Australian Big Man Embraces NBA Move

By Dan Woods - NBL Media

After an off-season filled with uncertainty, Australian Jock Landale is now settled and raring to go with a Phoenix side that’s ready to once again contend for the biggest prize in basketball.

A brilliant 2020-2021 season with Melbourne United in which Landale won an NBL championship and Grand Final MVP saw the versatile big earn his chance in the NBA. After a solid season in San Antonio which garnered 54 NBA appearances, the Boomer is on the move.

First came a move to Atlanta where he was part of the blockbuster trade alongside Dejounte Murray, before he was then moved onto Phoenix in the blink of an eye.

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Landale says he’s happy to be settled after a hectic few weeks.

"I wasn't too concerned with the trade period at all but around 48 hours before it started, I was wondering what was going to happen," he told ESPN.

"At that point you start seeing trades and I realised it wasn't looking great and I started to worry where I would be next year, it's brutal. If it was just me, I'd be fine wherever I ended up, but now I have a family, India my fiancée, our dog, we have to ship their lives around the world and that's where my mind went.

"We are so thankful it's Phoenix. This city is amazing, I'm loving being here. The love and welcome has been sensational but I was pretty rattled, the time was full on and I definitely felt the pressure of the move and having a job that I was going to be comfortable with. When the Dejounte trade happened, it opened my eyes. When there's an all-star in a deal, everyone is up for grabs and you have no control over it."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pretty damn good feeling! Champs! ? <a href="https://t.co/a2tG1KOS1y">pic.twitter.com/a2tG1KOS1y</a></p>&mdash; Jock Landale (@JockLandale) <a href="https://twitter.com/JockLandale/status/1408588268803817472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After spending a season with a San Antonio side in a transitional phase following its amazing level of sustained success over the last two decades, Landale has landed with a side that will once again contend for the championship. The will Suns look to go one step further than their 2021 finals defeat to Milwaukee.

He’ll be contending for minutes with the likes of former number one draft pick Deandre Ayton and veteran bigs Bismack Biyombo and Jae Crowder, but Landale says he’s in a good space to make an impact on his new side.

"My passion has been reignited to the Jock of old when I was first figuring out there was a chance of making it. Since coming to the Phoenix, the passion is at that level,” he said.

"I'm back to lean Jock, I got a little heavy at San Antonio which was a learning process. With multiple setbacks through the season with concussion and COVID, I got heavier than my desired playing weight, so I've gotten lean. I feel athletic and explosive.

"The big thing is that I've got three months in the bank before the season so I'm going to get stronger and continue to find ways that I can help this team win."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/CF8pf4Rlnv">https://t.co/CF8pf4Rlnv</a> <a href="https://t.co/xlF6Cl7u6X">pic.twitter.com/xlF6Cl7u6X</a></p>&mdash; Jock Landale (@JockLandale) <a href="https://twitter.com/JockLandale/status/1428194329961582598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

For now though, the learning experience of having such an uncertain future will be invaluable to Landale, who has discovered ways with dealing of the pressures of not knowing where his future lay.

“I've found things to distract myself. I have a couple of side ventures with mates back home that can take my mind off basketball. I've been messing around with photography which is a passion of mine that I enjoy doing, including travel photography,” he said.

"I've got better at taking my mind away from the uncertainty of this sport, because it is complete uncertainty and that's right down the roster, you just don't know what the front office is thinking because they will always be looking for someone better at your position.

"It's been a learning curve and I'm definitely getting better at the things that really matter like honing my craft, working out and my family. It's been a crazy year to say the least, it's been pretty hectic but it's all part of the transition into the NBA and learning how this thing operates. I'll hopefully be dealing with it for another eight to ten years."