Veteran presence, immediate impact: Craig fuels Kings

Torrey Craig may have only been in the purple and gold uniform for a short time but the former NBA star is already making an enormous impact on the Sydney Kings.

Signed in January as an injury replacement import for international Bul Kuol (ACL), Craig has wasted little time in returning to the NBL after playing 88 games at Cairns and Brisbane previously.

A winner of the NBL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017, and an All-NBL Second Team recipient in 2016-17, Craig has become a key forward for the Kings on and off the court.

Kings Head Coach Brian Goorjian paid tribute to Craig after helping guards Matthew Dellavedova and Makuach Maluach in shutting down Adelaide superstar Bryce Cotton in the game one Championship Series win.



“At this time of the year, to get a player of his calibre (is huge),’’ Goorjian said.

“It fits what we need, that defensive aspect, and the length and the athleticism.

“There are other aspects to his game but that piece is really, really important.

“It’s like a baseball pitcher and you’ve got different pitchers. We’ve got different guys that have different strengths, so the addition of him really helps in the challenge of guarding Bryce.”

As for Craig himself, he is just loving every moment as a Kings player. The 35-year-old has also been more than happy in sharing his experiences from his 538 appearances in the NBA with some of the young Kings guards.

“This is a special group. When I got here, it was just easy to fit in. I tried to take guys like Jaylin Galloway and Makuach Maluach under my wing and give them confidence,’’ Craig said.

“We shoot every day after practice, and I make sure I talk a little bit of trash to them to keep them competitive. And they like it and they respond well to it.

“I’m just trying to give them as much knowledge as I can about what I’ve learnt and how it can help them grow into the players that are becoming.

“It’s not just me. It’s ‘Delly’, it’s ‘X’ it’s ‘KD’. As soon as I got here, ‘KD’ was the first guy that came to me and said let’s get some food, man.

“We all have this camaraderie. It’s a special group, a special connection. I’m not surprised that we came out in game one and played like that.”

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