Torrey Craig was crook on the bench, Matthew Dellavedova threw up on the plane from Sydney and wasn\u2019t in the building and Kendric Davis wasn\u2019t in the country.<\/p>\n
The Sydney Kings were never going to match it with a near-full-strength South East Melbourne outfit in their Code Sports NBL Blitz opener in Bendigo, going down 101-89.<\/p>\n
But there were some glimmers of hope from the Kings\u2019 new brigade as the Phoenix showed why they are set to be one of the deepest teams in the NBL.<\/p>\n
KENDRIC CLOSING IN?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a rough off-season for the Kings.<\/p>\n
Injured defensive dynamo Bul Kuol packed his bags for Adelaide and they let former NBL Sixth Man of the Year Kouat Noi leave for New Zealand in the belief Jaylin Galloway was in the Harbour City for at least another season.<\/p>\n
But he packed his bags for Cairns, strong man Keli Leaupepe did his knee for a second year in a row and star big man Xavier Cooks was busted for a second time using an illicit substance.<\/p>\n
Add to that, Davis has been stranded in the US due to a \u2018passport issue\u2019.<\/p>\n
That was after he told Sydney their request for him to return to the club on August 2 for pre-season training was too early and he wanted more time at home in the US with his family.<\/p>\n
The Kings now say they\u2019re expecting him to touch down within the week.<\/p>\n
Good news if it happens.<\/p>\n
DASH\u2019S HOME-TOWN DELIGHT<\/p>\n
Bendigo-born Next Star Dash Daniels switched clubs and changed his mindset in the off-season, entering his move to the Phoenix with a simple philosophy: \u201cjust keep shooting\u201d.<\/p>\n
And, with a number of NBA scouts in the building to get eyes on the 2027 draft prospect, the teen showed early signs that mantra is going to pay off.<\/p>\n
In 35 games at Melbourne United last season, Daniels never made more than two three-pointers in a game \u2014 and never attempted more than 4.<\/p>\n
By quarter time against the Kings, Daniels was 2-of-4 from deep, hit another during the third and nearly brought the house down at Red Energy Arena when he nearly made one from behind half-court on the three-quarter-time buzzer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to be back home,\u201d Daniels told the crowd, post game.<\/p>\n
Daniels said he was going to \u201ccatch up with some of the boys\u201d after training on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Daniels\u2019 battles with Kings back-court rookies Jayden Stone and Will Johnston were particularly enjoyable to watch, the 18-year-old giving no quarter defensively forcing the two college-returnees to dig deep.<\/p>\n
Daniels finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds \u2014 and a slightly wayward 3-9 from deep \u2014 but it was the confidence to keep launching that stood out.<\/p>\n
Keep that energy all season, young fella.<\/p>\n
MAK\u2019S PURPLE PATCH<\/p>\n
Given the departures of Noi and Galloway, it\u2019s a good thing the Kings stumped up some $300,000-plus per season for ultra-athletic wing Makuach Maluach.<\/p>\n
The former Melbourne United development player has found a home in Sydney under a coach in Brian Goorjian who he loves playing for.<\/p>\n
And, particularly in the first quarter, Maluach showed why he is worth every penny as someone who can take a big leap for the Kings this season.<\/p>\n
Nine points and a steal in the first 5 minutes of the game included a three-ball and a pair of free throws as the Ugandan-born wing put an early stamp on the contest.<\/p>\n
TAIPANS v WILDCATS<\/p>\n
The Code Sports NBL Blitz opener in Bendigo produced a thriller between Perth and Cairns \u2014 even if both teams shot it like Storm Troopers trying to take out a member of the Rebel Alliance.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what we took from the Taipans 85-82 win over the Wildcats and Mick Randall\u2019s Ray Borner Medal votes.<\/p>\n
BENDIGO\u2019S BRICK HOUSE<\/p>\n
How do you tell it\u2019s the first game of the Blitz?<\/p>\n
Easy, look at the shooting percentages.<\/p>\n
