"This is not good enough": Copeland blasts former MVP

Lanard Copeland says we aren't seeing "the real Jaylen Adams" in Brisbane this season, saying his performance is simply "not good enough"

The NBL22 MVP, who helped the Sydney Kings win the 2021-22 championship, is averaging career-lows in points (12.8), rebounds (2.6), field goal percentage (41.4), three-point percentage (30) and free-throw percentage (75), while committing a career-high 3.3 turnovers per game.

This lack of production by the St Bonaventure University alum, who had just 2 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists during Brisbane's 29-point loss to New Zealand on Wednesday, has been criticised by two-time champion Copeland.

"What the hell is wrong with Jaylen Adams?" he said during Wednesday's broadcast of the Bullets and Breakers Ignite Cup fixture.

"We've seen the real Jaylen Adams in Sydney. This is not Jaylen Adams. I don't know what's [wrong], his offence is terrible. His defence is not interested.

"Man, he needs to be either on the bench or with Qantas flying tonight.

"I'm being serious. I don't like to call guys out like this. But this is not good enough from Jaylen Adams, who is MVP, and I'm sure he's getting paid a lot of money."

Fellow commentator and 1990 NBL MVP Derek Rucker echoed Copeland's sentiments.

"You're correct [Copes], it is getting to the point where it is hard to watch, because this is a guy with immense talent," Rucker said.

"He was the MVP of this league, leading the Sydney Kings to a championship. But right now, his levels of disinterest and disengagement are bewildering.

"[At] some point in time, you have to make a decision whether or not, if external motivation doesn't get him going, you look to him and say, can he get himself going? And it appears that he simply cannot."

Another to weigh in on the topic was four-time champion Ricky Grace, who was one of the greatest American guards to suit up in the NBL.

He said Adams was perhaps somewhat of a scapegoat for the Bullets' performance issues, which have only been amplified with Casey Prather sidelined for the year due to a knee injury.

"It's tough because it's a team game and if you're not getting stops, that can really hurt you offensively," Grace said on Thursday's NBL Now.

"Jaylen's doing his best to be a team player, on a team that's not really clicking obviously at the moment.

"His body of work shows that he is a great player and can be a really good player when the situation is right.

"Brisbane do have their work cut out for them at the moment. The coach is trying everything. You saw him take out all five starters early in the game to try and shake them up a bit."

The Bullets, who are 5-8 on the season, now travel to Melbourne to play United on Saturday from 5.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.