Time for the Sydney Kings to look to veterans with young guns struggling

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Whilst Brian Goorjian is well respected and regarded as the best Australian coach of all time, it has been this season which has left Sydney Kings and NBL supporters scratching their heads. With his 11 and 12 man rotations, starting struggling rookies over experienced players and plenty more, is it time for Goorjian to look to the experience that he has at his disposal to get the team back on track. 

The Kings have lost their last 2 games and without star guard and former NBL MVP, Jaylen Adams it’s not going to get any easier. The recent struggles have fallen in line with the struggles of rookies Tyler Robertson and Keli Leaupepe. Robertson against the Perth Wildcats started for the Kings and finished the game with 0 points, 1 rebounds and 3 assists whilst playing 19 minutes. It was a similar game for Leaupepe who finished the game with 0 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 7 minutes after giving away 4 quick fouls. 

This ultimately cost the Kings the game as they lost by only 3 points to the Perth Wildcats and it raised plenty of questions from around the league. What is the solution? 

The solution is easy, it is time to look at the experience you have at your disposal, NBL veterans Shaun Bruce and Izayah Le’Afa have shown that they can lead a team whilst also putting up big numbers. With Robertson struggling at this stage of the season, it is a no brainer for Goorjian who can’t afford many more losses at this time of the season. 

To fix the Leaupepe issue it’s time to bring in Cam Oliver, for whatever reason Goorjian and Oliver haven’t meshed yet as a player and coach combination, but there is no point in letting a talent like him rot away on the bench. 

With all things considered the Kings are 5-4 to start the NBL25 season but with a tough week this week where they play Melbourne United and the Tasmanian JackJumpers, it’s time to lean on the experience, take the pressure off of the youth and get some wins on the board. 

This team and franchise is capable of some great things this season, there is a reason they were Championship favourites but the NBL seasons are only so long, getting wins at any point of the season is too important to be running experiments with young players which is causing you to lose. 

Many will be watching on with a close eye this weekend and with many Sydney Kings fans calling for the experience to play, they may finally get their wish this round. The kick the round off against Melbourne United in Melbourne at John Cain Arena in what will be a huge test.