Round 3 Preview: Kings vs Adelaide

Beaten but unbowed.

That will be the mindset of the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings this weekend as they close a tough road double with a game against the surging Adelaide 36ers this Saturday night at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

The team fell to the Bullets in Brisbane on Australia Day, but it was a meritorious performance in a game that went right down to the wire against a desperate opponent.

And while they were beaten, beaten up might also be appropriate to describe the state of the roster right now.

Already missing Daniel Kickert and Angus Glover, and not expecting Xavier Cooks back any time soon, the purple and gold suffered another hit during the game in Brisbane when Didi Louzada, who himself had just returned from injury, suffered damage to his ankle in the third quarter and took no further part.

When Didi went down in obvious pain, the look on Head Coach Adam Forde’s face told the story. How much more bad injury luck does his ravaged squad have to endure?

The status of Sydney’s Next Star for Saturday’s game is still to be determined and the Kings’ high-performance team will no doubt be working around the clock in an attempt to get him out on the floor.

If Louzada can’t go against the 36ers, the challenge of getting a W is that much greater given Adelaide’s improvement over the last couple of games.

The 36ers have knocked over championship contenders New Zealand in consecutive matchups, with their last-start 88-78 win maybe their best of this young season.

After a slow start to their campaign, Adelaide has found their feet under new head coach Conner Henry and the team is playing with confidence and force right now, led by a former Sydney King in centre Isaac Humphries, who leads the league in blocked shots and has been a huge presence in the middle.

Isaac’s partnership with offensive savant Daniel Johnson, a combo initially questioned by some given its potential defensive issues, has instead thrived and Sydney’s frontline is going to have to be on its game to deal with Humphries and Johnson effectively.

Then there’s Adelaide’s own Next Star, the impressive Josh Giddey, who had a near triple double in his team’s win over the Breakers on Wednesday and has already become a darling of the 36er fan base. At 6’8” he sees the floor exceptionally well and makes plays all over the court, so restricting his output will be a key.

As will dealing with Adelaide imports Donald Sloan and Tony Crocker, both of whom copped some criticism early in the season but of late have stepped up, particularly Crocker, whose defence on the wing has been solid coupled with an ability to knock down the outside shot.

There’s no doubt defence must be a focus for the Kings this Saturday night, and it’s something that Coach Forde admitted wasn’t good enough in his team’s loss to the Bullets. So, you can expect a much better effort from the purple and gold in this battle.

On the other side of the ball, there’s some positive news. Import Jarell Martin has been exactly as advertised – a big, strong offensive force with great footwork and touch around the basket and stretch the floor perimeter shooting. Jarell will ask a lot of questions of the Adelaide D.

Shooting guard Dejan Vasiljevic has already demonstrated his scoring chops and he’s a guy you must talk about as a Rookie of the Year contender.

And then there’s South Australia’s own Brad Newley, who has been coming off the bench in the team’s opening three games and already has to be an early favourite for Sixth Man of the Year honours given his stellar play for the Kings. ‘El Toro’ loves playing in Adelaide in front of friends and family and you know he’s going to be highly motivated for this one.

However, there’s no question the Sydney Kings are up against it this Saturday night. It’s tough being on the road for so long away from those closest to you and away from what’s most comfortable for you at home, and the seemingly constant stream of injuries is a further obstacle.

But even in just a few weeks, this team has shown they are all about character and heart, and they are ready to rise to the challenge once again.

It’s all about pride right now.

Rise With Us Sydney.

WHO

Sydney Kings vs. Adelaide 36ers

WHEN

Saturday 30 January, 8:00pm tipoff AEDT

LOCATION

Adelaide Entertainment Centre

TV/RADIO

ESPN; SBS On Demand; Cluch Radio, SWR99.9FM Radio

THE PLAYERS

KINGS

Casper Ware (import); Shaun Bruce; Dejan Vasiljevic; Craig Moller; Jarell Martin (import)

Brad Newley; Jordan Hunter; Tom Vodanovich; Didi Louzada (Next Star – injury status pending); Daniel Kickert (injury status pending), Jaylin Galloway (development player); Archie Woodhill (development player)

36ERS

Josh Giddey (Next Star); Sunday Dech; Tony Crocker (import); Daniel Johnson; Isaac Humphries

Donald Sloan (import); Jack McVeigh; Keanu Pinder; Brendan Teys; Alex Mudronja; Owen Hulland (development player)

THE COACHES

KINGS

Adam Forde, NBL rookie head coach, NBL record 1-2

36ERS

Conner Henry (1^st season with Brisbane, NBL career record 20-16, record with Adelaide 3-2)

2020/2021 REGULAR SEASON SERIES

First Meeting

NBL LADDER

Kings 1-2, fifth

36ers 3-2, fourth

KEY STATS

KINGS

Points: Jarell Martin, 19.7ppg

Rebounds: Jarell Martin, 9.7rpg

Assists: Shaun Bruce, 3.7apg

36ERS

Points: Daniel Johnson, 22.8ppg

Rebounds: Josh Giddey, 8.0rpg

Assists: Josh Giddey, 5.5apg

KEY MATCHUP

Casper Ware vs. Josh Giddey

When the Kings play man defence, it will be interesting to see which way they go with the individual matchups initially, but you have to think that despite giving up several inches, Casper Ware will get first crack at the 36ers’ tyro guard Josh Giddey. A ferocious competitor, Ware will be up in Giddey’s grill from baseline to baseline, trying to put as much pressure on as he can. Even at just 18 years of age, Giddey is already a superb facilitator and playmaker, and Ware’s assignment will be to take him out of his comfort zone wherever possible. On the flipside, Casper must remain aggressive offensively, continue to look for his shot, and use his speed to get past Giddey and force his way into the second level of the Adelaide D.

THE QUESTIONS

Will Dejan Vasiljevic continue his torrid shooting form?

How will the Kings defend Adelaide’s Twin Towers?

HISTORY

All-time Head-to-Head

93 games played; 36ers lead 53-40

In Adelaide

48 games played; 36ers lead 32-16

At Adelaide Entertainment Centre

1 game played; Kings lead 1-0

DID YOU KNOW?

The Kings have won their past three games against Adelaide and four of their last five overall against the 36ers. In NBL20, Sydney swept Adelaide 3-0 in their regular season series, including a 98-96 overtime thriller at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The Kings won the other two games at Qudos Bank Arena by double figures, with Brad Newley leading the scoring in both contests.