Lowery urges 36ers to re-sign big man

Adelaide 36ers star Isaac Humphries is playing career best basketball, and 2001 NBL champion Damon Lowery has urged the 36ers to lock up the 26-year-old.

After news broke of the re-signing of guard Dejan Vasiljevic on a three-year deal, Lowery insisted on putting pen to paper for the re-signing of the red-hot Humphries.

“He would’ve been my first priority, but now that they’ve got DJ [Vasiljevic], he is absolutely the next priority,” Lowery said on NBL Now.

Humphries averages 15.6 points and 6.7 rebounds, and is fifth in the league for blocks per game.

“He’s in career form, and he has brought back – along with Scott Ninnis’ direction – he brought back the big man,” Lowery said.

The former Illawarra Hawk praised interim head coach Ninnis for the system he has created for the team, as Adelaide has won five of its past six outings.

“I’ve been moaning and groaning for the last two years about how the league don’t like big men anymore. So now it’s been re-established, and Isaac Humphries is benefiting, the 36ers are benefiting. It’s great basketball,” Lowery said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DJ re-signs with Adelaide ?<br>Praise for Shaun Bruce ?<br>How Mitch Creek has solidified his place in the All-NBL First Team ?<a href="https://twitter.com/DamonLowery8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DamonLowery8</a> joined <a href="https://twitter.com/joelbpeterson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@joelbpeterson</a> to discuss all the latest news on this morning’s episode of NBL Now ??<a href="https://t.co/CB6z7bX86l">https://t.co/CB6z7bX86l</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1752108505321046081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 36ers sit ninth on the ladder, but hold a similar record to teams around them and are still in the race for Finals.

Melbourne United and the Perth Wildcats clinched their spot in the Finals last weekend, with all other eight teams still alive – a perfect roundup of how unpredictable NBL24 is.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If the finals were to start today, this is how things would look ?<br><br>The best part is, every team can still make it ? <a href="https://t.co/YxhtRZUn1z">pic.twitter.com/YxhtRZUn1z</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1751837118132097071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It is so hard to comprehend all of the possible scenarios. I can’t wait for four teams to get out of the way, just get out of the way so we can have the last six standing," Lowery said.

“In that top six, nobody is dominant. Melbourne United do not have a strangle hold on the league, Tasmania JackJumpers have proven that.

“Everybody in that six can beat anybody. It is completely wide open.”

Humphries and the 36ers face the Sydney Kings on Friday night at 7:30pm AEDT, live on ESPN via Kayo.