"D-Day": Kings search for missing piece

As the Sydney Kings lost to the Illawarra Hawks for the third time this season, Brian Goorjian made it clear his team is open to a roster change, before it’s too late.

“We have talked about it before, and we are just missing a piece in the backcourt,” he said post-game.

“We’re still assessing but it’s getting near D-Day.”

While the Kings still sit third on the NBL standings, their loss on Christmas night has further highlighted a their shortfalls.

“We’ve got time to sit down with ownership and discuss what’s the best way forward from this point, because it’s now pretty clear our strengths and weaknesses,” Goorjian added.

Sydney has played 19 games on the season, which means that any new signing would have to be within the next two games in order for them to qualify for the post-season.

While a lot of fans and experts believe the Kings’ biggest concern is in the frontcourt with their lack of height, Goorjian is adamant that any change would have to come in the form of an additional ball-handler.

“You look at some of the teams in this and that’s the piece ... getting Jaylen (Adams) off the ball and giving him more rest, that has become a concern.,” Goorjian said.

“We still haven’t got over the hump there and we’ve been exposed when we play them (Illawarra), so it’s back to the drawing board.”

After the Kings started strong on their home floor, they were overpowered late by Illawarra.

Star big man Cam Oliver played just 15 minutes and had four points in the loss.

“Same situation with Cam (Oliver), it’s been a struggle ... I’m not pointing the finger at him about winning or losing, but we’re clearly not getting the most out of him,” Goorjian added.