Can Kings rise to defensive challenge?

The Sydney Kings are heading into Round 11 with a consistent feeling they haven’t felt in some time.

Despite their status as back-to-back champions, the Kings are currently not the team to beat, and they look to have lost some of the lustre and polish that has made them such a fearsome prospect in the past two years.

The Kings’ defence is, to say the least, not good. In fact, they are conceding 10 points per 100 possessions than any team in the NBL this season and have the seventh best defensive rating in the competition.

None of the title-winning teams of the past decade have been outside the top three in defensive rating, and the Kings’ last two title teams are the only sides in that period to have not been ranked first or second.

NBL commentator and Kings Ring of Honour member Brad Rosen was sitting courtside as part of the commentary team for Sydney’s loss to South East Melbourne in Round 10. He says it shouldn't be panic stations for the Kings faithful yet.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0xgy2-yCFO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0xgy2-yCFO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0xgy2-yCFO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by NBL (@nbl)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

“It’s a challenge they haven’t faced for a while,” Rosen told NBL Media. “We’re in the middle of December, we’re not talking it’s the end of February. This is good timing, so what are you going to do?

“You don’t have to be Einstein to realise defensively it’s not great, but offensively they’re one of – if not the best – team in the league. So, here’s your challenge.

“Every team goes through a crappy time. This is the Kings’ so what do they do? I’m looking forward to seeing how they manage it.

“Without a doubt the first thing is energy. You use the Illawarra Hawks as an example. They came out with a cricket bat against Perth on Friday night (in Round 10). It was 38-18 at quarter time and they just went bang. The bench was up, everyone was into it, and I didn’t see that from the Kings at all.

“Their switching defence was brilliant but they were playing with energy. They were up, they were in, and everyone was humming along. For me I have no doubt they can be a very good defensive team – I’m not saying the best – but I have no doubt they can be there, but it’s got to start with energy.

“Once they get the energy rolling, they can put teams into lockdowns. They can go into their switching defence, they can start doubling, if they go to a zone, they can push up the floor a little bit or get a couple of steals in a halfcourt trap. I just think those changes are what will make a difference and get them to that next level.”

When the season started the Kings were blowing teams off the park offensively. They’ve held a side to 80 or fewer points just once this season, but that came in their Round 2 defeat to Tasmania.

Comparatively, the team with the worst defensive rating in the competition so far this season, heading into Round 11 – Illawarra – has played two fewer games than its crosstown rivals, but held two teams to scores of below 80 for a 1-1 record, and have held five teams to scores below 85, making that six on Saturday night against the Phoenix, as opposed to the Kings’ four.

When you look across the top defences in the competition, the top four is made up of Melbourne, Cairns, Tasmania and South East Melbourne, all four have one common denominator – and that is the presence of at least one defensive stopper.

Sydney had Justin Simon as its go-to defensive phenom in NBL23, and the star wing could count himself unlucky to not have been awarded the Larry Sengstock Trophy for his two-way performances on both ends of the floor last season.

Rosen believes the Kings are lacking that type of one-one-one defensive stud, but he believes emerging star Jaylin Galloway has the potential to make that role his own, thanks to a match-winning moment just last week.

“I look at the last three games and you’ve got Bryce Cotton having 41, Goulding had 35, Creek had 33, guys are getting off on them, they’re not being beaten by five guys getting into double figures,” Rosen said.

“Guys are shooting the lights out of it, and they haven’t got the one guy they can tell ‘go and shut him down’.

“I think the one thing they’re probably missing is that head of the snake defender. You go around the league and there’s Delly and Shea for Melbourne, Matt Kenyon for South East Melbourne the other day – I love him – just a guy who is going to shut you down and that’s his job. That Damian Martin type. Someone’s not saying ‘I’ve got this’ and leading the defensive end.

“He's probably the guy, Galloway.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BRO IS BACK ?<br><br>Jaylin Galloway returned in round 10 with some huge defensive plays, to establish himself as Acorn’s Defensive Player of the round ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetItReign?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetItReign</a> <a href="https://t.co/oycgynpV40">pic.twitter.com/oycgynpV40</a></p>&mdash; Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1735067901164667378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“He’s got the athleticism and the quickness to be able to do that. That steal in Cairns was amazing, so that’s the defence you’re talking about but that’s got to be done for 40 minutes.”

That game-saving steal by Galloway against the Taipans helped guide the Kings to a three-point victory, and the 83 points conceded was the tied third-lowest total Sydney has allowed all season, but there was one big change in that game compared to any other – and it wasn’t the lack of a shot clock in the second half.

The Kings entered a zone defence and moved away from the switch-heavy style Mahmoud Abdelfattah is looking to stamp as his team’s identity.

“I thought when they came out at the beginning of the year it was their defence, and they were saying ‘you have to beat us’. The feeling a little bit at the moment is they have to play defence to stop the opposition rather than the other way around,” Rosen continued.

“That’s what it felt like on the weekend when I saw that zone, it was like ‘we’re getting hurt in areas, so let’s try and do this’.

“I think Luc Longley has a role to play in this. He’s such a calming presence. The next thing you know he could be taking them all for a barefoot walk on the beach and having a Phil Jackson moment.”

Sydney will play the NBL’s best offence – Tasmania – in Round 11. The Kings and JackJumpers will write another chapter into their burgeoning rivalry on Sunday, December 17 at MyState Bank Arena.

Tip-off will be from 2pm AEDT, live on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, 10 Peach and 10 Play.