Bolden's "best is yet to come"

Friday, October 6, 2023

"If he can get back to where he was then he’s MVP material for this league."

The landscape of the entire NBL changed when Jonah Bolden announced his return to basketball with the Sydney Kings, and despite the former Philadelphia 76er playing just 10 minutes in his side’s season-opener against Illawarra Kings, Brad Rosen believes the best is definitely yet to come.

Bolden returned from a three-year hiatus from the game to make his NBL debut last week, and he ended the game with three points and three rebounds.

Rosen says it Bolden’s return to top form will be a slow burn, but that the Boomers representative is still among to top talents in the competition.

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“You’ve got a new coach, five new starters and everything. I’m expecting good things and if he can get back to where he was then he’s MVP material for this league, there’s no doubt about that,” Rosen said on NBL Now.

“it’s going to take some time but I do believe he can get there.

“Personally, I don’t think you’ll see the best of him until late December, early January. It’s going to take a lot of time for him to get his legs under him.”

Jordan Hunter started the Kings’ opening round of the season, and while his career so far has seen him be a perennial backup centre, there’s never been any doubting the quality he brings to the floor.

Hunter started the game strongly and helped elevate the Kings to an early lead against the Hawks and finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Kouat Noi spent some time as a small-ball five in the victory, and Rosen believes the starting position is likely to remain Hunter’s for the foreseeable future.

“I think Hunter will start, and that’s the right thing,” he said.

“For me, it was whether Jaylin Galloway would – but you can’t not [start him] now. This kid’s just taken another level.

“Right now, I can’t see [Bolden] getting in that starting group, especially when Hogg comes back.

“All I know is Jonah is in a happy place and so happy to be back playing, and that’s just a huge tick.”

Sydney faces its first double-header of the season in Round 2. First they travel to Tasmania to face the JackJumpers on Friday night before hosting Adelaide on Sunday.