Goorjian's Kings excited for Melbourne United challenge
29 Oct
1
min read


Sydney Kings coach Brian Goorjian is excited about the challenge that lies in front of his team this Thursday, when they take on Melbourne United at John Cairn Arena.
Their round seven rival comes into this fixture on the back of two strong victories over the weekend, while Goorjian's Hoops Capital side are aiming to end a two-game skid.
"We have huge amounts of respect for them as a club and they've found their mojo recently - seeing them play their best basketball of the season right now," Goorjian said.
PURCHASE YOUR KINGS HOME GAME TICKETS NOW
"They're a team that can hurt you in many ways, with athletic big, perimeter shooting and physicality just some of the traits.
"But despite all that, I have complete faith in our group and we're all excited by the challenge in front of us.
"Everyone has settled down after the weekend's results and is looking ahead to a team, which in my eyes, might be the form team of the competition right now.
"Every game in this league, especially on the road, but I like where we're at despite all the outside noise saying otherwise."
Watch behind the scenes of Xavier Cooks' 100th game via the Sydney Kings' YouTube channel above. While you're there, be sure to hit subscribe, to ensure you never miss out on any of our great videos.
One area in particular that Goorjian and his harbour city side have zeroed in on this week at training is defence.
"We've addressed a lot of aspects on the defensive end this week, including transition defensive, which seemed to go out the window at times last week, seeing us give us some way too easy baskets," the six-time NBL championship winner said.
"The other main one was fouling - it's very rare that you can win a game when they hit more free-throws than you take, so we've got to be more disciplined on that end of the court."
PURCHASE YOUR NBL25 FULL-SEASON MEMBERSHIP NOW
On the flip side, Goorjian believes his team is evolving offensive, with the current situation they're in.
"On offence, we've really got to have that committee approach, where everyone is willing to chip in and find ways to score," he said.
"I'm confident every player on our team can score the ball, so it's all about pulling together and showing that for 40 minutes.
"We know this is a long-term project, so we're continuing to chip away at it and improve every time we step on the court.
"We know we've fallen short the past few games but we've learnt from it and everyone inside our four walls feels really good about our team.
"Thursday is a great chance for us to prove that to everyone once again and I can't wait."
The round seven fixture tips off at 7.30pm AEDT on ESPN via Kayo Sports.

30 Jun
NBA Summer League schedule revealed for Kings duo

29 Jun
Warriors strike gold with Toohey

29 Jun
Spurgin's NBL Select side clean sweep B.League United
Jason Spurgin

29 Jun
Spurgin's NBL Select team defeat B.League United in game one
Jason Spurgin

27 Jun
Toohey selected by Warriors in 2025 NBA Draft

26 Jun
Kings to face Bullets and Phoenix at Canberra's Blitz

24 Jun
Spurgin excited for opportunity to shine on international stage
Jason Spurgin

23 Jun
Hoops Capital launches innovative Basketball to Business program

23 Jun
Hoops Capital off-season wrap (June 23)
Keli Leaupepe

23 Jun
Kings on track for record membership numbers in NBL26

19 Jun
Kings unveil massive 33-game NBL26 schedule

18 Jun
Toohey's NBA stock solidifies as Draft approaches

17 Jun
Ignite Cup to see Kings host more games in NBL26

17 Jun
In-season tournament to ignite Wednesday nights

17 Jun
Longley: HoopsFest 'lifts the whole game up'

16 Jun
Sydney teams to descend on Perth for second HoopsFest
Support your team with the latest gear
Grab your latest team releases before they're gone.

Get the latest Team Updates
Breaking news & special offers. Direct to your inbox.
