Giddey Ready to Learn from Sloan

NBL Next Star Josh Giddey can’t wait for the opportunity to learn from former NBA point guard Donald Sloan at the Adelaide 36ers this season.

Sloan and Giddey will lead the 36ers at the one spot in NBL21, with both players at different ends of their careers.

The 32-year-old Sloan has played for five NBA teams (Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets), while the 18-year-old Giddey has NBA aspirations.  

The duo has already been in contact and Giddey is excited about the chance to be mentored by an NBA veteran.

“We have spoken a few times and I’ve been watching a bit of his tape from his NBA days and when he played overseas, so it’s going to be good to learn from someone who has been where I want to get to,” Giddey said.

“(It will be good) to be able to pick his brain, play alongside him and learn from him.”

Giddey added the support he has received from the entire Adelaide squad has been positive, pointing out the leadership shown by fellow guards Brendan Teys and Daniel Dillon.

“It’s been great. It’s different to what I expected, I thought it would be a lot of guys with egos and the veterans being there and done all that, but it’s been awesome,” Giddey said.

“Teys and Dillon as the guards helping me, showing me the ropes, giving me tips here and there. All the guys have been great and it’s awesome to finally be here and get into it.”

One of the “focal points” of the offseason for Giddey has been getting stronger, with the youngster revealing he has added 10 kilograms since February and is looking to add more.

The 36ers are entering a new era under coach Conner Henry and he has explained how the team will be based around their big man group of Daniel Johnson, Isaac Humphries and Keanu Pinder.

“Our system is going to be played through our bigs,” Henry said.

“The boys know that, and we feel like we have strengths there. That’s going to create a whole bunch of opportunities for guys like Josh and Donald and the rest of the crew.

“We are going to play some power basketball at the end of the day, start inside and work out, we are going to look to run the ball, don’t think we are going to plod up and down and be a 20 second shot clock team.

“We are going to look for opportunistic baskets and shoot threes when we can, but the focus is going to be on our bigs.”

The 36ers will play the Brisbane Bullets in two preseason games at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on November 13 and at Titanium Security Arena on November 15.