{"id":1640,"date":"2020-04-16T13:04:55","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T03:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/?p=1640"},"modified":"2020-04-16T13:06:03","modified_gmt":"2020-04-16T03:06:03","slug":"the-simon-conn-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/the-simon-conn-story\/","title":{"rendered":"THE SIMON CONN STORY"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NBL1.com.au\u304b\u3089<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Why did Simon Conn never play in the NBL?<\/p>\n

When you look at his stats over the past eight years, it doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense. Since 2012, Conn has averaged 19.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. It represents how consistently excellent he has been at SEABL and NBL1 level.<\/p>\n

Numbers play a large part in scouting and recruiting. Unfortunately for Conn, it seemed his always got overlooked.<\/p>\n

But why?<\/p>\n

According to Dave Biwer, who has coached Conn at Nunawading throughout his career, the aesthetics of Conn\u2019s game never appealed to NBL teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if you\u2019ve heard anything called the eye test but when you watch a basketball player play, sometimes they don\u2019t pass the eye test,\u201d Biwer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m assuming that the NBL coaches have just looked at Simon on tape and didn\u2019t do enough research into his history, his shooting percentages, how he gets his baskets, his reliability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was plenty of chat about his injuries, but I think in the last seven years he has only missed like two games with me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really do feel like it must have came down to the eye test, it didn\u2019t look as athletic as it was supposed to for the NBL guys and they didn\u2019t give him a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

If he did get that chance, Biwer believes Conn would have been up to the challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been around basketball at a level for 25-30 years and he would be up there in my top two or three shooters of all time,\u201d Biwer said of Conn.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just does not miss from mid-range. Today\u2019s game allows mid-range but as you hear the NBL commentators sometimes say, there are some players that you just can\u2019t give the midrange to. Simon Conn is one of those, it\u2019s just like a lay-up.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, if he got a chance, he would have been better in the NBL than he is here because he wouldn\u2019t have had so much attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conn tends to agree with Biwer\u2019s thoughts that the look of his game didn\u2019t fit the NBL billing.<\/p>\n

When reflecting on his basketball journey, though, Conn doesn\u2019t regret never playing at the top level.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a couple of opportunities in the early days,\u201d Conn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne year I signed with the South Dragons and then I hurt my knee and needed to have knee surgery, so that kind of went away. Another year I got into a little bit of trouble off the court and that caused an issue there.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince then there\u2019s been a few sniffs and a few interests here and there, but I think from the outside a coach can sometimes look at a style of game like mine and think it is a bit unorthodox and it is a bit awkward.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes they can get a bit caught up in noticing the things that you don\u2019t do instead of maybe going ok, let\u2019s figure out a way to minimise those things that he can\u2019t do because what he can bring to the table is all these other parts of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so hard because NBL teams there\u2019s usually only been about eight of them and only two-three bigs at each team. I think I got into a couple of positions where they decided to go with someone they knew as opposed to taking a chance on me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout six years ago I kind of just decided that it wasn\u2019t for me. I loved playing basketball and I love the competitive nature of what we do but I often got a bit lost in the day to day grind of professional sport and I would sometimes lose my way a little bit and didn\u2019t necessarily like it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just need to do something else with my life and since I\u2019ve made that decision, there\u2019s been a few interests, a few more sniffs from clubs wanting a six week contract because players have gone down and I\u2019m just not interested because I\u2019ve got something else that I\u2019m way more passionate about in my work life.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an overall package, I look back and think I\u2019ve had a great career at a level that I\u2019m really comfortable at and I\u2019ve met some really good people and it jumpstarted the next phase of my life, which has given me more enjoyment as an overall than basketball ever could.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an era where player movement is prominent, Conn has bucked the trend.<\/p>\n

Staying a Spectre since 2011, Conn has played a major role in building Nunawading into the powerhouse that it is today. Alongside coach Biwer and the recently retired Shane McDonald, the trio has embodied what it means to be a Spectre for the past decade.<\/p>\n

A culture of winning, teamwork and a family atmosphere has seen Nunawading become a place where people stay. The likes of Tom Wright, Andrew Steel, Costas Hronopoulos and Dain Swetalla have followed Conn and McDonald\u2019s lead and remained Spectres, the core playing a vital role in delivering the club the 2019 NBL1 championship.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really do feel like these two leaders in Shane and Simon created that staying power,\u201d Biwer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t hurt that we were winning all the time. My first year was my first year with Simon as well, he came over to Nunawading at the same time I did, and the culture has really blossomed around those two.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they were the tree in the garden, there just seems to be all kinds of blossoming going on around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Always humble in his approach, Conn was quick to pass the praise onto Biwer and McDonald when asked about how he has nurtured a culture of staying with Nunawading.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have such a good culture built there,\u201d Conn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started with Shane leading the way on the track, he was always so dedicated and so committed and played the right way and I\u2019ve always loved playing basketball with him. We formed a pretty formidable one-two punch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coaching of Dave was probably the key to me staying. He is an old school coach who doesn\u2019t really focus too much on how you go at training, he is more about just doing whatever it takes to get a win.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has had that mindset from day one where winning and building a culture of winning is one of the most important things in a team.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetween Shane and Dave, they just were the perfect fit for the kind of player I wanted to be and the kind of experience I wanted to get out of basketball. I just thought why you would leave something you\u2019re enjoying so much.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have just been able to instil a real culture of getting guys in that fit within the mould of what we are trying to create. It\u2019s not like we have really kind of focused in on it and really made it an emphasis from a spoken standpoint, it\u2019s all from energy and effort on the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone that comes in just seems to want to play basketball the right way and it\u2019s just a fun way to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlaying hard and playing together and feeding off each other\u2019s energy is a really fun way to play basketball and once people seem to come to this club, they seem to realise that, and they just want to stay and be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conn\u2019s attitude and approach to the game is unquestioned, but it takes more than that to post the numbers he has amassed throughout his career.<\/p>\n

