ROUND 9 PREVIEW – KINGS VS TAIPANS & BREAKERS

You want to be banking as many early wins as possible.

That’s been the mantra of Sydney Kings Head Coach Brian Goorjian this season.

And it’s especially true when you’ve had the kind of schedule the Kings have had, with a ton of home games to begin their championship defence.

They had a couple of early hiccups and dropped a couple of games that maybe they shouldn’t have, but that’s life in the National Basketball League.

You can’t take anything for granted.

So, a home record of 5-2 is more than decent at this stage, capped by their outstanding win last Sunday over the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

What you also want is to get wins on the road. The more the better, especially early in the piece. They almost count double.

So, tick that box as well – Sydney has won three of their past four away from the friendly confines of Afterpay Arena.

And that all leads into the potential of establishing an extended winning streak.

The Kings have won three straight games and can make that five in a row with wins in this week’s road/home double, starting against the Taipans in Cairns on Friday night followed by a quick turnaround back in Sydney to take on the New Zealand Breakers on Sunday afternoon.

Sydney has already played both teams once – with mixed results.

Round one saw the purple and gold dispatch the Taipans in Sydney; in Round 5, the Kings went down in a thriller to the Breakers in Canberra.

And while the opening round victory over Cairns was, on the surface, comfortable, this Taipans unit is not to be underestimated.

Cairns have already taken some serious scalps this season – the likes of Tasmania, Melbourne and Brisbane most notably – and they are coming off an impressive last-start victory in Perth over the Wildcats in a game that showcased their impressive firepower, led by Australian Boomer Jack McVeigh (19.4ppg, 2.8rpg, 4.1apg, 1.5spg, 47.7% FG, 38.3% 3PT FG, 93.8% FT), who had 36 points at RAC Arena and is someone the Kings must control.

In the frontcourt, ex-King Jonah Bolden (8.9ppg, 8.2rpg, 1.2spg, 1.3bpg) has put his hand up for Most Improved honours this season and is a tough matchup thanks to his size, mobility,and ability to stretch the floor. Keanu Pinder (14.7ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.2apg, 1.3spg) is athletic, aggressive and loves to go hard to the rack.

The Cairns guard corps is led by Jaylon Brown (13.6ppg, 2.2rpg, 4.7apg), a quality floor general who can stick the outside shot if not paid the appropriate respect, and there’s a load of talent and experience in the form of Malique Lewis, Reyne Smith and another old friend in Shaun Bruce.

Where the Kings really must focus on Friday is running the Taipans off the three-point line. Cairns attempt the most three-point shots in the league and are converting at the fourth best rate in the competition. And at home, with friendly rims and the Orange Army in their corner, the Snakes will run that little bit harder and put serious pressure on a Sydney defence that is one of the best in the NBL.

Once that game is done, there’s very little recovery time – less than 48 hours in fact – as the Kings face a New Zealand unit on Sunday that has suffered an enormous blow, with the news this week that import point guard Parker Jackson Cartwright is lost for the rest of the season thanks to a leg injury.

PJC has been the heart and soul of the Breakers for years and will be difficult to replace. However, he wasn’t there when the Kings dropped that shocker to New Zealand in Canberra, so taking the visitors for granted would be a giant mistake.

The Breakers’ prime mover is forward Sam Mennenga (23.3ppg, 8.9rpg, 3.0apg, 57.4% FG, 44.9% 3PT FG, 61.8% FT), who is putting up mind-blowing numbers in recent times and doing everything at a highly efficient rate. A powerhouse in the paint with the ability to stretch the floor out to the perimeter; Mennenga dominated in Canberra and the Kings must find a way to slow him down.

Carlin Davison (9.5ppg, 4.3rpg, 6.6apg, 1.4spg) will assume point guard duties for New Zealand and he was brilliant against the Kings in the nation’s capital. He’s an explosive athlete who has shown the ability to facilitate at a high level and Sydney will need to get him under control.

There’s no doubt that ex-Kings Dejan Vasiljevic and Kouat Noi will be highly motivated to play well in front of their old home crowd and they can fill it up in a hurry, while import big man Charles Bediako is a menace in the paint and Mojave King is a terrific athlete who is devastating in transition.

Make no mistake, the Kings will have their work cut out for them this week. But after a terrific three-game stretch in which they were able to win in a variety of ways, the team will rightly feel confident of getting the job done no matter the circumstances.

From the superb floor leadership of Kendric Davis (22.2ppg, 4.0rpg, 8.3apg, 1.5spg) to a two-way master in Torrey Craig (18.5ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.0bpg) and the do-everything ability of team captain Xavier Cooks (12.8ppg, 6.9rpg, 3.1apg, 1.3bpg), Sydney boasts arguably the best trio in the league.

Will Johnston, Jayden Stone, Andrew Carr and Harry Wessels provide the youthful energy. Makuach Malauch will be his usual hyper-efficient self, Matthew Dellavedova can always be relied upon for his vast experience and veteran nous and Tyler Robertson and Jason Spurgin have been giving the squad productive minutes.

And of course, it helps when you’ve got the greatest head coach in Australian basketball history leading the way alongside a hugely talented and capable coaching staff.

This is a key stretch in the season.

Two games against hungry opposition.

It’s an opportunity to bust out of the pack.

