Buford: "Target on Our Backs"

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Sydney Kings coach Chase Buford says his side aren’t going to defend their NBL22 title this year, purely because it’s a new season there’s nothing to defend.

By Dan Woods - NBL Media

Sydney Kings coach Chase Buford has sent a strong message around his team's ambitions of back-to-back championships - "anything we've done before means nothing this season".

Of course, the Kings have retained some star-power; Xavier Cooks and DJ Vasiljevic are back, Jordan Hunter returns after a season on the sidelines and experienced pair Angus Glover and Shaun Bruce are always reliable.

But the truth is, Sydney has lost many of the big names that took it all the way in NBL22; star imports Jaylen Adams, Jarrell Martin and Ian Clark are gone, as are Makur Maker, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk and Tom Vodanovich.

It's a brand new team in many ways, so Buford has a fair point.

The first-year NBL coach climbed the mountain of success last season, leading his side to a clean sweep over the Tasmania JackJumpers in the Grand Final Series, and while nobody can take that achievement from them, the Kings are purely looking ahead.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE 17-YEAR WAIT IS OVER. <br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL22?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL22</a> ? is the <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a> fourth NBL Championship and their first since 2005 <a href="https://t.co/Neb4ooJV0N">pic.twitter.com/Neb4ooJV0N</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1524359979553423360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“The message we tried to impart on day one [was] we don’t have any secret formula or special sauce that any other team doesn’t have,” Buford said on The Huddle Podcast.

“It’s not going to be any easier for us because we’ve been there, the experience means nothing. At the same time we have a target on our back every game we play.”

Sydney has scouted strongly and will no doubt be a threat once again, with Tim Soares, Justin Simon and Derrick Walton Jr brought in as imports, while Kouat Noi has looked very much back to his best in the NBL1 this year and looms as a boom recruit.

Nevertheless, challengers loom; Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne are all set for a strong rise, Cairns' young roster will only improve and really, it's hard to write off any team across the league, as many did with the JackJumpers before their meteoric rise last year.

“We’re going to have to climb that mountain a little higher, we’re going to have to embrace that, have fun with it and enjoy being the team everyone wants to knock down,” Buford added.

“Anything we’ve done before means nothing this season and going forward.”