Preview: Sydney v Brisbane

Thursday, October 6, 2022

Sydney's new-look line-up graces Qudos Bank Arena for the first time, but Brisbane's NBA buddies Aron Baynes and Tyler Johnson are looking to spoil the party.

When: 7.30pm (AEDT), Friday 7 October, 2022
Where: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Broadcast: ESPN; Foxtel; Kayo; Sky Sports NZ

Who won last time?

Sydney 71 (Martin 17, Adams 15, Cooks 15) d Brisbane 69 (Franks 18, Patterson 14) – Round 11, NBL22 at Qudos Bank Arena
This was the day Jaylen Adams became a star the NBL would never forget. At the end of a forgettable game of basketball, where Adams had shot just 22 per cent from the field, he soared high over Lamar Patterson and Deng Deng for the incredible and-one jam, before recovering his missed free throw and feeding Jarell Martin for the game-winner.

What happened last game?

Brisbane started on fire in the west but things quickly got wild after that, Perth’s pressure defence forcing the new-look Bullets out of their sets and Bryce Cotton proving his normal handful at the other end. The Kings also have some new faces but they showed they’ll play with the same pace and be just as hard to guard, running up the first century of NBL23 on Illawarra.

What’s working?

Speed – Fifty of Sydney’s 106 points came in the first 12 seconds of the shot clock, including 31 of 62 in the second half, the Kings relentless in exploring off defensive boards and turnovers. Derrick Walton was a nightmare in transition, with 16 points and seven assists in the opening 12 seconds, superstar big Xavier Cooks had 10 points early in the clock, while DJ Vasiljevic’s three successive early triples swung the game late in the third term.

Not much – The Bullets played aggressive basketball early in Perth, Tanner Krebs shooting with confidence, but once the Cats’ defence locked in they looked like a new, disjointed group led by rusty stars. The intent of their aggressive interior passing was good, but the execution was not. Perhaps the biggest positive was their offensive rebounding, converting their 36 per cent o-board percentage into a 19-9 second chance points advantage.

What needs stopping?

Trifectas – Chase Buford’s defence is about protecting the paint first and foremost. In NBL22, the worst three-point shooting season in league history, it worked, but that anomaly is unlikely to be repeated. At the Blitz, the Kings gave up 10.7 triples at 38 per cent, and in Round 1 the Hawks dropped 15 from range to exploit Sydney’s schemes. Will Buford make some adjustments, or will he back his system to deliver the d-boards the Kings need to run?

Turnovers – Don’t believe the Bullets are rusty? How about 24 cough-ups in their opening game? Nathan Sobey and Tyler Johnson, who have played a combined 20 times in the past 12 months, coughed up eight between them. Jason Cadee uncharacteristically threw it away five times, while Devondrick Walker had four miscues. Let’s be frank, if Brisbane’s four main perimeter players combine for anywhere near 17 turnovers, Sydney will destroy them.

Who’s matching up?

Derrick Walton v Nathan Sobey – It was almost sad watching Sobey try to defend Cotton last week, after all the great battles that pair have had, it wasn’t the same Sobes. Was it just a week too soon returning from injury, or will his resurgence take some time? If it’s the latter, Brisbane will have all sorts of trouble with the irrepressible Walton, who is constantly searching for oppo weaknesses. His 32-point, eight-assist debut had MVP written all over it.

Jordy Hunter & Tim Soares v Aron Baynes – Given what Baynes has been through, his 11-point, seven-rebound performance in Perth was a triumph, and he will only get better. The Kings will try to run him off his feet, so Brisbane must feed the ball down low early and often to see whether Hunter and Soares can defend him. At the other end, Sydney’s centres have shot 3/14 from three across the Blitz and Round 1, can they stretch Baynes to the arc?

