Preview: Sydney vs Tasmania (Round 4)

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Sydney and Tasmania meet again after their hard-fought Round 2 clash, but who can take the win?

Sunday, October 22 at 4pm AEDT | Qudos Bank Arena

Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo Sports | 10 Peach and 10play - International viewership details
Box scores: Download the free NBL App

It’s only Round 4, but rivals Sydney and Tasmania are preparing to face-off for the second time this season following the JackJumpers’ low-scoring win in Round 2.

The Kings have kept on rolling in NBL24 and have won three straight games – the longest current winning streak of any team in the competition – and are expecting DJ Hogg back in the near future.

Tasmania were labelled as the form team of the competition heading into last week’s fixtures, but a one-point loss to South East Melbourne has seen them stumble slightly. Majok Deng had the chance to send that game into overtime but missed a free throw with seconds left on the clock.

Jordon Crawford’s performances last week saw him earn the most votes from Round 3 for the Chemist Warehouse Fans MVP award, while Jaylen Adams polled the second-highest number of votes.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A <a href="https://twitter.com/JackJumpers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackJumpers</a> has topped the <a href="https://twitter.com/ChemistWhouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChemistWhouse</a> Fans MVP poll for the second week in a row ?<br><br>Make sure you vote for your favourite player following each round of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL24?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL24</a> to have your say.<br><br> Keep an eye on NBL channels for next week's nominees ? <a href="https://t.co/s6lmPqzBiF">pic.twitter.com/s6lmPqzBiF</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1714781861724254435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sydney
99-86 win over Perth
113-102 win over Brisbane
109-100 win over Adelaide

Tasmania
85-86 loss to South East Melbourne
103-73 win over Illawarra
80-75 win over Melbourne

Playerstowatch

Jordan Hunter

He may have already been nominated for an NBL Most Improved Player award in 2021, but is there a better early contender for breakout star of NBL24 than Jordan Hunter?

The perennial backup centre has been in fine form for the Kings in the early stages of this season, and there’s just something about Sunday afternoon fixtures that seem to appeal to the 25-year-old.

As Jonah Bolden continues his rapid improvement following his re-introduction to the game, Hunter’s starting spot may come under some serious pressure from the former NBA centre, but for now, he’s thriving in his role among Sydney’s starting unit.

Sam Timmins is also yet to return from injury as another option at the centre position for the Kings, and Kouat Noi has also impressed when deployed as a small ball centre at times this season, but Hunter is the clear and obvious leader of what has the potential to be the strongest centre unit seen in recent memory.

That being said, Hunter was restricted to just two points in 14 minutes when these sides met in Round 2, as Mahmoud Abdelfattah searched for an answer for Tasmania’s stingy defence.

Will Hunter continue his amazing run of form and put Marcus Lee and Fabijan Krlsovic to the sword, or will the JackJumpers manage to stifle him once more?

“On Sunday afternoons now he’s gone for two 20-point games. He’s very, very underrated and I always felt it was going to be his time this season to show what he’s truly about, and you can see what he can do when he’s given the opportunities ... as long as he can stay healthy the Sydney Kings have a very talented piece they can build around.” – Derek Rucker on Moments That Mattered

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jordan Hunter is your back-to-back Hard Yakka Nothing's Tougher MVP ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetItReign?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetItReign</a> <a href="https://t.co/6JTTB4JpHd">pic.twitter.com/6JTTB4JpHd</a></p>— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1713468000756806019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jordon Crawford

If Milton Doyle doesn’t get you, it looks like Jordon Crawford will. Tasmania’s new back-court pairing is improving week on week, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down yet.

The JackJumpers have become the first team this season to contain two players to lead a week’s voting in the Chemist Warehouse Fans MVP competition, and although Tasmania didn’t win both of their games last week, Crawford obviously impressed fans league-wide by topping the standings.

The diminutive guard struggled to find his feet in the opening week of the season, but since then has been an electric scorer and distributor alongside Doyle for Tasmania.

Scott Roth was asked if it’s an issue that Doyle, Crawford and Jack McVeigh are taking most of his side’s shots following the loss to the Phoenix, and the former NBL coach of the year retorted with “if you were the coach, wouldn’t you want that?”

Last time these sides met, Crawford offered the first glimpse into his skillset with 15 points and four assists in a low-scoring clash. He’s taken his game to new heights in the weeks since, so will Sydney be able to contain him?

“We have a great team, we’re all together and anybody can make shots on any night. We guard, it’s more than me – we’ve got the whole team and we’ve done a great job so far ... anybody we go against in this league is great competition … everybody every night is a good test for me and I enjoy the competition.” – Jordon Crawford following the loss to South East Melbourne.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jordon Crawford has been getting it done in the first half ?<br><br>Can the Phoenix slow him down and get the job done? Find out live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/1pOhKNsF7E">pic.twitter.com/1pOhKNsF7E</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1713131661225767304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jaylen Adams vs Milton Doyle

One-on-one matchups don’t get more Hollywood in the NBL than Jaylen Adams vs Milton Doyle – and when they face off on Sunday afternoon, it will make for must watch basketball.

Adams and Doyle are not only two of the form guards in the competition right now, they’re also two genuine MVP candidates with a history of carrying their teams to unlikely wins. It was Doyle who came up clutch last time these teams met in Round 2, but will Adams be able to have his revenge?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That is a sweet sound ?<br> <br>Jaylen Adams has 14 points at halftime against the Bullets ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/r8eMJ0HCD3">pic.twitter.com/r8eMJ0HCD3</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1712762613464232000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As it stands, Adams’ numbers are comparable to the statistics from his MVP season – however his slightly improved shooting percentages and steal numbers are offset by a slight reduction in rebounding and assisting.

Doyle, meanwhile, has improved on his All-NBL First Team season almost across the board, and it’s almost as if since fans are aware of his capabilities they’re appreciating him even more.

Whether you’re a Sydney fan, a Tasmania fan, an NBL neutral or a newcomer to the league, the opportunity to watch two of the most clutch, electric, and talented guards in the competition is just too good to pass up.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"These guys should be in the NBA"<br><br>Scott Roth has some huge praise for Milton Doyle, and believes he's just one of multiple NBL stars who should be playing in the NBA ?<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/3jH3ufbL7o">https://t.co/3jH3ufbL7o</a> <a href="https://t.co/IkKXkr3mjt">pic.twitter.com/IkKXkr3mjt</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1712601951672950817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jonah Bolden’s 15 rebounds recorded against the Wildcats is the most by any player in NBL24 so far. The suggestion that Bolden would take some time to get back to his best has been true, but he’s certainly exceeding expectations of how influential he would be on the floor barely a month into the season.