Keilor has set a trap it hopes most opposition sides fall into during this season of the men’s Big V Basketball.
With off-season recruit Andrew Kaban maximising attention as he continues to put up big numbers, defenders are naturally drawn to this prolific scorer.
That is when the Thunder strikes, with a host of open players ready to make their opponents pay for leaving them too much space.
This pattern of play has worked remarkably well throughout the first third of the division 1 season, with Keilor sitting in fourth spot on the ladder, to the delight of coach Steve Toy.
“Andrew has been very consistent and is doing a great job,” Toy said.
“He always gets best defender each week but it takes a bit of pressure off him if we can get some scores out of the other guys as well, which has been happening, and that is why we are going so well I think.
“Mitch Lukey has been having a fantastic season. Jacob Coleman-Bock has been doing well. It is a great balance.”
Kaban hasn’t missed a beat since crossing over from Oakleigh to the Thunder in the off-season. He is averaging 25 points per game and is shooting at 45 per cent from the field, with best performances including a 37-point game against Altona and a 35-point haul against Mildura.
These results have guided Keilor to six wins from its first 10 games, a great effort after the club jumped from division 2 to division 1 in the off-season.
“We know we have a lot of work in front of us but we are in the right position at this stage,” Toy said.
“We have probably dropped a couple of games we shouldn’t have, but having said that, the competition is certainly a step up from what we were playing last year. If you’re not at your best you get found out pretty quickly.”
Keilor is getting ready for a tough stretch in the weeks ahead as it prepares to clock up some serious travel miles. The Thunder will play away fixtures against Camberwell, Geelong and Mildura in the next month.
Despite the tough schedule, Toy said the goal remains steadfast – to play finals.
“We have gained a bit of confidence as we have gone along and, as a group, we feel like we can match it with the best of them on our night,” Toy said.
“The plan has always been to play finals and so far we are on track, which is good.”
