Phoenix Hagen benefits from knowledge

The two defeats at the Rewe Cup were secondary to Phoenix Hagen. Much more important for basketball players: head coach Chris Harris gained important insights two weeks before the start of the season.

Three top-class guests from the basketball league as guests, a regional supermarket chain as sponsor and a large silver trophy: the planning of the Rewe Cup, which was held for the first time under this name, was convincing. Second division Phoenix Hagen thus continued the tradition of organizing high quality preparatory tournaments in the Krollmann Arena over the weekend. The fact that the firebirds lost their two games ultimately did not bother the coaching team, management or fans. It was more difficult that the tournament took place without spectators due to the corona pandemic. The fans were able to follow all four games via live stream.

At the start on Saturday afternoon, the aggressively defending Jobstairs Gießen 46ers were narrowly defeated by the Fraport Skyliners with 88:90 (46:52) in the Hessenduell. The hosts, on the other hand, lost the second semi-final more clearly with 74:93 (37:53) against Telekom Baskets Bonn. Hagen’s NRW rival won the Rewe Cup on Sunday with an 81:62 (41:41) against Frankfurt. Previously, the 46ers had secured third place with a 111: 92 (65:45) against the home side. Phoenix started poorly against the team of the former Hagen coaching duo Ingo Freyer and Steven Wriedt and allowed 38 counterpoints in the first quarter alone.

Problems in the game without a center

Interesting, however, that the coaching team around Chris Harris apparently hit the right note at half-time. The firebirds had their strongest phases in the third quarter of both games. They decided this part of the game for themselves: 21:20 against Bonn, 30:22 against Gießen. However, there was a lack of consistency – one of several important findings of the weekend. “The first division clubs were superior to us in terms of physique and speed, including the speed at which decisions were made,” said Chris Harris after the lost small final. “We have to work on that.”

Phoenix also has to work on some tactical variants. The meanwhile very small line-up without Javon Baumann and newcomer Zach Haney found hardly any solutions in the offense against the Giessen smallball game. After Haney finished with five fouls in the third quarter, Harris made a conscious decision to give Baumann breaks and test the game without a center. There were similar problems in the final quarter against Bonn, when the two Big Men sat on the bench with four fouls each. “We can improve that in a training game by putting Javon and Zach on one team and the smaller players on the other,” said Harris.

Deividas Gailius from Telekom Baskets Bonn: He hit three of three three-point throws. (Source: Wolter / Archivbild / imago images)

Mascot as the only spectator

In terms of atmosphere, the tournament was dominated by the corona pandemic. Mask requirement in large parts of the hall, disinfectant dispensers in almost every corner and the exact recording of all contact details are standard in these times. In the absence of the spectators, the mascots Felix and Fipps had to create the atmosphere alone in the empty main stand, reinforced by the Hagen cheerleaders in the game for third place. The only positive thing about the ghost backdrop: instructions from the coaches and discussions with players or referees were easy to hear for observers.

Despite all the necessary security measures, the tournament went smoothly. “In terms of organization, we have put an all-round successful event on the legs, especially to the satisfaction of our guests,” said Phoenix managing director Patrick Seidel. He stayed at the league conference in Quakenbrück at the weekend and could only follow the tournament on screen. The conference with those responsible for the 2nd division and the other clubs was “intense, but good” for Seidel.

Regeneration week before the last test

The same can be said from a sporting point of view, given the class difference between the Hageners and their opponents. For Chris Harris exactly right: “It’s good for us, for our stamina and for our head. That’s why we play games like this.” The defeats were almost taken into account: “It was clear that we would reach our limits physically or in terms of efficiency against higher-class teams. And at this point in preparation, we wanted to,” said Seidel.

After the three demanding tests against the three top division teams Bonn and Gießen on the weekend and Braunschweig on Wednesday, this week is all about regeneration for Phoenix. “Monday and Tuesday are free, and we also want to strengthen the cohesion in the group with a team day,” said Harris. The last test game is on Saturday in Bochum against the ProB league team based there with the ex-firebird Niklas Geske who has migrated.

Regeneration is particularly important for ailing players. This applies to Joel Aminu, for example, who got most of the working time of all Phoenix players on the weekend, although his foot problems are not yet completely over. Or for Jermaine Bishop, who provided offensive accents against Bonn, but had to pause in the final quarter due to cramps in his right thigh. “We’ll use the next two weeks to be fresh against Leverkusen,” said Harris. At the Bayer Giants, things will get serious for the firebirds on October 17th with the first ProA season game. The impressions from the Rewe Cup should help.