The Serendipitous Evolution of Jordan Hunter

Written for nbl.com.au by Tom Hersz

 

The timing of success is a funny thing sometimes. 

When someone will find it is unpredictable and often times circumstantial, but it tends to find those that are deserving of it. Jordan Hunter is someone who has found success this season with the Sydney Kings. 

Whether he, his teammates and coaches, or those following the league thought it would happen this quickly and to this degree is a question you could ask. But it matters not.

Hunter was presented with an opportunity and he prepared himself to take advantage of it.

As a rookie out of Saint Mary’s last season, Hunter played sparingly. When you’re playing behind the best centre this country has ever produced, that will happen. He spent most of NBL20 backing up Andrew Bogut and Daniel Kickert, grabbing some minutes when he could to provide a small glimpse of what sort of player he may some day evolve into.

But that evolution was expedited when Bogut retired. Hunter knew he’d have a chance to help to fill that void, so started putting in the work. But that’s all he approached it as – a chance to help. He had no expectations beyond that.

“Obviously those were big shoes that needed to be filled and they weren’t going to be filled by one person,” Hunter told NBL Media on Tuesday. 

“It’s a by-committee job when someone like Bogues hangs them up. I had confidence in my ability to contribute to that, but I wasn’t sitting there expecting to start or walk around like I own the place. 

“I had a good chance to play in the NSW [Waratah] League, which not a lot of people had – a chance to play in the offseason – and that kind of helped me hit the ground running when it came to preseason. 

“And then, it was all a bit serendipitous and worked out nicely for me, but I wasn’t expecting or deserving of anything; it just worked out that way.”

It didn’t just work out. He put in the work. He gave himself a chance. He focused on the things that would allow him to show he could succeed and then he began to show them.

It started with addressing some clear development areas in terms of his body and his skillset.

“The main focus for me this offseason was physical,” explained Hunter. 

“As a big you come into your body a little later than say someone who is a little shorter, so just really getting some strength behind me in the gym was a big one. 

“But I think playing against Bogues and against Kicks a lot last year, a lot of strength is actually just getting used to crashing into people like that who are nice and dense, and just conditioning your body for that sort of contact. And getting some strength behind it in the gym and suddenly you’re not looking like you’re getting bumped around out there, that was a big one for me. 

“How you present as a Centre is almost as important as anything. Making sure I looked physically bigger and was able to hold my own physically was an important one for me to show that I was ready to go. 

“And then having been more of a defensive minded player for most of my career, continuing to work on my offensive skillset and expanding that, and that’s obviously going to be a work in progress forever, but it was probably those two things together.

“We had a lot of continuity even though we had a lot of turnover, so just coaches and players getting used to who I was on the court, I think that’s gone a long way to helping put their mind at ease that I was up to the task.”

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="in" dir="ltr">J?RDAN.<br>HUNTING.<a href="https://twitter.com/jordihunter1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jordihunter1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SYDatADL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SYDatADL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/DVzT78Byfh">pic.twitter.com/DVzT78Byfh</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1358002522514812928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

With Bogut putting his feet up, Kickert and Xavier Cooks both injured to start the season and Jarell Martin coming in late and still ramping up heading into the opening round, Hunter was thrust into a starting role.

After averaging just 2.7 minutes per game in NBL20, Hunter would be needed to play major minutes right away. He had no choice but to focus on his strengths and how he could best help the team.

“I knew going into the first round that that was going to be the plan,” Hunter said of starting. 

“Obviously with Jarell coming in, the plan was for him to play five, but it’s worked out that he was playing more effectively at that four spot, which we weren’t anticipating. 

“Going into that first game, we’d done a lot of work in the lead up, so just trusting that, which is all you can really do. Quieting that voice that says ‘you haven’t been here before’ and ‘you’re a fresh face out there’ and all those impostor syndrome patterns, and I wasn’t really struggling with all that, so that was fortunate. 

“I think a big thing that has really helped me is just trying to stay in my lane with what I can help [the team] with. Just realising where your strengths lie and filling up those lanes before you start filling up other lanes. I think that helped me.”