DJ Vasiljevic v Tyler Johnson – This pair can fill it up in a hurry. After a 1/7 shooting start last week, DJ scored 13 points on 4/6 in eight minutes surrounding three-quarter-time to put the Kings in front, while Johnson scored 10 points on 4/5 shooting in eight first-quarter minutes to help Brisbane jump 11 ahead. Will TJ’s legs allow him to do it for longer in NBL game number two, and will Vasiljevic be assertive earlier in the game this week?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Throwing daggers ?<br><br>Watch it live on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Foxtel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Foxtel</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/JnCUqYoivg">pic.twitter.com/JnCUqYoivg</a></p>— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1576175912487452673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Who’s saying what?

The comments from well-travelled Kings import Tim Soares this week leading up to his home debut are a testament to how far the Hungry Jack’s NBL has come as a major entertainment product.

“Ever since I arrived in Australia, I've been seeing videos and photos of Qudos Bank Arena when it's buzzing, which has me really excited to experience it first hand on Friday,” he said.

“It's going to be the biggest gym I've played in in a couple of years, which has me pumped to make the Kings faithful proud.”

Soares and Co would have been proud of their first-up effort in front of a loud and hostile Hawks crowd, putting on a clinic of speed and offensive execution in the second half.

“We showcased the weapons we possess as a group,” Soares said.

“There's plenty of upside and positives to take from the win, as well as a couple of areas we need to work on, such as defensively.

"On that end of the floor, we need to be more on the same page and more consistent for the full 40 minutes, as we let the Hawks dictate terms for stretches on the game.”

How they fare defensively against Brisbane will have a lot to do with Soares, who will lock horns with superstar Boomer and NBA veteran Baynes.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Baynes finds his range ? <br><br>Aron with 7 quick points early in the third.<br><br>Watch live on 10 Peach or Kayo Freebies<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIVERCITYSTRONG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIVERCITYSTRONG</a> <a href="https://t.co/krVFGApg0E">pic.twitter.com/krVFGApg0E</a></p>— Brisbane Bullets (@BrisbaneBullets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets/status/1576465514142261248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This isn’t new territory for the Brazilian, who last season went toe-to-toe with Maccabi Tel Aviv and their Croatian sensation Ante Zizic, who possesses 113 games of NBA experience and 85 outings in the Euroleague.

He more than held his own in their last meeting, racking up 18 points while Zizic tallied 13. Baynes is at another level, however, and Soares knows it.

“Aron is a great player, who's done a lot of things all around the world, so our job will be ready to go and find him at all times defensively and when shots go up,” he said.

“If Jordy and I take away the things he does well, especially inside the paint, it'll go a long way to helping us get the win come Friday night.”

Protecting the defensive glass is a huge job for Hunter and Soares, so Xavier Cooks, Derrick Walton and Justin Simon can swoop in and ignite Sydney’s trademark transition game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justin Simon makes a big return against his old team ?<br><br>? Catch it live on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Foxtel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Foxtel</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/MX4oDFY2Xj">pic.twitter.com/MX4oDFY2Xj</a></p>— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1576155784425230336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Last week they gave up an uncharacteristic 15 o-boards and were beaten 22-14 on second chance points by the Hawks.

“A big focus for us is making sure we secure the defensive rebound, which will then allow us to push the ball up and court and get into our offensive sets easier,” Soares said.

“We also have to limit our turnovers with the ball, which comes down to making better decisions, which will lead to better shots across the board.”

Brisbane were outstanding on the glass in Perth, their 13 o-boards and 78 per cent defensive rebounding percentage suggesting they were lacking in execution but not intensity.

“The thing about it is you look at our effort and it’s all there, we’ve just got to direct it in the right way. One or two different things each person can do better and we’ll be ticking,” Baynes said.

“I’m enjoying the challenge of coming in and doing this daily and working towards getting better and pushing each of these guys in the locker room to be better.”

They’ve got to be careful not to push too hard on Friday night though, because a repeat of their over-exuberant play from Round 1 will feed Sydney’s athletes.

“We had 24 turnovers and they scored 31 points, so that tells the story right there,” coach James Duncan said.

“The effort was there and I can’t fault their effort. There’s a lot of good things we can take from the game, but once we start turning the ball over and give a very good team easy opportunities to score the ball, they become comfortable and the confidence starts flowing.”