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The Sydney Kings’ hopes of making the NBL finals are hanging by the barest of threads, which given their roster, is an absurd reality.
In arguably the closest NBL season to date, the Kings (11-13) sit sixth on the ladder, a game behind fourth-placed Melbourne United.
Given their struggles during the 2015-16 season, you’d be forgiven for assuming the club was making strides as they look to return to the top of Australian basketball.
The unfortunate reality, however, is that they’ve shown no real improvements.
The Kings have one of, if not the, best roster in the NBL. A change of ownership and a complete overhaul of the team filled fans with a belief the side was headed in the right direction as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since returning to the league.
A blistering start to the season saw them become comfortable leaders in a log-jammed ladder, before things started to go backwards for Sydney.
Being without your starting centre for the entire season is always going to affect your play, and while the presence of Julian Khazzouh certainly would’ve made a difference for the side, the Kings’ flaws are evident and telling.
Their inability to hold teams to below 80 points has been a telling factor in their horrid run of form. A lot of this comes down to their inability to dominate the boards.
The Kings’ rebounding issues have been ever-present this season, giving away second-chance points and allowing teams to find their rhythm far too easily.
On offence, they’ve become one-dimensional.
Their reliance on the three-ball has become a hindrance, and opposition teams are having an easy time of closing down the open man.
The additions of Kevin Lisch and Brad Newley were meant to provide structure to their offence. Instead, they too have fallen victim to old Sydney habits that have been tried and tested – and as such, failed.
In their recent loss to Adelaide, they began four-from-four from three-point range as they opened up an early double-digit lead, only to become reliant on their long-range shooting before going four-for-19 for the remainder of the game.
It’s fair to say that the inexperience of Andrew Gaze as head coach has had a part to play in the side’s inability to stem the bleeding.
While Sydney has certainly set a platform to build off moving forward and has shown more promise than any previous season since their return, there’s ultimately still question marks about whether another season without playoffs can possibly be considered a success.
Given the roster overhaul and the expectation going into the season, it’s set to end with more disappointment for Sydney.
While there’s still time and hope for them to steady things and make a push for the finals, unlike those around them, there’s no real sign of improvement from the Kings.
In a season that began with clear progress, the Kings look set to finish with little more than last season’s wooden spoon efforts.
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