Preview: Round 14 vs Phoenix and Taipans

Written by Matt McQuade for Kings Media

 

Every game is important in the National Basketball League.

But it’s also true that some are more important than others.

And for the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings, the next two games could be season-defining.

Currently sitting in sixth place on the ladder with a 10-12 record and on a two-game losing streak, the purple and gold need to get back on track quickly to stay in the playoff hunt.

The Kings get that opportunity this week with a pair of home games in Round 14 at Qudos Bank Arena.

On Thursday night, the team gets a chance for quick redemption as they face a South East Melbourne Phoenix team that dealt them a 98-84 loss last Sunday.

Win that game and Sunday’s battle with the Cairns Taipans, and Sydney will not only get back to a .500 record on the season, they’ll also gain some much-needed confidence after a recent slump has seen the club lose four of their last five games.

But for a team that has been decimated by injury this season, with Rookie of the Year candidate Dejan Vasiljevic the latest to fall victim to what has been a curse throughout this NBL21 campaign, it’s going to take a superior effort from everyone on the roster to emerge victorious.

Sydney’s opponent first-up is a Phoenix squad that won its first ever game against the Kings last week and represents a formidable challenge, even if former NBA sharpshooter Ryan Broekhoff is unable to play.

Coached very well by Simon Mitchell and currently sitting third on the ladder with a 13-9 record, South East Melbourne has won three of their past four games and boasts a deep, versatile roster.

Forward Mitch Creek had 26 points last Sunday and is a relentless competitor; Ben Moore is arguably the most underrated import in the league; Kyle Adnam is having a brilliant season and is in line for the NBL Most Improved award; Keifer Sykes is a super quick point guard who can hurt you in a variety of ways, Cameron Gliddon is a deadly perimeter shooter and big man Yanni Wetzel is extremely mobile and shows good touch around the basket.

One thing the home team will need to bring on Thursday is energy, something that Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings Head Coach Adam Forde pointed to as a key reason for his team’s last start loss. The Kings can’t afford to replicate what was, in Coach Forde’s eyes, a flat effort the last time out against a dangerous opponent.

And speaking of dangerous, that’s exactly what the Cairns Taipans will be on Saturday night.

While the Snakes are all but out of playoff calculations and have had a wretched season by any measure, they still have a lot of talent and showed in their hard-fought loss to Illawarra last Sunday that they haven’t given up.

In addition, Cairns have given Sydney a lot of trouble this season, with two wins over the Kings plus two close defeats to the purple and gold, and even though they have also suffered a couple of long-term injuries to starters Kouat Noi and Majok Deng, they still have plenty of talent on their roster, headlined by a pair of superstar imports.

Point guard Scott Machado leads the NBL in assists per game and is still one of the best floor leaders in the competition. And although forward Cameron Oliver has experienced what by his lofty standards has been an up and down campaign, he still boasts the kind of athleticism and rim-rattling power that can wreck just about any defence.

Cairns also has the likes of behemoth Nathan Jawai and perimeter gunners Mirko Djeric and Jordan Ngatai, all of who will need to be accounted for each moment they are on the floor.

In both games this weekend, one of the keys to victory for the Kings will be a consistent effort across all four quarters. Too many times this season, a lack of consistency has hurt the purple and gold and they are working hard to rectify that issue. The team will also rely on the inside-outside combo of imports Jarell Martin and Casper Ware; Jordan Hunter will need to do a job at both ends of the floor and both Shaun Bruce and Didi Louzada need to step up and provide offensive punch with Dejan Vasiljevic no longer in the line-up.

It’s a difficult challenge in Round 14. But not impossible.

Two wins could turn this thing around in a hurry.

Let’s get this done.

Rise With Us Sydney.

 

WHO

Sydney Kings vs. South East Melbourne Phoenix

Sydney Kings vs. Cairns Taipans

WHEN

Thursday 15 April, 7:30pm AEST tipoff (vs. Phoenix)

Saturday 17 April, 8:00pm AEST tipoff (vs. Taipans)

LOCATION

Qudos Bank Arena

TICKETS

Thursday vs. Phoenix available HERE

Saturday vs. Taipans available HERE

TV/RADIO

Thursday: ESPN; SBS On Demand; NBL.TV; Cluch Radio, SWR99.9FM Radio

Saturday: ESPN; SBS On Demand; NBL.TV; Cluch Radio, SWR99.9FM Radio

THE PLAYERS

Kings

Casper Ware (import); Shaun Bruce; Didi Louzada (Next Star); Jarell Martin (import); Jordan Hunter