Hunter had 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in 18 minutes of action in that opening game and certainly made an immediate impact.

Since then, he’s only grown in confidence and has become one of the more consistent contributors Adam Forde has at his disposal. He’s started all but three games and is averaging 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals, while shooting 58% from the field in 19 minutes per game. Hunter also recently ticked over 50 career games.

He’s more than held his own against some of the more dominant bigs in the league and made solid contributions at both ends of the floor, whether Jarell Martin is on the floor with him or not.

In terms of what has allowed him to perform like this, Hunter was quick to give others as much praise for his success as he gives himself.

“Belief from the coaches and my teammates has gone a really long way for me,” admitted Hunter. 

“Getting reps in this environment – I just haven’t had a high level of professional reps before – so just trusting that that would help me grow more confident in what I can do, in the flow of the game and that would come over the course of the season.

“And just really working on fine-tuning my approach to the game, and that’s been a lot of my off court work that I think has helped a great deal. I want to be a guy that you know what you’re going to get when you go out there.

“A lot of that work is just between the ears and making sure your approach is really solid. But the belief of the coaches and teammates is a massive one and I’ve really felt the love there.”

Of course, some of that praise has to go to Bogut. Spending a full season watching, studying and learning from someone like Bogut was a huge help for Hunter as a rookie.

Having the opportunity to chat with him, pick his brain on a daily basis and then try to put some of that advice into practice – against him no less – is something Hunter does not take for granted. But then having Kickert and Luc Longley at his disposal as well was a bonus. That combination probably helped to accelerate his development without Hunter even realising it at the time.

“Last year with him and Kicks and we had Luc [Longley] on board which was unexpected, and [Will] Weaver was unreal as well,” Hunter said. 

“But just getting to watch all those guys work and they’re such willing teachers as well, I felt very fortunate that that was the case.

“Watching Bogues specifically, he’s just such a consummate professional, he’s doing everything possible to get ready for that game day when you’ve got to go out there and do your job, and he’s seen a lot of things so that sort of stuff that he imparted was priceless. As I said, very fortunate to bear witness to all of that, even at the tail end of his career.”

There are few conversations had this season about the NBL’s Most Improved Player award that don’t involve Jordan Hunter being mentioned. Sure, you can make a case for Sam Froling, Kyle Adnam or even Jack McVeigh, but Hunter is certainly a front-runner at this stage.

When you go from barely playing to becoming a regular starter and meaningful contributor, that’s a pretty good case.

I asked Hunter straight out. Are you the Most Improved Player in the NBL this season? Yes or No?

“A binary question?” he chuckled. 

“I’m really happy with how I’ve been playing. Obviously the opportunity last year was a little limited, but yes or no question – I’ll say yes,” he conceded. 

“But I’m just happy the team’s doing alright and we’re in a position to make finals.”

Hunter is modest and that’s not because he doesn’t think he deserves the recognition. He admitted at much that he thinks he deserves that award.

Hunter’s modesty comes more from a pure focus on team success above all else. That is how he defines his own success. If he’s helping his team win then he must be doing something right.

What’s clear is that he is helping his team each and every week, in a variety of ways. Hunter has become a solid rebounder, on both the offensive and defensive glass. He’s evolved into a rim-runner and dive man on pick and rolls that teams need to be conscious of. And of course he’s a very solid rim protector.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">???<br><br>Pass the blu-tack please, we&#39;ve got a Jordan poster for your bedroom wall.<a href="https://twitter.com/jordihunter1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jordihunter1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/5C5OpQntBG">pic.twitter.com/5C5OpQntBG</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1376024533107310596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

Along the way, he’s had some impressive games; some highlights if you will that are all career highs. Hunter had 24 points against New Zealand in Round 7 on a perfect 9-9 FGs. He grabbed 13 rebounds against Perth in Round 13. And in Round 14, he blocked 6 shots against South East Melbourne.

“Obviously scoring a lot was really exciting, but in those games you feel like you’re just throwing anything up and it seems to be going down,” Hunter explained. 