Perth and Cairns built themselves a mansion in Bendigo, missing 84 of their 138 shot attempts at the woeful percentage of 39 per cent.<\/p>\n
Keanu Pinder\u2019s 9 points came on 15 shots and he missed 5 of his 6 three-point tries, while Dylan Windler\u2019s 3 points came on one make, as his 5 other attempts went wide.<\/p>\n
Luke Skywalker would have been safe at half-court.<\/p>\n
BRUCEY REJUVENATED<\/p>\n
Sydney said goodbye to three-time championship-winning veteran Shaun Bruce, who is second on the club\u2019s all-time appearance list.<\/p>\n
And, to be fair, it looked at times like the 35-year-old might have been close to the end.<\/p>\n
But, now in Cairns, Brucey is proving there\u2019s plenty more fight in him.<\/p>\n
And, with young Next Star Luke Paul injured and a lack of genuine ball-handling and point guard play, he\u2019s set to play a vital role for the Taipans in NBL27.<\/p>\n
Against Perth, Bruce started and played a team-high 34 minutes, absolutely filling up the stat sheet with 14 points on 3 three-pointers, to go with 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block.<\/p>\n
Give that man the keys.<\/p>\n
NEW DELLY\u2019S GOOD SIGNS DESPITE EARLY SHOWER<\/p>\n
Small sample size but, on his efforts in FIBA World Cup qualifiers with the Boomers last week and then Wednesday night\u2019s 13-point, 9-rebound effort, new Wildcat Anthony Dell\u2019Orso looks likely to play a significant role for the Wildcats this season. <\/p>\n
The 23-year-old Victorian has hit the ground running in Perth, but will have some early teething (NBL referee) problems to get used to after he fouled out half way through the third quarter. <\/p>\n
Can he have greater impact and be more consistent than US college-bound Ben Henshall?<\/p>\n
EX-NBA GUN RULED OUT<\/p>\n
Melbourne United boom recruit Cole Anthony is out of the Code Sports NBL Blitz.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old former NBA man, who exploded with 27 points against Cairns on Saturday night, is dealing with a calf complaint after his first competitive hitout in nearly seven months.<\/p>\n
The club is taking every precaution to make sure Anthony is right for Round 1 of the season.<\/p>\n
The ex-Orlando Magic guard is the second NBL superstar to be ruled out of the five-day pre-season tournament, on the back of mysterious passport issues which have robbed Bendigo of reigning grand final MVP Kendric Davis of Sydney.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Torrey Craig was crook on the bench, Matthew Dellavedova threw up on the plane from Sydney and wasn\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":86270,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[143503,143470,143461,143453,143479,143520,143525,143478,5859,143423,143412,143496,143440,143486,143472,143522,143432,46919,143427,41445,143518,143483,78622,143519,68373,38123,44372,38094,40577,143508,37595,143434,37330,45338,143411,57127,49579,143468,143467,143500,143449,143464,143415,143527,143482,143488,395,39934,143429,143458,143445,83366,60191,11616,55605,143481,81105,143474,143477,11083,143489,21547,143526,143469,143433,143499,45333,143435,143457,143416,143436,143512,4870,844,143459,143442,143452,143517,143420,143421,143502,143523,85667,143460,143456,143473,143463,80746,127465,88253,41790,143528,143425,143513,143413,45588,143510,143494,143514,8382,143446,143438,143515,38364,143490,143418,143417,143443,2294,143465,143493,143428,143466,335,143407,9796,143430,143516,143484,8839,143408,4553,1559,143441,143419,143497,143431,143451,247,143529,55354,44116,86787,45786,143498,43911,143506,51962,37889,36523,39770,143487,47334,143507,37024,55391,143462,72821,143444,143410,76087,85510,43062,40472,36981,37465,143426,143455,143495,43067,92365,59741,143471,143509,143439,135473,143524,143409,49260,99713,143450,143475,143501,36628,143437,143511,143521,143491,143485,143447,143414,143504,143480,143454,41481,143476,2716,143492,143448,143505,143422,143424],"class_list":["post-86269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-perth","tag-passport-issue-that","tag-s-3-points","tag-s-9-points","tag-s-all-time-appearance-list-and","tag-s-brick-househow","tag-s-home-town-delightbendigo-born-next-star-dash-daniels","tag-s-purple","tag-s-ray-borner-medal-votes-bendigo","tag-5859","tag-1-block-give","tag-101-89-but","tag-11-points","tag-14-points","tag-15-shots","tag-2-steals","tag-3-three-pointers","tag-35-games","tag-46919","tag-5-rebounds","tag-41445","tag-6-assists","tag-7-rebounds","tag-78622","tag-a-big-leap","tag-a-coach","tag-a-game","tag-a-good-thing","tag-a-home","tag-a-lack","tag-a-mansion","tag-a-member","tag-a-near-full-strength-south-east-melbourne-outfit","tag-a-number","tag-a-pair","tag-a-rough-off-season","tag-a-row","tag-a-second-time","tag-a-second-year","tag-a-simple-philosophy","tag-a-slightly-wayward-3-9","tag-a-steal","tag-a-superb-phoenix-side","tag-a-team-high-34-minutes","tag-a-three-ball","tag-a-thriller","tag-a-vital-role","tag-adelaide","tag-all-season","tag-an-early-stamp","tag-an-illicit-substance-add","tag-another-season-but","tag-august-2","tag-battles","tag-bendigo","tag-both-teams","tag-brian-goorjian","tag-bruce","tag-brucey","tag-bul-kuol","tag-cairns","tag-cent-keanu-pinder","tag-clubs","tag-code-sports-blitz-mvpkendric-closing","tag-code-sports-nbl-blitz","tag-daniels","tag-davis","tag-deep","tag-deep-daniels","tag-dylan-windler","tag-early-signs","tag-every-penny","tag-ex-nba-guard-cole-anthony","tag-eyes","tag-fire","tag-first-blood","tag-for-and","tag-former-nbl-sixth-man","tag-free-throws","tag-genuine-ball-handling-and-point-guard-play","tag-glimmers","tag-half-court","tag-half-court-brucey-rejuvenatedsydney","tag-him-and","tag-his-5-other-attempts","tag-his-6-three-point-tries","tag-his-bags","tag-his-family-the-kings","tag-his-knee","tag-his-mindset","tag-his-move","tag-hope","tag-jayden-stone-and-will-johnston","tag-kendric-davis","tag-kings","tag-kings-back-court-rookies","tag-last-season","tag-maluach","tag-mantra","tag-matthew-dellavedova","tag-melbourne-united","tag-mick-randall","tag-more-than-4-by","tag-more-than-two-three-pointers","tag-more-time","tag-nba-scouts","tag-nbl27-against-perth","tag-new-brigade","tag-new-phoenix","tag-new-zealand","tag-night-one","tag-no-quarter","tag-noi-and-galloway","tag-off-in","tag-perth","tag-perth-and-cairns","tag-phoenix","tag-plenty-more-fight","tag-post-game-daniels","tag-pre-season-training","tag-quarter-time","tag-red-energy-arena","tag-season","tag-shooting","tag-some-300","tag-some-glimmers","tag-star-big-man-xavier-cooks","tag-storm-troopers","tag-strong-man-keli-leaupepe","tag-sydney","tag-taipans","tag-that-energy","tag-that-man","tag-the-blitz","tag-the-18-year-old","tag-the-2027-draft-prospect","tag-the-35-year-old","tag-the-belief-jaylin-galloway","tag-the-bench","tag-the-boys","tag-the-building","tag-the-club","tag-the-code-sports-nbl-blitz-opener","tag-the-confidence","tag-the-contest-taipans-v-wildcatsthe-code-sports-nbl-blitz-opener","tag-the-country","tag-the-crowd","tag-the-deepest-teams","tag-the-departures","tag-the-end-but","tag-the-first-5-minutes","tag-the-first-game","tag-the-first-night","tag-the-first-quarter","tag-the-game","tag-the-harbour-city","tag-the-house","tag-the-kings-injured-defensive-dynamo","tag-the-kings","tag-the-nbl-mick-randall","tag-the-off-season","tag-the-phoenix","tag-the-plane","tag-the-rebel-alliance-here","tag-the-shooting-percentages-perth-and-cairns","tag-the-stat-sheet","tag-the-sydney-kings","tag-the-taipans","tag-the-taipans-85-82-win","tag-the-teen","tag-the-third","tag-the-three-quarter-time-buzzer","tag-the-two-college-returnees","tag-the-ugandan-born-wing","tag-the-us","tag-the-week-good-news","tag-the-wildcats","tag-the-woeful-percentage","tag-the-year-kouat-noi-leave","tag-their-138-shot-attempts","tag-their-code-sports-nbl-blitz-opener","tag-their-request","tag-this-season-nine-points","tag-three-time-championship-winning-veteran-shaun-bruce","tag-thursday-daniels","tag-times","tag-torrey-craig","tag-training","tag-ultra-athletic-wing-makuach-maluach-the-former-melbourne-united-development-player","tag-wide-luke-skywalker","tag-wildcats","tag-young-fella-mak","tag-young-next-star-luke-paul"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86269\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}