Fit for a King: Phoenix's time is now

Since the moment Josh King arrived in Australia, the South East Melbourne Phoenix has been a successful basketball team.

Across his two campaigns in The Heartland, King has a winning percentage of 63.5 (40/63).

This includes the record-breaking Hungry Jack’s NBL26 season, in which the Phoenix went a franchise best 22-11 during the regular season and went within one game of the Championship Series, for the second straight year.

This trajectory, and King’s pedigree, are the reasons why one former MVP believes this is the Phoenix’s window to break through for their first Championship Series.

“[People] talk about Adelaide and the requirement that they take advantage of Bryce Cotton's window, well, I'm seeing the same thing with South East Melbourne,” 1990 NBL MVP Derek Rucker said on The Marketplace, presented by Paywise.

“If you think Josh King is going to be here for the next decade or so, you are crazy.

“You've got a two to three year window, I believe, that the ownership of the South East Melbourne Phoenix [have] got to take advantage of having this high level coach in your locker room.

“You've got to throw all your resources at it right now because this is the best chance they've ever had to string some championship appearances together.”

This sentiment, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc, is shared by the South East Melbourne front office, who are reportedly close to locking in an extension for their American coach.

“I expect that we are [going to see a signature soon] because the most important person that you need to love you in this relationship is the owner, and the ownership of the Phoenix really like Josh King,” Uluc said.

“There is a good relationship there, so there is an expectation that a deal will get done soon. I don't see a world where Josh King is not with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

“Of course, he gets overtures from everywhere across the world basketball after his season, but the talks right now are quite positive and there’s an expectation a long-term deal will get done.”

2019 NBL champion Pete Hooley reiterated the fact that the impact King has made on the club can’t be understated.

“We don't see this often, we don't see a coach's value go up so quickly because he's come in and made an absolute splash,” Hooley said.

“To be honest, he’s given the South East Melbourne Phoenix an identity.”

Heading into NBL27, Josh King’s side has Nathan Sobey, Jordi Hunter, Owen Foxwell, Angus Glover, Daniel Foster and Ellis Biggar (development player) under contract.

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