36ers can’t ignore the tale of the tape

03 Nov 2026

adelaide 36ers

Zylan Cheatham says the 36ers would rather face adversity now than later, with Adelaide demanding accountability.

By

NBL.com.au

The Adelaide 36ers are going back to the tape in search of their best form, picking apart every facet of their game as they sit seventh on the ladder.

After finishing second in NBL26, the 36ers are yet to find their groove this season, with injuries to key players taking their toll.

Bryce Cotton has been dominant again and Nick Rakocevic has taken a huge step up in production, but Adelaide has been inconsistent to say the least. Flynn Cameron and Bul Kuol remain sidelined, while the retirement of Isaac Humphries has thrown a further spanner in the works.

Forward Zylan Cheatham said the club’s film sessions have centred on accountability.

“We are in a situation where we’re kind of inconsistent right now,” Cheatham said.

“Our film sessions are pretty intense. We’re just trying to work through some things and get on the same page.

“I wouldn’t say it’s frustration or panic by any means. I would just say it’s an urgency to get things right and to play the right style of basketball.”

Adelaide’s latest setback came in a seven-point home loss to Brisbane, on a day the club celebrated its 1986 championship team.

“I don’t really think any loss is a good loss,” he said.

“For us, the most important thing is playing Adelaide 36ers basketball and we didn’t do that. The frustration is consistent among losses.”

Despite the slow start, Cheatham said belief within the group has never been higher.

“More confidence than ever. I’ve never felt more confident in the team,” he said.

“Adversity at this point in the season is very important in my opinion. We ran into it late last year, so it’s going to happen at some point. I’d rather we get ours now and learn these lessons.”

At 5-6 after 11 games, the 36ers can take solace from how tight the League is, sitting just two games off top spot.

And while the absences have hurt, Cheatham was adamant they can’t be used as a crutch.

“There’s no excuses. We have enough to win and we’re just not playing good enough basketball to do so. We’ve got to get back to that,” he said.