Malique Lewis Is Trying To Make the Most of This NBL Season

On their second head coach of the season, and third, if you count the interim, South East Melbourne Phoenix looks better than their 0-5 start but not by a significant margin. Issues remain on both ends, and Next Star Malique Lewis is trying to survive.

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When evaluating prospects, we often forget how much is out of their control. NBL Next Star Malique Lewis signed with South East Melbourne Phoenix this summer and as we make our way towards the holidays, it’s starting to look like that may not have been the best decision for him. For reasons outside of his control. 

The Phoenix started the season 0-5, fired their head coach, and brought in American head coach Josh King as the replacement. They are now 4-8, so improvement cannot be denied, but the team does not look markedly better in any notable way. Their offense gets stagnant and defensive problems go unsolved. In the face of all of this drama, Lewis is still trying to make the most of this situation to help his draft stock.

To be clear, we don’t mean that in a selfish way, it’s the simple reality that Lewis is now stuck with. The season is starting to feel like some sort of a lost cause, and he needs to find a way to shine in this stretch of darkness. 

For Lewis’ part, he is trying to help the team win in all facets of his game. He is very active on the glass, and an especially solid team rebounder. His positioning is excellent and thus, he’s often in a rebound's vicinity and helping increase his team's chances of grabbing the board even if he doesn’t grab it himself. While there are moments of lethargy from Lewis on the defensive end, these feel intertwined with a generally apathetic effort from the squad defensively. Starting a season with a five-game losing streak makes it difficult to build the toughness and sense of belief required to consistently get defensive stops. That has a trickle-down effect on all individuals. 

Nevertheless, Lewis is trying to slap band-aids on the issues where he can, taking on a myriad of different assignments. In a 15-point showing against the Perth Wildcats, he also took on the responsibility of guarding NBL star guard Bryce Cotton. Cotton burned him a few times, as he does everyone, including on an inexcusable backdoor cut where Lewis fell asleep (one of those moments of lethargy) but for the most part Lewis stayed in front of him, and forced contested jumpers. At other times he guarded Ben Henshall, a shining Australian young guard, and even fellow next star Izan Almansa. At 6-foot-8 and nearly 200 pounds, Lewis has a body capable of guarding 1-5 in a league like the NBL and sometimes, it feels like he is guarding all five guys out there, for better or worse. 

On offense, he’s using his body well on drives and mismatches. He’s muscling his way to the rim, holding off defenders and finishing with touch. He’s shooting 70 percent at the rim this season per Synergy Sports and is doing a good job of taking advantage of offensive opportunities created for him. Nearly 70 percent of his shots this season have come from transition or spot-up opportunities. Lewis knows his role and is doing everything he can to execute it and help his team win. 

His three-point shot is not falling. He’s currently at 28 percent on 46 attempts but there’s reason to be optimistic. The shot does look good. The form, release point, and confidence all seem to be there. It’s simply not falling. Often, they are slightly too short or too long. He is likely inches away from shooting 35 percent or better. This type of excuse can’t last all season, but 46 attempts is still a small sample size. One hot streak could turn around the entire outlook on his jumper and thus, his ceiling. 

Lewis’s season has not been the best, there’s no hiding that. But it would be cruel to lay all the blame for that on his shoulders. He’s already on his second head coach, has seen multiple different starting lineups and rotations, and is looking at a team of professionals that quite frankly, seems to give up on some possessions here and there. His shoulders have slumped occasionally alongside his teammates, but less than them. His desire to win and maximize this season is on display. If he can help make that happen, this season of suffering could hopefully leave him with minimal damage.

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