Sydney roster build "typical Goorj"

The Sydney Kings have already made a splash this off-season. NBL coaching legend Brian Goorjian has been brought back to the Kings, heavily pursued collegiate talent Keli Leaupepe has committed to the club and, if reports are to be believed, they’re pulling together an immense local core of players for NBL25.

Although Leaupepe’s signing is the only one to have been officially announced by the club at this stage, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reported Sydney is set to make a splash by signing Bul Kuol, Izayah Le’Afa, Xavier Cooks and college talent Tyler Robertson in the coming weeks.

Brad Rosen played 99 games for the Kings, and also spent time as an assistant coach of Goorjian’s, and he believes the way the four-time NBL champion coach is building his side, is “typical Goorj”.

“I love what he’s done and it’s typical Goorj, he’s building players that he wants to coach,” Rosen said on NBL Now.

“They’re going to be very defensive oriented; it all revolves around Xavier Cooks and that’s what they needed. They’ve now got that four-man who can go to work night in, night out, give them a presence on defence. Now they’re starting to bring the college players back in and the young guys, they will play.

“I love the Le’Afa signing, he will give them grunt on the defensive end, and I think everything Goorj is doing is they’re doing what they need to do.”

For how rapidly the Kings look to be building out their guard and forward positions, the center spot is still looking thin for Goorjian’s side – although there is plenty of time to bring high-level talent into that spot.

Jordan Hunter is reportedly set to depart the club following 127 games in Sydney, while Jonah Bolden is set to sign for the New Zealand Breakers.

The Kings started import centers in each of their back-to-back titles in NBL22 and NBL23 in the form of Jarell Martin and Tim Soares, and Rosen believes Goorjian will take a similar approach this season.

“The only stickler now is they have to get that five-man right,” Rosen said. “But Goorj is renowned for bigs – he loves them. You go back to John Dorge, to Anstey, Matt Nielsen, Duop Reath recently.

“My mail is Jordan Hunter will not be there so I’d say that will be an import spot, and they’re very good wit the way they get their imports, and you’d assume there will be a one guard coming, and they’ve been very good at recruiting that over the last few years.”

Whether star import guard Jaylen Adams returns to the fold this season is also up in the air. The former NBL MVP failed to reach his spectacular heights of the NBL22 season in his return campaign under Mahmoud Abdelfattah, and rumours of a locker room rift between himself and other members of the organisation persisted through the campaign.

Both Rosen and former NBL MVP Derek Rucker believe an Adams return may not quite fit with the roster that is being built.

“I’m curious to see if they come back with Jaylen Adams, that’s the big, curious point for me,” Rucker said. “I see a world where he becomes very good under Brian, but I also see a world where possibly, it may not be the right fit.”

“I don’t think it is the right fit with what’s gone on over the last year,” Rosen added.

“He’s an outstanding player and an MVP of this league, there’s no doubt about that, but I don’t think he’s the type of player they need this season. Moving forward, you never know, but for the next 12 months they need to clean house, bring a new import and go to work.

“This is Xavier Cooks’ team, they’ve got to make top dog things roll around him, and now they stick the pieces around him."