites, but with the loss to last-placed Cairns not yet faded from the rear-view mirror, Tatum said the Breakers won’t be slipping under his side’s guard.  

“I just [think we need to] to take care of the ball, keep the pressure on and limit our mistakes,” Tatum said. 

“I think Tas did a really good job, they’re a systematic team, they have multiple guys who can make shots, they trust each other with the extra passes. I think New Zealand will do the same, but I feel that our tempo, our depth, should hopefully throw them off a little bit, we’ve just got to finish the fourth quarter.”