“But the high rebound game; that was a growing personal focus of mine to make sure I’m pulling down boards and especially against a team like Perth who are such a dominant rebounding team. 

“For us as a program we’ve been really been working on trying to improve that; we had really strong offensive and defensive numbers but our rebounding numbers were really wanting, so that was a shift in focus for me as though ‘ok make sure you’re going out and grabbing a few at both ends of the floor’, so that was nice in terms of having a reassurance that we were on the right track there.

“Obviously we love protecting the rim as well and six blocks is exciting, so trying to do that more often than not, but I think the rebounding one was a coalescing of team goals into personal goals. 

“Unfortunately, it didn’t come in a win, which might make the points and the blocks ones a little sweeter, but we’ll take it nonetheless.”

Speaking of protecting the rim, this is something that Hunter prides himself on, but also knows what kind of impact it can have to help his team.

He’s blocked multiple shots on five different occasions this season and sees that as one of his best ways to impact a game, even if he may end up on the wrong end of a poster on occasion. 

“I love rim protecting,” Hunter declared. 

“That would be my favourite. There’s not much that takes the wind out of someone’s sails like blocking a dunk or they’ve got a nice little lay up and suddenly it’s being thrown back in their face. So that’s one I really enjoy and I feel like I can really influence the momentum of the game there.

“Obviously catching a poster every now and then is a pleasure, but the rim protecting – and that actually gets you on some posters as well believe it or not if you’re trying to block every shot.”

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yeah, nah. <a href="https://twitter.com/jordihunter1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jordihunter1</a> ??‍??<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/xDSKuqP8s5">pic.twitter.com/xDSKuqP8s5</a></p>&mdash; Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1360149067695673347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

Hunter signed a three-year deal with the Kings when he came out of Saint Mary’s, with the third year being a team option.

Chris Pongrass will need to decide this offseason whether or not to pick up that option. I’m not Pongrass, but I would venture a guess that he’s leaning towards doing just that at this stage.

Hunter though, hasn’t given any thought to where he may be playing next season.

“No. I’ll leave that in the hands of Chris and my agent,” he said. 

“I’ve loved my time here and I’d love to stay but we’ve got a lot of games left and I’m going with more of the eyes on the prize approach than worrying about my contract next year. Usually if you focus on the task at hand and play alright, then those things will take care of themselves I’ve found.”

Wisdom from someone so young is rare, but goes to his approach, his self-belief in the work he’s put in and his team-first mentality.

This team still has a bad taste in their mouths from how last season concluded. Coming into NBL21, with the departures of Bogut, Jae’Sean Tate, Kevin Lisch, Lucas Walker and then Weaver, it was always going to be an uphill battle to get back to the Grand Final.

Then add to that the injuries to Cooks, Angus Glover, Dejan Vasiljevic and Jarell Martin missing time, plus this week’s shock departure of Didi Louzada and it’s been a lot to contend with.

Hunter believes the team is tracking well and giving themselves a chance to get back to the Finals and compete for a championship, despite all of those setbacks and challenges.

“I was thinking we had too many able bodied players ready to go, so we shipped Didi off just to give some burn to some other guys,” Hunter joked. 

“At this rate it’s almost getting comical how much we’ve lost in terms of players. The narrative going into this season was already the turnover from last year and it seems like every month we have a season-ending injury. That’s the nature of sports in this COVID world; it’s not just the NBL that’s struggling with it. 

“Irrespective, we have championship aspirations, as peculiar as that sounds to some folks and we’ve managed to weather that storm. We understand if you make the Finals, anything can happen. Whether that’s the NBL or sport in general, you’ve just got to put yourself in a position to win. 

“It’d be great if the stars aligned and all our pieces are coming back and raring to go by that time of year, but if not we’ve got plenty of reps just piecing together victories whether we have thirteen people ready to go or whether we have eight. 

“So, we’ll be ready for either and we plan on trying to make a Finals run here, so we’ll have to do that with whoever’s ready to suit up.”

If that happens, it won’t be serendipitous. At least not when it comes to Hunter. He’s put in the work to give himself and his team that chance.