Walton Jr lauded as Kings' 'steadying force'

Sydney Kings coach Chase Buford has lauded point guard Derrick Walton Jr as the “steadying force” of his high-flying side.

An ankle injury suffered in Sydney's round 13 clash against Tasmania saw him miss his team's first game of Round 14, but he returned to play a large role in Saturday night's 21-point win over Perth.

He scored 16 points against the Wildcats, but he also orchestrated a slick offence that dropped 108 points.

“Highly efficient in his numbers,” Buford said of his point guard.

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“Especially in the second half there were a few moments where we were struggling to score, we gave them a little run and Derrick would just make a play and get somebody to layup or get himself to the foul line.

“He’s a steadying force for us in moments where we need somebody to grab the game by the horns. He’s able to do that.

“He’s so crafty and smart with the basketball and usually gets it to the right place.”

The Kings have now won four straight games and sit pretty on the top of the ladder with a 15-5 record on the season.

Each of those four straight victories has come with double-digit margins, and they're averaging over 100 points per game across their last five contests.

“We started the season pretty well and we just had a lull around the FIBA break, it just took some time to figure things out and I did us a disservice trying to throw too much offence at us too early,” Buford said.

“Now we’ve found more of a groove and what works for us, and everybody is a little bit more on the same page,” Buford said.

Kings' Angus Glover echoed with his coach, emphasising how fun it is to play in the team-first system.

“Everyone’s just so unselfish on this team, no one cares who scores," Glover said.

"Everyone is so invested in each other, and everyone enjoys playing with each other.

"Everyone enjoys everyone’s success. It’s a really fun group to play with."

The Kings are on the road to play the Brisbane Bullets on Wednesday night at 7:30pm AEDT, with the match being broadcast on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel.