The Surprise Challengers to Kings' Reign: Hooley

“Is the title race over already?”

It’s a question posed by Newscorp in the Crosscourt column, and given the Sydney Kings’ recent form, there’s good reason they are red-hot favourites when it comes to the NBL23 championship.

But according to NBL commentator Pete Hooley, it’s far from a one-horse race.

“They’re (the Kings) favourites for sure. They’re so deep, the way Chase Buford’s got them playing,” he said on NBL Today.

“With Xavier Cooks out for a few weeks, we’ll see how they respond.

“You can’t give them the trophy just yet … I’ve got New Zealand Breakers and Cairns Taipans right on their heels because of the way they play.”

>> Read Newscorp's full team-by-team ratings

Hooley said the second-placed New Zealand side, which has already won two more games than its entire NBL22 campaign, was right in the mix to spoil the Kings’ party.

“The way the Breakers play defensively they’re going to be in with a chance every game they play,” he said.

The Breakers currently sit at six wins and three losses, with star imports Barry Brown Jr, Dererk Pardon and Jarrell Brantley leading the way, alongside key recruit Izayah Le’Afa and emerging star Will McDowell-White.

And despite still being considered one of the outsiders, at $26 for the championship, the Taipans are also poised to strike.

“The Cairns Taipans match the pace of play of the Sydney Kings to perfection,” Hooley said.

“We’ve always seen it two games at Qudos Bank Arena … they’ve split the result. If those two have a Grand Final series with five games … it’s going to be hard for any team to beat Cairns if they’re shooting well for three games in the series.”

Cairns will be furthered strengthened by the return of star man Tahjere McCall, who is expected to return this week.

Then there’s Tasmania, a team everyone seems to underrate.

“That’s what they do. They punch above their weight. That’s their brand,” host Jack Heverin said.

“Tassie don’t want anybody else to believe in them, unless you are from Tasmania. That’s exactly how it’s built, and they thrive on that,” Hooley added.

“They don’t want anybody to say they are going to be championship contenders or make the Grand Finals series … because no matter what happens they get to the grit and grind and prove everybody wrong.

“They’re going to be around the mark because they back themselves in on the defence and culture. Scott Roth’s got a Tasmanian culture that’s working.”

It’s a sign of just how even the league is right now, with any team in with a chance in any given game.

Adelaide and Brisbane currently sit in eighth and ninth place respectively, but with two-thirds of the season still remaining, anything is possible.

“Don’t forget Adelaide,” Hooley said.

“They made a big roster move and I think it’s going to really benefit them in the long run and don’t be surprised if they’re competing for the title.

“It looks like we might have Robert Franks as an MVP-calibre player by the end of the season. He should be their focal point … I said it in the pre-season.

“He’s coming up against Melbourne (this week) who are shallow in the big department, let’s see if they try and feed the beast.

“Offensively they’ll (the 36ers) be fine, but if they don’t fix the defensive end … in the first six rounds they’ve been by far the worst defensive team in the competition … they are not going to be competing for the title.

“NBL history shows us you need to defend if you want to win a championship … if they don’t care about that end, they’re not going to win.”

>> Read Newscorp's full team-by-team ratings