Sydney cooks up new plan with star DJ Hogg

New Sydney signing DJ Hogg has been presented with one of the most difficult jobs in NBL24 - replacing Xavier Cooks.

Off the back of a debut campaign with the Taipans in which he was named to the All-NBL Second Team, Hogg has traded the orange of Cairns for the purple of Sydney for NBL24 and looks set to become a key cog in the side’s hunt for a third successive title.

The pair of stars have similar basic statistics from the NBL23 regular season.

That being said, Hogg was a more prolific scorer and defender, but Cooks pulled in more rebounds and shot more efficiently from the field than the Ohio-born forward.

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Two-time NBL champion and former Sydney assistant coach Lanard Copeland believes despite the difference in how the two look to score on the offensive end, Hogg is a great replacement for the reigning league MVP.

“He’s certainly not Xavier Cooks, but what Hogg does is he shoots the ball extremely well,” Copeland told NBL Media at the launch of the NBL’s partnership with Mitsubishi.

“You have to guard him past the three-point line, while Cooks is more about getting the ball to the hole.

“DJ is one of those guys who did it all last season. He rebounded the ball well, he shot the ball well and he was a team player.

“Whenever Cairns needed a basket they’d go to him, or if someone made a big rebound that no on else would get it was him.

“He’s one of those guys you want to play with. You can bring him over and you know he’ll do whatever needs to be done.”

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Hogg’s exit from the Taipans is just the latest move in what’s been an exodus of big-name talent from the side.

Along with Hogg’s departure to the Kings, back-to-back Most Improved Player Keanu Pinder has joined the Perth Wildcats, while veteran import guard Shannon Scott has headed south to the Brisbane Bullets.

Copeland says despite how good Cairns was in NBL23, the Kings can provide a stronger platform on which Hogg can showcase his talents.

“Cairns is a beautiful place to play, but the market is just not as big as Sydney,” he said.

“DJ was in that MVP conversation last year, and he brings different attributes to the Sydney Kings.

“Because they’ve won two championships, all eyes are going to be on Sydney, because teams will have to go through Sydney if they want to win this championship.

“Everyone is coming after Sydney, but since they’ve lost their coach, three quality imports, and Cooks – who I love – you have to rebuild.

"DJ is the perfect guy to bring in for that, but they have to bring some help around him.”

In his two seasons as head coach of the Kings, Chase Buford quickly established a format for how he wanted to build the roster.

Stack the bench with high-level local talent, and bring three imports – a traditional point guard, an off-guard/wing and a centre – into the starting five to allow Cooks to be his best self.

The departure of Buford and Cooks has seen the Kings go back to the drawing board, and the recruitment of Hogg – a combo forward – makes it seem likely the club will depart from their tried and tested method.

Copeland believes – aside from a new head coach – the recruiting priority will remain the same for the side.

“They have to get a point guard,” he said.

“You start with a point guard who does it all. Their last two point guards (Jaylen Adams and Derrick Walton Jr) have not just fit the team, they’ve also been magnificent.

“That all depends on the coach though. Whoever their new coach is will decide on what he wants, but you have to start with a leader who can distribute and get the ball to DJ where he needs it.”

The Kings will open their NBL24 campaign against the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday, September 30.