It could have been expected that William Hickey was going to be coming back with a point to prove this season. Due to poor rule definition, he was overlooked for an award that he so obviously deserved last season; so egregious was it that the award recipient gave his trophy to Hickey. The former development player leading the Illawarra Hawks to their first championship in over 20 years was an incredible story and Matthew Dellavedova of Melbourne United rightly corrected the record when he declared that the true most valuable player of the 2025 Grand Finals series was Hickey. He had been thrust into the team’s starting line-up due to injuries and shone so brightly in his new role that it was no surprise when head coach Justin Tatum declared Hickey as his starting point guard for the 2025–26 season.

Unfortunately, nobody could see the forthcoming future — especially Hickey when he suffered an eye injury during the preseason and was expected to miss several weeks. With his absence, the Hawks struggled to a 2–4 record. New import point guard, JaQuori McLaughlin, had been thrust into the starting line-up but found no repeat of Hickey’s flourishing; he was released after only three games. Despite the arduous efforts of JaVale McGee, there were no signs of any hope for the champions repeating and they looked very much destined for failure.

Enter the return of Hickey but now adorned with glasses. No, unfortunately not on his debut this season in the Hawks’ second game against the New Zealand Breakers where they were again blown out by another struggling team; he only recorded 6 points and 6 assists there. Instead, look at his last three appearances. Hickey came close to a triple-double in a 90–88 loss to the 5–2 Adelaide 36ers with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. He then came close again to a triple-double as the Hawks defeated previously infallible 9–1 Melbourne United with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. He then finally achieved his triple-double over the hapless 3–7 Cairns Taipans with an incredible 19 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Hickey’s triple-double is the first by a Hawks player since LaMelo Ball in 2019; only six players in the league have recorded a triple-double since then as well.

Remove the first appearance against the Breakers and, in his three meaningful games this season, Hickey is averaging 19 points, 9.3 rebounds and 9 assists. The Hawks are now 2–2 after his activation and they sit at 4–6 overall. Combining Hickey’s contributions with the steadying emergence of Quentin Peterson and continued dominance from McGee, the Hawks increasingly look like they are heading in the right direction. Of course, never forget that it only took one adjustment during the 2023–24 season to alter the Hawks’ entire future: head coach Jacob Jackomas was released with a 2–7 record by Tatum who led them to a 12–7 finish before the championship win of the following year.

You know what they say anyway. When there is a will, there is a way. Maybe we needed Hickey’s spectacles to see that coming for the Hawks this season though.