Defence reigns supreme under coach King

Saturday, June 14, 2025

south east melbourne phoenix

"It's just trying to get those guys in that mindset."

Josh King transformed a winless South East Melbourne Phoenix side into a top-four contender last season, driven by a dramatic shift into one of the league’s best defensive teams.

As he builds his roster for NBL26, King spoke on NBL Now about the key traits his team needs to be a title contender.

“You have to be able to do both, don't get me wrong,” he responded when asked if you can win a championship by just being elite on the defensive end.

“I've seen teams be really good on defence that can't throw the ball into the ocean and they struggle winning games. Don't get it twisted here. You have to score the basketball.

“If you can score the ball and be really good on defence, you're going to win a lot of games. You're going to win a lot more than you lose.

“It's just trying to get those guys in that mindset. That's my job to make it a point of emphasis every day.”

King has always been a defensive-minded coach, well known for his infectious energy on the sideline.

While it may be a unique style of coaching, he knows what it takes for players to be at the level he is looking for.

“I think every player has the capabilities of being a good defender. I've said it before, think defence is all about heart and hustle,” he said.

“Obviously there's guys that have strengths and weaknesses, but I think defence is something that every player is capable of if they put their mind to it.

“It’s something that you can be good at every game. It can carry game to game.

“You can't always control if the ball goes in the basket, but you can control how well you get after the opponent.”

King will have vastly different preparation for the upcoming season than he did last year, being able to spend a full pre-season with his team before Round 1.

“You can’t just work on defence once or twice in a pre-season or once a week,” he said.

“It’s something you have to stress right from the beginning, from day one. So when we begin practice, whatever day that is, that'll be the point of emphasis.”