'No pressure' on underperforming Magnay

Prior to the Championship Series, a general consensus was that for the JackJumpers to have a chance of winning Will Magnay would have to star. However, Tasmania has one hand on the championship trophy heading into Thursday’s potentially decisive clash with Melbourne, and the center has struggled to make his influence felt.

Magnay has scored a combined 20 points across the three games, and 10 of those came in the series opener defeat. He’s struggled with foul trouble in two of the three games, and a small ball line-up of Majok Deng and Jack McVeigh was preferred to Magnay's size and physicality down the stretch in Game 3.

Despite the fact Magnay has taken something of a backseat this series so far, Derek Rucker believes there’s no pressure on the center to assert himself on Game 4 if he doesn’t have to.

“I think Will Magnay can feel nice and relaxed,” Rucker said on NBL Now.

“Some players who have played at the level he has this season and not been able to perform at the same level in the Championship Series would feel pressure, but I don’t think Magnay feels any pressure.

“His team is up 2-1, guys around him have performed. He doesn’t have to be heroic for them to win a championship.

“I expect a really strong performance from him in Game 4, if he gives them 18-20 minutes of solid basketball they’re going to be very happy with that performance.”

The JackJumpers have the chance to put a full stop on one of the greatest opening eras ever experienced by an expansion club should they win their maiden Championship on Thursday night.

The club will be lifted by the fact they could take the series out in front of their home crowd, but Rucker says they can’t rely on their fans to pull them up single-handedly.

The former NBL MVP reflected on the title defeat he suffered with the Brisbane Bullets at the hands of Perth, when the Wildcats cruised to a 23-point win in Brisbane in the decisive third game of the series.

“I have deep regret, the 1990 Grand Final we hosted Game 3 [in Brisbane], the elimination game, and I think we got a bit ahead of ourselves mentally that because we were playing on our home court, that the crowd was going to give us that boost,” Rucker said.

“Certainly they’ll provide a boost, but you have to go out there and handle your business physically and mentally.

“I think this group is very focused and aligned on that regard and I don’t think there will be any problem for them to concentrate on what needs to be done.”

Game 4 of the Championship Series between Tasmania and Melbourne will tip off at 7:30pm AEDT on Thursday night, live on ESPN via Kayo.