When asked what makes Conn the player that he is, Biwer put it down to the simple fact that reliability is the best ability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing we love the most about him is he is just so reliable,\u201d Biwer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is reliable as a teammate, he is reliable with his midrange, he is reliable in terms of coachability if we have to switch stuff up.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor somebody that has the accolades that he has gotten, he is so humble, and he is always just team first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of that reliability stems from Conn\u2019s basketball intelligence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beauty of him is his basketball IQ,\u201d Biwer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a new guy was guarding him, when he would look down there and come out of the changeroom, I\u2019m sure he wouldn\u2019t be too scared about his athleticism or his quickness.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t show itself until after the game when Simon had 24 and 14, just by knowing where to be. It doesn\u2019t hurt that he shoots about 60 percent from 15 feet away.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just knows where to be at the right time and when a defender losses sight of him, Simon spots up and the guards find him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has been a real godsend for us, so we have been lucky to have him, and we feel really fortunate that he has stayed around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conn\u2019s basketball IQ is undoubted, but how does one develop such a sharp mind for the sport?<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom an early age I kind of figured out how to score without having to use your athleticism,\u201d Conn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured out how to be a bit crafty and a bit sneaky and use my length, which were some of the assets I had in order to score and you figure out how to get to the open spot without having to move too fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was sort of a natural progression over my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another element that Conn has learnt throughout his journey is it isn\u2019t all about what he knows \u2013 what his teammates know is just as important.<\/p>\n

This has helped Conn grow as a leader, realising if his teammates aren\u2019t on the same wavelength as him, then the best outcome isn\u2019t possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe leadership side of it has really developed as I have gotten older in my career,\u201d Conn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to get everyone on the same page and get everyone in the right mindset in order to have that team success.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one thing if I can put the ball in the bucket but if the other guys can\u2019t get me the ball because they don\u2019t see the game the same way, then we are never going to have as much success.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing I have learnt over the journey is it\u2019s really important to get everyone on the same page and then everyone flows, and the game flows a bit better and things start to open up naturally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to lead with a mindset and approach to the game. Last year we had Tom and Costas who are our captain and vice-captain and I didn\u2019t really want to step into that role because those guys do such an amazing job of leading the team through the day to day grind and the vocal aspects off the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I try to do is when we are on the court, you just try to lead by example, and you try to keep everyone in a happy and positive mindset.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the real challenges in basketball is getting everyone on the same page and when stuff does start to fall apart, getting everyone to pull together and dig deep and fight back.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasketball is a game of highs and lows and runs, when things aren\u2019t going your way you need to galvanise the group. I think that\u2019s what I try to do in my leadership style.\u201d<\/p>\n

The partnership between Biwer and Conn extends beyond the basketball court, as the two have also grown a close friendship and work together at sports appeal company iAthletic.<\/p>\n

Biwer says being able to see Conn through those different lenses \u2013 coach, business partner, friend \u2013 has helped him appreciate just how special Conn is as a person.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t talked to a lot of people outside of the circle about this but Simon has an ability to let me be his coach when I\u2019m his coach, he lets be a friend when we are friends and he also allows us to be business partners at the same time,\u201d Biwer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of that is his adjustment more so than my adjustment. You would think that it was 50\/50 but it\u2019s just not.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that I coach, and he plays, makes him take on more of a listener role and it\u2019s pretty impressive as a guy to be able to do that. I always toot his hoon that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Conn, he describes his relationship with Biwer as a special one.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more than a friendship or a partnership, we are family,\u201d Conn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are able to put on all the different hats and work in multiple different capacities and at the end of the day we enjoy all of it and we manage not to take anything too seriously when you don\u2019t have to and then we can both switch to that game mode whether it\u2019s in basketball or in life.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing I\u2019ve learnt from Dave is you need to leave it all out on the court, leave it all out on the floor and I have tried to implement that in my life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are family, so we can do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conn and Biwer won\u2019t get a chance to defend their 2019 title as the NBL1 season has been cancelled due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n

However, when NBL1 returns for 2021 and Nunawading hits the court again, you know number 13 will be there ready to go as always.<\/p>\n

After all, reliability is the best ability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From NBL1.com.au Why did Simon Conn never play in the NBL? When you look at his stats over the past eight years, it doesn\u2019t make\u2026 \u7d9a\u304d\u3092\u8aad\u3080 "<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nbl1","category-slider"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1640"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1643,"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640\/revisions\/1643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nunawadingbasketball.com.au\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}