Outspoken Adelaide centre Isaac Humphries has lifted the lid on a disconnect between the 36ers playing group and coach Mike Wells following the landslide 24-point NBL loss to the Perth Wildcats.
Coming off an emphatic 21-point home defeat to Brisbane on Christmas Eve, the Sixers were competitive early against Perth, drawing level at quarter-time, before capitulating badly.
They were hammered 90-66 for the remaining three terms, capped by a horror fourth quarter in which they conceded 38 points and were out-rebounded 16-7.
The 36ers have crashed from a 6-4 win-loss record to 7-11 after losing seven of their past eight games across the past month, falling from fourth spot to eighth.
Humphries was interviewed after Saturday's game on ABC Radio and delivered a scathing assessment of his side's current plight stating the coach's messages were not getting through to the players and no one knew their role in the team.
"We're struggling right now," he said.
"You guys don't see a lot of stuff that's happening behind the scenes.
"We need to do better for you guys out here, but it's a collective from what's happened during the week and it's a hard environment right now."
Personnel availability has been a factor in Adelaide's recent woes.
Captain Dejan Vasiljevic was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury, while imports Montrezl Harrell and Kendric Davis were suspended for three and two games, respectively.
Humphries suggested the bigger issue was a lack of clarity around roles.
"(With) guys coming in and out, it's always hard," he said.
"No-one knows their role.
"We're all trying to figure it out in front of your eyes, so the frustration is exactly the same for us as it is for you guys watching.
"We (are) just trying every day to figure this out - and we're just not."
Asked whether Wells' message was getting through and if the Sixers' issues are a playing-group problem, Humphries replied: "Ah, no."
Wells offered a blunt reply when asked about issues within the struggling 36ers camp.
"I think I will just keep the locker room in-house, if that's okay," he said.
In what may be a further indication of a lack of unity Harrell cut a forlorn, distant figure on the bench at times, before dashing to the rooms after the final whistle, missing the team's post-match on-court huddle for the second week in a row.
Humphries was bewildered by playing only 24 minutes, despite being one of Adelaide's better players with 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
"No, not planned," he responded when asked if his scant court-time was always going to be the case.
"It's a coach question. I have no idea what's going on."