Let’s go, Sydney.

WHO

Sydney Kings vs. Cairns Taipans

WHEN

Friday 13 November, 7:30pm AEST tipoff

LOCATION

Cairns Convention Centre

TV

ESPN/Disney+

THE PLAYERS

KINGS

Projected Starters: Kendric Davis, Makuach Maluach, Torrey Craig, Xavier Cooks, Harry Wessels

Bench: Andrew Carr, Matthew Dellavedova, Tyler Robertson, Jason Spurgin, Jayden Stone, Will Johnston

TAIPANS

Projected Starters: Jaylon Brown; Reyne Smith; Malique Lewis; Jack McVeigh; Keanu Pinder

Bench: Kyrin Galloway, Sunday Dech, Luke Paul, Jonah Bolden, Walter Brown, Shaun Bruce, Brody Nunn, Luca Yates

THE COACHES

KINGS

Brian Goorjian (9^th season with Kings, record with Kings 218-89, NBL career record 605-278, 7 NBL championships)

TAIPANS

Adam Forde (5^th season with Cairns, record with Cairns 65-92, NBL career record 84-116)

NBL27 REGULAR SEASON SERIES

Kings lead 1-0

NBL27 STANDINGS

Kings 8-3, first

Taipans 7-6, fourth

KEY MATCHUP

Kendric Davis vs Jaylon Brown

At times, Brown has been a little inconsistent for the Taipans, but when he’s in his groove, as he was last Sunday in his team’s win over the Wildcats in Perth when he produced 22 points and five assists and controlled the action beautifully, he can be tough to deal with. On the other hand, KD is playing the game at the point guard position about as well as you can right now. He’s dished off for nine assists in each of his last three games, and in the third quarter against the Phoenix last Sunday he completely took over the ballgame, slicing the opposition to pieces. These two will have the ball in their hands a great deal, and whoever is able to dictate terms will lead his team to the W.

HISTORY

All-time Head-to-Head

88 games played; Kings lead 65-23

In Cairns

42 games played; Kings lead 28-14

At Cairns Convention Centre

40 games played; Kings lead 27-13

DID YOU KNOW?

The Kings have beaten Cairns three straight times and have been victorious in eight of their last nine games against the Taipans. The team has also won three in a row at the Cairns Convention Centre. And over the years, Sydney has had enormous success over Cairns – between 1999 and 2006, the Kings defeated the Taipans an astounding 17 consecutive times. That’s the longest winning streak against a single opponent in franchise history.

WHO

Sydney Kings vs. New Zealand Breakers

WHEN

Sunday 15 November, 3:00pm AEST tipoff

LOCATION

Afterpay Arena, doors open 1:30pm

THEME

NBL Indigenous Round

TICKETS

On sale via Ticketek

THE PLAYERS

KINGS

Projected Starters: Kendric Davis, Makuach Maluach, Torrey Craig, Xavier Cooks, Harry Wessels

Bench: Andrew Carr, Matthew Dellavedova, Tyler Robertson, Jason Spurgin, Jayden Stone, Will Johnston

BREAKERS

Projected Starters: Nelson Weidemann. Dejan Vasiljevic, Mojave King, Sam Mennenga, Charles Bediako

Bench: Carlin Davison, Reuben Te Rangi, Izayah Le'Afa, Kouat Noi, Anzac Rissetto, Tukaha Cooper, Kael Robinson

THE COACHES

KINGS

Brian Goorjian (9^th season with Kings, record with Kings 218-89, NBL career record 605-278, 7 NBL championships)

BREAKERS

Gordon Herbert (1^st season with Breakers, NBL record 4-6)

NBL27 REGULAR SEASON SERIES

Breakers lead 1-0

CURRENT STANDINGS

Kings 8-3, first

Breakers 4-8, ninth

KEY MATCHUP

Torrey Craig vs Mojave King

Not necessarily the highest profile individual matchup out there, but an intriguing one,nonetheless. King is a former NBA draft pick who has bounced around the league for years without really catching on, but he’s an elite athlete who gets up and down the floor extremely well, can shoot it and plays solid D. TC on the other hand has had extensive NBA experience and there are times he looks like he’s a couple of levels above anyone else on the floor. A smooth scorer with great range, he’s also Sydney’s key perimeter defender tasked with neutralising the opposition’s best player. He’ll be focused on locking up King, given the danger he represents.

THE QUESTIONS

Can the Kings do anything with Sam Mennenga?

Will Kendric Davis do serious damage?

HISTORY

All-time Head-to-Head

81 games played; Kings lead 44-37

In Sydney

40 games played; Kings lead 24-16

At Afterpay Arena

20 games played; Kings lead 14-6

DID YOU KNOW?

The Kings’ win over the Phoenix and the Sydney Flames victory over Southside Melbourne in last Sunday’s Hoops Capital double header meant that both Sydney teams jumped to the top of the standings in their respective leagues at the same time. The last time that happened was all the way back on 29 June 1996. At the time, the Flames were riding an 11-game winning streak to sit atop the WNBL ladder with an 11-1 record; the Kings were on a 9-game winning streak and led the NBL with an 11-3 record. Hopefully, it’s an omen for at least one of the teams – in 1996 the Flames went on to finish an astounding 17-1 in the regular season and won their second WNBL championship.

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