Stars galore, but can Kings measure up?

13 NBL experts were polled as part of the league’s ‘Way Too Early Predictions’ series. Nine of those experts had the Sydney Kings winning the Championship in NBL25.

That says a lot about the Kings’ impressive roster build in the off-season, and of course, the Brian Goorjian effect. Particularly when you consider Sydney was knocked out during the Play-In Tournament last year.

The Kings are stacked with talent. But will that translate into success as a team? NBL champion Damon Lowery isn’t so sure. 

“The game isn’t played on paper,” he said on NBL Media’s The Roundtable. 

“We saw the talent Sydney had last year and we saw what happened.

“Who actually gets guys together and says ‘this is how we’re going to play’?

“'How are we going to mesh? We’ve got so much talent' ... everybody’s got their egos, everybody’s thinking about getting to the NBA, how does that all come together?”

Lowery challenged former MVP Derek Rucker’s prediction that Sydney would hold the championship trophy aloft.

“You see talent, you’re getting gassed up on the shiny things,” he argued.

“I’m getting gassed up on the actual, ‘show me first, don’t just tell me about it’.”

Lowery said the Kings’ lack of height could come back to bite them, with Xavier Cooks and Cameron Oliver the tallest fully-rostered players at the club, at 6’8. 

“This ain’t a 6’5 and under league. Who’s the center? Cameron Oliver, love Cameron Oliver and he’s going to ball out … but, has he grown? He has not grown since we saw him last,” Lowery added.

“Their perimeter defence will be probably the best we’ve ever seen in the league ... but that shot goes up on the glass, will they be able to get the ball?”

Rucker agreed the Kings may struggle to measure up around the rim.

“They lose Jordy Hunter to South East Melbourne ... that is their challenge. How do they overcome late games? Two game weekends? Half-court, grind, playoff games? How does Brian Goorjian work this out so that this team is capable of winning those types of games?

“When the ball is up on the rim, the tallest guy usually has the best chance of getting it.”

Nevertheless, with the likes of Jaylen Adams, Bul Kuol, Cooks and Oliver at their disposal, the Kings’ depth of talent is simply too difficult to ignore. They also boast one of the strongest bench units in the league, led by Shaun Bruce, Izayah Le’Afa and Jaylin Galloway. 

“They are loaded with ‘dawgs’ ... this is what I’ve got them not only making it, they’re winning it,” Rucker said. 

“All due respect to coach ‘Moud’ (Mahmoud Abdelfattah) ... he’s not Brian Goorjian. 

“That whole thing is changing. All that stuff you saw last year, throw in the bin, compartmentalise it, because that is not going to show up this year.”

“Brian Goorjian is going to reinject the Brian Goorjian enthusiasm, the winning ways are coming back to the Sydney Kings ... I’ve got them top four, but not quite tasting that champagne yet,” Lowery concluded.

The Kings face the New Zealand Breakers in pre-season action on Friday night. 

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