The crown still fits: Kings answer the off-season doubters

When Jaylin Galloway, Bul Kuol, Kouat Noi, Shaun Bruce and Tim Soares all departed in the off-season, the experts were quick to write off the Sydney Kings' hopes of going back-to-back.

Three games into the Hungry Jack's NBL27 Season, the defending champions are proving everyone wrong.

That kind of talent isn't easily replaced, but Andrew Carr, Harry Wessels and Will Johnston have slotted in seamlessly, while Makuach Maluach looks to have taken his game to another level.

Wednesday night's 93-78 win over the Brisbane Bullets at Afterpay Arena has left the Kings as the last unbeaten team at 3-0. But the game everyone has circled is still 10 days away, when the Adelaide 36ers come to Sydney for the first rematch of last season's Championship Series.

"If anyone is underrating the Sydney Kings right now, you can stop," former Kings captain and commentator Brad Rosen said on NBL Now, presented by CODE Sports.

"They're the benchmark until someone knocks them off."

Sydney retained most of its stars, with Kendric Davis, Xavier Cooks and Torrey Craig all back alongside Matthew Dellavedova, and that continuity is showing.

"Basically they roll on because they've been together," Rosen said.

Defence was the difference against Brisbane, with the Kings holding the Bullets to 44 points over the final three quarters. Craig and Dellavedova held Arnas Velička to 5 assists after he'd dished out 25 across Brisbane's first two games.

Rosen believes Craig, a veteran of close to 460 NBA games, is the key to the Kings going back-to-back.

The 35-year-old arrived midway through last season, but this time he's been part of the group from day one.

"For them to go to win a back-to-back championship, he's the ultimate winning piece in this League," Rosen said.

"He can control a game by just doing what he does. The game is so slow for Torrey Craig. He gets to his spots. You just see how experienced he is from that NBA time that he had."

Craig's impact went well beyond his 10 points and 6 rebounds. He was 5/5 from the line and finished +10, capped by a late alley-oop from Davis that brought the Afterpay Arena crowd to its feet.

Davis led the way with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, while Maluach was electric off the bench with 19 points on 8/12 shooting, including 3/5 from beyond the arc.

Cooks was efficient as ever with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 4/5 shooting, and a game-high +17.

The new faces delivered too. Carr added 12 points and 7 rebounds, Wessels scored 8 in under 10 minutes, and Johnston was +14 in just 12 minutes on court.

That defensive blueprint now turns to Bryce Cotton on October 11.

"This is a genuine rivalry. They do not like each other. Every time these two teams meet, it's personal," Rosen said.

"Bryce will be Bryce. KD [Davis] will be KD, and that is just like Rocky versus Apollo Creed. I cannot wait."