Cooks: "We’re the Best Team in the League"

NBL MVP Xavier Cooks has declared the Sydney Kings are the “best team in the league” and are determined to claim the championship for the second year in a row.

The Kings were early to clinch a Finals spot in round 15, the first team to lock in a post-season berth this season.

Sydney now awaits its opponent in the Playoffs, which will be the winner of the Play-In Game between the Cairns Taipans and Perth Wildcats.

Cooks is confident the Kings will secure another title and win back-to-back championships, regardless of who they play in the Playoffs.

“It doesn’t matter who we face. We’re the Sydney Kings, we’re the best team in the league and we’re going to show it,” Cooks said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Semi-Final Game 1 locked in for next Wednesday, 15 February, 7:15pm! Game 2 will be Friday, 17 Feb, and Game 3 (if required) will be back in Sydney on Sunday, 19 February (3:45pm). <br><br>Let&#39;s run it back, Sydney.<br>?? <a href="https://t.co/t4lRVPyqQb">https://t.co/t4lRVPyqQb</a> <a href="https://t.co/0EiSwa5og5">pic.twitter.com/0EiSwa5og5</a></p>&mdash; Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1622482778888499201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sydney coach Chase Buford supported Cooks’ comments and assured the Kings are showing no signs of intimidation or fear.

“I think confidence is always high in this group, there’s a lot of self-belief, a lot of collective belief,” Buford said.

“Our guys have been ready now to get into the finals, clinching it as early as we did, a little bit of complacency set in.

“We’ll go out and still do everything exactly the way we always do.

“We’re a big believer of our habits, and they’re what have carried us thus far.”

The game plans of the Taipans or Wildcats doesn’t faze Cooks, as he reiterated the focus is on their own preparation.

“We’re not focussing on scouts right now we’re focussing on us and getting better at our habits,” he said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How good was night 1? of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLFinals</a> ?<br><br>Check out where we stand, with the Play-In game starting things off on Sunday at 2pm AEDT ?<br><br>Watch all of the action on Sunday Live &amp; free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, 10 Peach &amp; 10 play ? <a href="https://t.co/flIWuM8S71">pic.twitter.com/flIWuM8S71</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1623647751245545473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Import guard Derrick Walton Jr was mentioned as the “best point guard in the league” by Cooks and he is set to make a big impact in the Playoffs.

Walton Jr averages 16.4 points, 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.

“Derrick is the best point guard in the league, he really finds his teammates in the right spots. He makes everyone better around him and we’re going to really rely on him in the Playoffs,” Cooks said.

Game 1 of the Kings’ best-of-three Playoff series is scheduled for next Wednesday night at 7:30pm AEDT at Qudos Bank Arena, live on ESPN via Kayo Freebies.