Round 20 Preview: Kings vs Wildcats and United

By Matt McQuade

 

Four games.

That’s all that is left in the NBL21 regular season for the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings.

Four games that will decide this team’s fate in a season full of challenges and adversity.

Win three or more of their remaining games – the Kings will in all likelihood make the NBL Finals. Lose two or more – their playoff aspirations will be quashed.

It’s a difficult proposition to say the least. And after splitting a pair of Round 19 road games in New Zealand, this week the team faces their biggest challenge to date in their quest to reach the NBL postseason for the 16^th time in the 32 seasons of the franchise.

On Thursday night in Perth, the Kings face a Wildcats team that will be without superstar guard Bryce Cotton, yet is always a tough out at RAC Arena. And then, just 48 hours later, Sydney has to turn up at Qudos Bank Arena against a Melbourne United squad in ominous form as they attempt to lock down top spot on the ladder at the end of the minor rounds and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

“It’s almost like a boss level,” said Brydens Lawyers Head Coach Adam Forde.

“We came to New Zealand and these guys are tough. I can’t emphasise it enough – they are a Top Four team if they were given a proper home and away schedule. We split here so that’s almost like the first level of it.”

“Then we’ve got Perth in Perth and we host Melbourne 48 hours later – that’s the next level against two teams that are guaranteed top spot.”

“Then our last round is against Brisbane and Illawarra who are in the same position that we are.”

“The best thing about it is that it’s on us. We can’t blame anyone else if we make Top Four or if we don’t; if we win or lose, it’s solely on us. The great thing is we’re playing teams that we need to beat if we’re trying to make Top Four.”

Getting at minimum a split of their Round 20 games would be a great start to achieving the end goal, and facing a Cotton-less Perth gives the Kings an excellent opportunity to begin their arduous week on the right side of the ledger.

The Wildcats can’t drop lower than second place at the end of the regular season but first for them is highly unlikely now, meaning that Perth coach Trevor Gleeson is likely to experiment with his line-up to an extent and look to give his other stars more rest over their remaining schedule.

That all said, taking anything for granted is fools’ gold against a team that has won five straight games against Sydney, is a perfect 4-0 this season versus the Kings and plays in the most formidable homecourt environment in the NBL.

For starters, the Wildcat frontline is stacked, boasting an MVP candidate in import forward John Mooney, one of the league’s great veterans in Jesse Wagstaff, a potential star in Luke Travers and recent acquisition Will Magnay, fresh off a stint with the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA.

Then you’ve got a wing in Todd Blanchfield who is having a terrific campaign; Clint Steindl can light it up from the perimeter at any given time and even without Cotton in the backcourt you’ve still got a defensive juggernaut in Mitch Norton and a quality role player in veteran Kevin White.

Once Sydney deals with a talented Perth squad and the rabid Wildcat fan base at RAC Arena, they then head home to take on a Melbourne United ballclub that has won four of their past five games and had a pair of double-figure victories in Round 19.

Currently sitting in first place on the NBL ladder with an imposing 25-7 record, United is the outright favourite for the championship this season and has beaten the Kings in two of three games in NBL21, including a 103-78 beatdown in their previous matchup.

Even without injured swingman Jack White, whose season ended prematurely in Round 12 thanks to a snapped Achilles tendon, Melbourne boasts far and away the deepest roster in the league and is led by a pair of superstars at their position, centre Jock Landale and shooting guard Chris Goulding.

The backcourt is directed by the versatile Mitch McCarron; Scotty Hopson is an explosive import who comes off the bench; Yudai Baba provides great activity defensively and Jo Lual-Acuil gives United a two-headed monster in the low block.

Melbourne comes at you in waves and is the best defensive team in the league to boot, so getting a win against them, even at home, is as tough a challenge as there is right now in the National Basketball League.

But as Coach Forde says, for these two games this week it’s all up to the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings. Win one or both, and they hold their fate in their own hands.

It’s going to require a superior effort from everyone on the roster to get it done – starting with imports Jarell Martin and Casper Ware, the ever-improving Xavier Cooks, the relentless Shaun Bruce, standout big man Jordan Hunter and do-everything role player Craig Moller.

In both games, it has to be a committed, intense, 40-minute effort with as few lapses as possible against the two best teams in the competition.

Is it difficult? Sure. But not impossible.

The challenge is there. Pride is on the line. The playoffs are still in reach.

Rise With Us Sydney.