Brad Newley; Craig Moller; Tom Vodanovich; Daniel Kickert; Jaylin Galloway (development player); Archie Woodhill (development player); Lochlan Hutchison (development player)

Phoenix

Keifer Sykes (import); Cameron Gliddon; Reuben Te Rangi; Ben Moore; Yanni Wetzel

Mitch Creek; Ryan Broekhoff (subject to fitness test); Dane Pineau (subject to fitness test); Kyle Adnam; Adam Gibson; Kendall Stephens; Izayah Le’afa (development player)

THE COACHES

Kings

Adam Forde (NBL rookie head coach, NBL career record 10-12)

Phoenix

Simon Mitchell (2^nd season with Phoenix, NBL career record 22-27)

Taipans

Mike Kelly (3^rd season with Taipans, NBL career record 28-53)

2020/2021 REGULAR SEASON SERIES

Vs. Phoenix

Series tied 1-1

Kings def. Phoenix 91-85 @ John Cain Arena, Round 8

Phoenix def. Kings 98-84 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 13

Vs. Taipans

Series tied 2-2

Taipans def. Kings 87-86 @ Cairns Pop-Up Arena, Round 1

Kings def. Taipans 99-91 @ Cairns Pop-Up Arena, Round 2

Taipans def. Kings 96-92 @ State Basketball Centre, Melbourne (NBL Cup), Round 8

Kings def. Taipans 75-73 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 10

NBL LADDER

Kings 10-12, sixth

Phoenix 13-9, third

Taipans 5-17, ninth

KEY STATS

Kings

Points: Casper Ware, 19.1ppg

Rebounds: Jarell Martin, 6.9rpg

Assists: Casper Ware, 4.1apg

Phoenix

Points: Mitch Creek, 20.3ppg

Rebounds: Ben Moore, 6.9rpg

Assists: Keifer Sykes, 5.7apg

Taipans

Points: Scott Machado, 17.1ppg

Rebounds: Cameron Oliver, 9.4rpg

Assists: Scott Machado, 7.3apg

KEY MATCHUP

Vs. Phoenix

Jarell Martin vs. Ben Moore

Moore had an excellent game against Sydney last week, going for 20 points at a highly efficient 9 of 12 from the field and added seven rebounds, proving a headache for the Kings at both ends of the floor. For his part, Martin had 21 points and seven boards despite being in foul trouble for most of the second half, and it’s crucial that Jarell remains on the floor for Sydney given his consistent offensive production. Moore’s length and athleticism are difficult to match up on, particularly when the Phoenix look to get the ball in transition; Sydney needs to make Martin a focal point in the low block, feed him the rock early and often, and ask him to put maximum pressure on the rim.

Vs. Taipans

Casper Ware vs. Scott Machado

Another day, another battle with a brilliant guard. It’s been Casper’s lot over the past couple of games to deal with a number of quality backcourt players, from Perth’s Bryce Cotton and Mitch Norton to Phoenix guards Keifer Sykes and Kyle Adnam, and now a guy who last season was the best pure point guard in the league and in NBL21 leads the NBL in assists. Machado is carrying a bigger load this season with the number of injuries his team has suffered and hasn’t quite been as effective as his All-NBL campaign in NBL20, but he remains an outstanding facilitator with terrific vision; Ware similarly must shoulder a greater burden with the absence of his team’s third-leading scorer Dejan Vasiljevic and will look to score heavily in this one.

THE QUESTIONS

Will the Kings find quick redemption against the Phoenix?

Can the Kings control the tempo to their liking against a deliberate Cairns offence?

HISTORY

Vs. Phoenix

All-time Head-to-Head

6 games played; Kings lead 5-1

In Sydney

3 games played; Kings lead 2-1

At Qudos Bank Arena

3 games played; Kings lead 2-1

Vs. Taipans

All-time Head-to-Head

68 games played; Kings lead 50-18

In Sydney

33 games played; Kings lead 27-6

At Qudos Bank Arena

13 games played; Kings lead 12-1

DID YOU KNOW?

The Cairns Taipans entered the National Basketball League in 1999 and lost their opening game to the Kings. But in that same 1999/2000 season, they won their first game against Sydney in the second meeting between the two teams. It would be the last time they would beat the Kings for seven long years. Between 21 November 1999 and 20 January 2006, Sydney racked up 17 consecutive wins over the Taipans, a franchise record winning streak against any single team in the NBL. That also accounts for the fact the Kings’ winning percentage over the Taipans of 73.5% is also Sydney’s best against any other team in the NBL, while the Kings 138-88 victory over Cairns at the Sydney Superdome (now Qudos Bank Arena) on 2 November, 2001 represents the biggest winning margin in a game in franchise history.