Round 12 Preview: Kings vs. Wildcats
By Matt McQuade
Momentum.
In sports, it’s a great thing to possess.
And on the back of a three-game winning streak – their longest of the season – and five wins in their past six games, momentum is exactly what the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings have right now.
The Kings will be looking to maintain that roll this Saturday night at Qudos Bank Arena as they do battle with arch-rivals the Perth Wildcats in what figures to be a blockbuster confrontation.
Coming off an excellent Round 11 when they edged South East Melbourne on the road followed by an astounding come from behind victory against Brisbane at the Q – the wild finish to that ballgame one of the most memorable in franchise history – Sydney will enter Saturday’s marquee showdown full of confidence.
It helps when you’ve got three guys playing at or near an All-NBL level right now.
From the brilliant Jaylen Adams (18.9ppg, 5.7rpg, 5.7apg, 1.4spg), whose dunk through traffic to tie the game against Brisbane takes its place in the pantheon of all-time great Kings’ throwdowns, to Defensive Player of the Year standout candidate Xavier Cooks (13.5ppg, 9.5rpg, 2.1apg, 1.7bpg) and offensive machine Jarell Martin (16.3ppg, 9.4rpg) – the purple and gold are blessed with three weapons that few clubs in the NBL can match.
Then there are the so-called ‘lesser lights’, starting with Sixth Man of the Year candidate Angus Glover, who made play after play in Sydney’s two wins last weekend; Dejan Vasiljevic and his deadly outside shooting, the energy and activity of Biwali Bayles and the steadying influence of Shaun Bruce.
Plus, Kings’ fans should be excited about the on-court debut of new third import Ian Clark, a shooting guard with an impressive NBA pedigree, who will likely see his first NBL action against the Wildcats after arriving in the country last Saturday.
VIEW THE KINGS MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES HERE
Individually, there is a lot of talent in this Kings’ line-up. But it’s collectively where they have to get the job done, and primarily, that’s at the defensive end of the floor.
Head Coach Chase Buford was unhappy with his team’s defence against the Phoenix so it was no surprise that Sydney’s D was much improved against the Bullets, where they held the visiting team to just 69 points, including a miserly 12 in the fourth quarter.
The Kings have established themselves this season as one of the better defensive units in the NBL; a squad that currently ranks third in the competition in points allowed per game, second in defensive field goal percentage and third in defensive rating.
And the team will need to meet and even improve upon those impressive defensive numbers against a Perth squad that currently leads the league in scoring, offensive rating, three-pointers made, three-pointers attempted and three-point percentage.
Sydney was able to hold the Wildcats to 81 points in their first meeting this season, a 96-81 win highlighted by the purple and gold turning back every Perth charge, especially in the fourth quarter. There’s little doubt that the ’Cats will be hungry for redemption this Saturday night and maybe a little desperate given their last start defeat at the hands of Melbourne United at John Cain Arena.
And of course, Sydney will need to be focused on limiting the impact – as much as possible – of Wildcat superstar Bryce Cotton (23.6ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.4apg, 1.8spg), who had 31 points against United last week but was held to just 20 points in Perth’s Round 9 clash with the Kings. Cotton was overshadowed by Jaylen Adams in that game and will be highly motivated to get one back on a guy who will challenge him for league MVP this season.
Wildcat forward Vic Law (20.1ppg, 7.6rpg, 1.1bpg) is also a serious threat with his ability to score both inside and out, while Todd Blanchfield, third import Michael Frazier and young gun Luke Travers can all put points on the board in a hurry; Mitch Norton is one of the NBL’s top defensive guards and NBL 400-gamer Jesse Wagstaff always brings the smarts and veteran experience.
Saturday night represents an enormous challenge for the purple and gold.
Can they keep the momentum going?
Let’s start our own winning streak against these Wildcats.
WHO
Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings vs. Perth Wildcats
WHEN
Saturday 19 February, 8:00pm tipoff AEST
LOCATION
Qudos Bank Arena
TICKETS
Sunday’s game available via Ticketek or the Qudos Bank Arena Box Office
TV
ESPN, Kayo Sports
RADIO
THE PLAYERS
Kings
Jaylen Adams (import); Dejan Vasiljevic; Wani Swaka Lo Buluk; Xavier Cooks; Jarell Martin (import)
Ian Clark (import); Angus Glover; Shaun Bruce; Biwali Bayles; Tom Vodanovich; Jaylin Galloway (development player); Jayden Hodgson (development player); Ignatius Mitchell (development player)
Wildcats
Bryce Cotton (import); Mitch Norton; Michael Frazier (import); Vic Law (import); Matthew Hodgson
Todd Blanchfield; Luke Travers; Jesse Wagstaff; Majok Majok; Kevin White; Jack Purchase; Oliver Hayes-Brown (development player)
THE COACHES
Kings
Chase Buford (NBL rookie head coach, record 8-7)
Wildcats
Scott Morrison (NBL rookie head coach, record 8-4)
2021/2022 REGULAR SEASON SERIES
Kings lead 1-0
Kings 96 def. Wildcats 81 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 9
NBL LADDER
Kings 8-7, fifth
Wildcats 8-4, second
LAST GAME
Kings def. Brisbane Bullets 71-69 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 11
Wildcats lost to Melbourne United 93-87 @ John Cain Arena, Melbourne, Round 11
KEY STATS
Kings
Points: Jaylen Adams, 18.9ppg
Rebounds: Xavier Cooks, 9.5rpg
Assists: Jaylen Adams, 5.7apg
Wildcats
Points: Bryce Cotton, 23.6ppg
Rebounds: Vic Law, 7.6rpg
Assists: Bryce Cotton, 4.4apg
KEY MATCHUP
Jaylen Adams vs. Bryce Cotton
Just as it was in the first meeting between these two this season and as you suspect it will always be in NBL22 whenever the Kings and the Wildcats square off – this duel of superstar point guards and MVP candidates is going to go a long way to determining which team comes out on top. Cotton needs no introduction other than to say he’s been the best player in this league for a number of years and is a devastating offensive weapon who can’t be stopped one on one; but a collective effort, based on physicality, good defensive communication and quick switching can frustrate him, just as it did in Round Nine. Adams for his part had a tough night shooting the ball against the Bullets last Sunday but showed just how valuable he is to his team with two incredible plays that won the game – first the angry hammer dunk followed by the heads-up play to find Jarell Martin for the go-ahead score. He’s a great competitor who thrives in crunch time.
THE QUESTIONS
Can the Kings slow down Bryce Cotton once again?
Will Xavier Cooks do a number on Vic Law?
HISTORY
All-time Head-to-Head
103 games played; Wildcats lead 63-40
In Sydney
52 games played; series tied 26-26
At Qudos Bank Arena
17 games played; Wildcats lead 9-8
DID YOU KNOW?
Before the Kings’ victory over the Wildcats in Round 9 this season, Sydney had lost 12 of their previous 14 games to Perth, including five straight at Qudos Bank Arena. A win over the ’Cats this Saturday will give the purple and gold back-to-back victories over the Wildcats for the first time since they won four straight games between January 2018 and December 2018; that four-game run equalling their second longest winning streak ever against the Wildcats.
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