 

WHO

Sydney Kings vs. Perth Wildcats

Sydney Kings vs. Melbourne United

WHEN

Thursday 27 May, 9:30pm AEST tipoff (vs. Wildcats)

Saturday 29 May, 8:00pm AEST tipoff (vs. United)

LOCATION

Thursday: RAC Arena (vs. Wildcats)

Saturday: Qudos Bank Arena (vs. United)

TICKETS

Saturday vs. United 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; Xavier Cooks; Jarell Martin (import); Jordan Hunter

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

Wildcats

Mitch Norton; Luke Travers (development player); Todd Blanchfield; Will Magnay; John Mooney (import)

Jesse Wagstaff; Clint Steindl; Kevin White; Tom Jervis; Jarred Bairstow; Wani Swaka Lo Buluk

United

Mitch McCarron; Chris Goulding; Sam McDaniel; Mason Peatling (development player); Jock Landale

Scotty Hopson (import); Jo Lual-Acuil; Yudai Baba; Shea Ili; David Barlow; David Andersen

THE COACHES

Kings

Adam Forde (NBL rookie head coach, NBL career record 16-16)

Wildcats

Trevor Gleeson (8^th season with Wildcats, record with Wildcats 168-92, NBL career record 271-180, five NBL championships)

United

Dean Vickerman (4^th season with United, record with United 87-45, NBL career record 138-85, two NBL championships)

2020/2021 REGULAR SEASON SERIES

Vs. Wildcats

Wildcats lead 4-0

Wildcats def. Kings 113-106 @ John Cain Arena, Melbourne, Round 6 (NBL Cup)

Wildcats def. Kings 89-65 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 11

Wildcats def. Kings 95-89 @ RAC Arena, Perth, Round 12

Wildcats def. Kings 73-69 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 13

Vs. United

United leads 2-1

United def. Kings 83-80 @ John Cain Arena, Melbourne, Round 7 (NBL Cup)

Kings def. United 103-75 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 10

United def. Kings 103-78 @ John Cain Arena, Melbourne, Round 16

NBL LADDER

Kings 16-16, fifth

Wildcats 24-9, second

United 25-7, first

KEY STATS

Kings

Points: Casper Ware, 18.6ppg

Rebounds: Jarell Martin, 6.9rpg

Assists: Casper Ware, 4.4apg

Wildcats

Points: Bryce Cotton, 23.5ppg

Rebounds: John Mooney, 11.5rpg

Assists: Bryce Cotton, 5.7apg

United

Points: Jock Landale, 16.4ppg

Rebounds: Jock Landale, 7.9rpg

Assists: Mitch McCarron, 4.9apg

KEY MATCHUP

Vs. Wildcats

Jarell Martin vs. John Mooney

Jarell was brilliant offensively for the Kings in last week’s second game against the Breakers in New Zealand, going for a personal season-high 29 points on 12 of 21 shooting from the field. He also grabbed nine rebounds in Sydney’s must-have victory, and these are all numbers he’ll need to replicate at the very least if the Kings are to escape RAC Arena with a W on Thursday. Mooney on the other hand has been a walking double-double for Perth and will be counted on heavily by the home team given Cotton’s absence. He’s got size, strength and athleticism and Martin will need to be prepared for a battle in the trenches against the Perth standout.

Vs. United

Casper Ware vs. Mitch McCarron

The thing about Ware that is so impressive is that he may have games where he doesn’t shoot the ball very well, but he is always going to contribute in other ways, whether by facilitating the offence and getting his teammates open looks or playing his trademark relentless defence from baseline to baseline, as he did in the final minute of his team’s win last week against New Zealand. He’s as formidable competitor as there is in the NBL and he’ll be jacked up to prove a point against his old club. Like Casper, McCarron is a guy who does a little bit of everything for Melbourne, and he’s turned into a reliable floor leader this season. He’s also a stellar defender who will spend a lot of time guarding Ware, and if Sydney’s dynamic guard can get the best of that matchup, the Kings will be in excellent shape.

THE QUESTIONS

Can the Kings knock over the Wildcats in Perth?

Will Sydney shock Melbourne again at Qudos Bank Arena?

HISTORY

Vs. Wildcats

All-time Head-to-Head

101 games played; Wildcats lead 62-39

In Perth

46 games played; Wildcats lead 34-12

At RAC Arena

18 games played; Wildcats lead 15-3

Vs. United

All-time Head-to-Head

32 games played; United leads 23-9

In Sydney

16 games played; United leads 10-6

At Qudos Bank Arena

12 games played; tied 6-6

DID YOU KNOW?

When Melbourne United came into being as an NBL franchise prior to the 2014/2015 NBL season, they went on to dominate the Kings in Sydney, winning their first nine games against the purple and gold in their opening five seasons, six of those victories by double-figure margins. But of late, the Kings have turned the tide in the Harbour City. Sydney is currently riding a five-game winning streak against United in games played at Qudos Bank Arena, and in the most recent meeting at the Kings’ home stadium, Sydney recorded their biggest-ever win over Melbourne, a 103-75 blowout that was also not only the Kings’ biggest win to date in NBL21, it was their biggest margin of victory in any game since they beat Perth 84-56 at home in Round 15 of the 2017/2018 season.