[Agent 15]

There was some more bad news for the Gold Coast Blaze on Sunday after it was revealed that import Juaquin Hawkins will be sidelined for up to eight weeks with an injury to his foot.

Hawkins has been playing through the pain of a bone spur in his heel, but has succumbed on medical advice to a separate injury in the arch of his foot which was sustained at training.

This latest setback comes just as coach Brendan Joyce was settling into his preferred rotations after an injury plagued start to the season.

"James Harvey is 100 percent, Luke Whitehead is getting there, but if Hawkins is out for eight weeks we've got some decisions to make," Joyce said.

Joyce and the Blaze management must now decide whether or not to look for a replacement for their injured star.

"We need a three who can play off the dribble and rebound," Joyce said.

Hawkins was exactly that, as well as the heart of the team's defence, and it will be tough to find a suitable replacement moving into the mid-section of the regular season.

The Blaze have a week off before they travel to Melbourne to take on the defending premiers in the final game of a torrid opening third to the season.

In their first ten games the Blaze will have played seven times against top four teams, with two of the three remaining games being road trips to Perth and Wollongong.

On Saturday night the Gold Coast played its fourth home game on the same day that they flew back from Wollongong after going down by a single shot the night before.

"We flew back today and New Zealand are here on a holiday for a couple of days enjoying it and ready waiting for us," Joyce said.

The Blaze were slow out of the blocks against the Breakers, allowing them a 12-point lead at quarter-time before rallying hard to get a chance to force overtime with the last play of the match.

Shane Heal's three rattled out and a gallant Blaze went down again.

"Had we been a bit fresher, maybe we would have got off to a better start in the first quarter," Joyce said.

Joyce insists that his squad will notch a win sooner rather than later and refuses suggestions that the Blaze are finished for the season.

"I'm the type of coach who doesn't give up, so I am not expecting them to give up," Joyce said.




Surely you would have a look at replacing him with Hodge if Hodge is at all interested?

[South01]

yep id be looking for someone to replace him it seems a bit much to wait for him and he was out half of last season and is shit anyway also how many aussie players are out of a job just get one of them!

[South01]

looks like he will get dumped!





http://www.nbl.com.a...d...ay&id=76476

[lyntdawgy_dawg]

hawkins may have been a good player (he played in the nba for a while) but since he has come to the nbl i have not seen him do anything special, in fact i think he is shit. blaze should definately dump him and chase hodge, then they may actually win a game!!!!

[Agent 15]

two seasons now for Blaze and two seasons worth of rubbish imports.

[South01]

Agent 15, on Oct 29 2008, 02:25 PM, said:

two seasons now for Blaze and two seasons worth of rubbish imports.

yep exactly i wonder what they will do,it could be their last season as well.