MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy's View from Downunder) - They were the story of the 2013-14 season - fast, furious and, most importantly, successful.

After three years in the bottom two, four seasons out of the playoffs and 11 years without a post-season victory, the Adelaide 36ers took the NBL by storm.

With only two major additions - championship-winning coach Joey Wright and dynamic American point guard Gary Ervin - they charged from last place with an 8-20 record to second on the table with 18 wins.

As with most of coach Wright's teams, their success was built on speed. Defensively they packed the paint and dared opponents to shoot contested threes.

They then controlled the defensive boards and ran mercilessly, Ervin and 6ft 11in (2.10m) greyhound Daniel Johnson leading the way.

As a result, opposition teams were constantly on the back foot, taking the ball out of the net, having to face set defences and then chase fastbreak offences.

Adelaide shot the most free-throws and the least three-pointers in the league. Their opponents attempted the most triples and the second-fewest charity shots.

Fast-forward to Round 9 this season and the 36ers head into the tough North Queensland road double with a 3-7 record.

Ervin wasn't re-signed in the off-season and Johnson headed for Europe, where he has predictably struggled with his underdeveloped physicality and defence. (Had Johnson spent one or two more years developing under Wright he could have cashed in, but he may have now harmed his Euro value long term, though only time will tell.)

With budget restrictions, Adelaide replaced DJ with import Daequon Montreal, who had been playing in the second-tier SEABL.

The 36ers' pre-season was also hampered by Aussie Adam Gibson and Kiwi BJ Anthony both being on national team duty at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and injuries to tough power forward Anthony Petrie which kept him out of contention for Spain 2014.

Yet, despite all this, they worked their way to 3-2, including an impressive win over the league-leading New Zealand Breakers.

Then an opportunity arose to sign fringe Boomers and NBA forward Brock Motum, who had just been released by the Utah Jazz.

Motum is a multi-skilled, mobile, quick and offensive-minded big man like Johnson - as well as being lifelong friends with 36ers guard Brendan Teys – who seemed like the perfect fit.

So what has happened since? Adelaide have lost their last five games, including three at home, to slip to the edge of the playoff precipice.

There has been plenty of talk about the 36ers' offence, where no doubt Petrie's injury woes have affected his touch around the basket.

Motum came out firing in his first game, taking 23 field-goal attempts! Maybe too many, but his instinctive play was tough to guard.

Since then his attempt numbers have been 10, 12, 10 and seven, passing up open shots he could make in his sleep, and that doesn't fit his or Adelaide's style. (He also needs to earn his shots, with the 2.08m power forward having grabbed just nine rebounds in total in the past three games.)

The 36ers haven't been able to get Gibson and new import guard Jamar Wilson firing on the same night, both brilliant at times and either missing or wayward at others.

Gibson took the team on his shoulders when Wilson was injured and looked like one of the best players in the league.

Once Wilson returned, however, Gibson slid back to the complementary role that's been his default for much of his career. Adelaide need him being aggressive.

When Wilson is on fire, he's impossible to stop. But when he isn't firing, he too often looks for penetration before the ball has moved through hands, bogging down the offence. Adelaide need him being aggressive at the right moments, moving the ball at others.

But the talk of offence isn't backed up by the numbers in the 36ers' key statistical areas.

Last season they averaged around 25 free-throw attempts, this year it's 27. Their 16 three-point attempts have only risen slightly to 17. Opponents averaged 27 long-range attempts in 2013-14 and throw up 26 this season.

But one area where there has been a noticeable shift is opposition free-throw attempts, which have risen around 28 per cent to 23 per game.

That passes the eye test too. Quite simply, the 36ers couldn't defend a blind man on a perving charge at the moment.

Their weak efforts both containing the perimeter and protecting the paint were captured beautifully when Melbourne United import Jordan McRae blew past the defence and Motum simply stepped out of the way and let him score a lay-up. No putting his body on the line trying to draw a charge, no strong foul, no attempt to meet him upstairs and intimidate the shot.

Against the Sydney Kings, Tom Garlepp penetrated and dished off to Angus Brandt, who bobbled it and then stepped up for a jam as Motum and Luke Schenscher watched.

Without desperation from bigs and smalls to keep teams out of the paint, opponents will get whatever shot they want, which is exactly what's happening.

Last season the 36ers forced teams to the three-point line and held them to 36 per cent shooting. This year opponents are getting into the lane at will and then freeing up shooters, who are connecting at 42 per cent from deep.

For me, it's about mindset at both ends of the floor.

Talented players like Gibson and Motum passing up open shots tells you the team doesn't know its identity, something not helped by Motum's late arrival and short-term injuries to Wilson and Mitch Creek.

But last year's team knew exactly what they were about. Defend hard, rebound hard, run hard and dare the opposition to stay with you.

The 36ers lived by the sword and died by the sword. At the moment they are keeping the sword in their sheath scared it might get dirty.

They haven't got long to get onto the front foot once again or this season will be lost.

Paulo Kennedy

FIBA

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