Preview: Sydney vs Brisbane - Round 14, NBL24

Friday, January 5, 2024

The two-time reigning champions have looked anything but in recent weeks. Can the bounce back against the Bullets?

Two teams with high expectations coming into NBL24 will battle it out to get back on the winners' list.

With the defending champion Sydney Kings losing three of their past four and the Brisbane Bullets sitting outside the Play-In race, it will be a desperate battle to get back on track at Qudos Bank Arena.

Whenandwhere

Sunday, January 7 at 4pm AEDT | Qudos Bank Arena

Howtofollow

Watch: Live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, 10 Peach and 10 Play | International viewership details
Box scores: Download the free NBL App

Anoverview

The Sydney Kings have had a disappointing season by their own standards, coming off back-to-back championships.

A retooled roster has looked dominant at times and anything but at others. No one would have expected the Kings to have just over a 50 per cent record after 19 games,

With long-term injuries to Jaylin Galloway and DJ Hogg experiencing his second extended period out, things aren't going to get any easier.

After losing at home 101-85 to Melbourne United, giving them a 10-9 record coming into Sunday, former NBL MVP Dereck Rucker declared the Kings are nowhere near the team of NBL22 and 23.

“You watched the second half ... did it look like any semblance of playoff-ready basketball defensively? Not at all,” Rucker said on NBL Now.

“Did it look like any remote semblance of the type of pride in their performance that we’ve seen over the past two years? Zero, zilch. It just wasn’t there.”

The Kings need this win if they want to close the gap on the JackJumpers, Wildcats and United. There's no denying their talent, but they need to flick the switch, and quickly.

Heading up North, Brisbane has put together a completely new team, from head coach, to assistants, to imports.

It’s been a tough season for the Bullets, sitting second last on the ladder with an 8-11 record. But all is not lost. Barely a handful of wins separates them from a Play-In spot and even a top four berth. With a raft of talent at their disposal, it's certainly not season over for Justin Schueller's team.

Unfortunately, they just haven't looked like anything close to a Finals team of late though, even in a 12-point win over the struggling Phoenix last week.

Casey Prather is a massive inclusion. Can he be the difference in giving the Bullets a late run at the Play-In? Or are their hopes already shot?

Formguides

Sydney
85-101 loss to Melbourne
101-82 win over Cairns
109-101 loss to New Zealand

Brisbane
95-83 win over South East Melbourne
88-95 loss to Adelaide
71-81 loss to New Zealand

Playerstowatch

Casey Prather
While he was listed for last round’s game, Prather didn't hit the court. He's a certain starter on Sunday though and with only nine games remaining, the Bullets have little choice but to give him significant minutes right from the outset.

The multiple-time NBL champion will be comfortable with his former assistant coach and now head coach Justin Schueller in charge, and a fortnight with his new team will have given him plenty of time to settle in.

NBL fans know what to expect from a healthy Prather, a dynamic scoring wing with the “it” factor.

With import Chris Smith missing the game with a calf-injury, expect Prather to play a key role.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">3 NBL Seasons. 3 NBL Championships. <br><br>If you ever want to go for 4, Casey Prather, you know where to find us. <br><br>Thanks for the memories/highlights and best of luck in ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/cprather24?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cprather24</a> ? <a href="https://t.co/mmhGz2OnYi">pic.twitter.com/mmhGz2OnYi</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1023364367440535552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Alex Toohey
Now projected within the top 50 of the next NBA Draft by many experts, Alex Toohey's star has grown like not many others in NBL24.

With DJ Hogg expected to miss at least Round 15, the Next Star has a clear runway to make an impact in this game against former Centre of Excellence teammate, Rocco Zikarsky.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alex Toohey (<a href="https://twitter.com/tooheyy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tooheyy</a>) of <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBL</a> scored 15 points vs. the New Zealand Breakers Thursday ? <a href="https://twitter.com/NBLNextStars?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBLNextStars</a> prospect is averaging 10.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG through 16 games for the <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a> this season. <a href="https://t.co/oCqOBMJcoZ">pic.twitter.com/oCqOBMJcoZ</a></p>— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbafuturenow/status/1738559545331306638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

ESPN’s Draft expert Jonathan Givony said that Toohey has been a “big surprise” for a lot of people this season.

“Entering the starting lineup, being a real player for one of the top three teams in the NBL, taking on the assessment of guarding the other team's best player on many nights,” he said of Toohey's rise, via ESPN Australia.

“People like that about Alex Toohey, a 6’8” forward who can play different positions, so long as that outside shot is consistent, there is a role in the NBA for Alex Toohey.”

Thematchup

Jordan Hunter vs Tyrell Harrison
Two long-term projects at the center position have paid off for each club, with Hunter and Harrison both enjoying career-best seasons.

Tyrell Harrison has spent all seven of his seasons at the Bullets, gradually progressing his minutes and impact as each season has gone on. With career-highs in points, rebounds and minutes per game, as well as a career-high in games started in NBL24, he's been a revelation. A clear run of injury has been exactly what the 24-year-old needed.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Harrison met that ???? high ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo. <a href="https://t.co/9GPCIkSuWD">pic.twitter.com/9GPCIkSuWD</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1741045509324734831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Two-time NBL champion Jordan Hunter has played with and been mentored by the likes of Luc Longley, Andrew Bogut, Daniel Kickert, Jarrell Martin, Xavier Cooks and Tom Soares, just to name a few.

The wealth of knowledge and experience Hunter has enjoyed with the Kings is arguably unrivalled, and he's clearly thriving, like Harrison, with an injury-free run.

Starting all 18 games, Hunter and Harrison are two of the most consistent and stable centres in the league – making their matchup even spicier. Both are team players at heart, but can unleash game-defining performances on the offensive or defensive end.

Who will take bragging rights?

Thestat