Adelaide 36ers have a new home and hope for 2019/20 NBL season
Adelaide will officially have a new NBL home this weekend when the 36ers play their first home game at the Entertainment Centre against Nathan Sobey’s Brisbane Bullets. PLUS download your 2019-20 souvenir Sixers team poster.
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THE Adelaide 36ers have a new home, new captains, new imports and new hope for their new season which fans will finally get to be part of this weekend.
Fresh from their trip to the US last week where they were humbled by NBA contender the Utah Jazz by 51 points, Adelaide returned to Australia and lost its season opener against Sydney by 22 points just four days later.
But their home opener against Brisbane awaits this Saturday night as they attempt to return to the NBL finals after slipping from grand finalist to fifth last season.
“It’s not going to get any harder than that (playing the Jazz), OK. I don’t care if you’re in a grand final game in the NBL, it’s not going to get any harder than that. You’re not going to find five better athletes on the court with 10 others waiting to check in,” coach Joey Wright said after the tip to the US.
“So what you can take out of it is ‘this is how ugly it can be, now it’s not that ugly and I’ll play a little bit freer’, and that’s what I hope they take out of it.”
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Everything old is new again at the Sixers with star point guard Jerome Randle returning to the club after spending the past two years with the Kings.
Randle, 32, was called in to replace rookie import Deshon Taylor in Salt Lake City last week and has signed a two-year contract with the team which begins a new era in the club’s history at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
More than 6300 fans turned out to the AEC for the Sixers’ pre-season clash against Melbourne United and they’re expecting a packed house to play the Bullets.
Wright said Randle would change “everything” about Adelaide’s offence this season.
“He is still a little bit behind in game shape which we’ve seen in four or five trips up and down (the court), so you’ve got to get him to game level, but he will change the way teams defend our pick and roll, our transition and push up the court, everything,” he said.
Randle flew in to Salt Lake City and joined the team for the Utah clash on the weekend. He then went head-to-head with Casper Ware in Sydney where he opened the season with 16 points.
“It’s been a quick process and I’m excited, I’m very excited about being back,” he said.
“I think everybody knows my love for Adelaide and not wanting to leave this place but I’m just glad to be back for another fresh start.
“I definitely know Kevin White, I’ve had a lot of battles against him and I’m glad he’s on the same side because he’s a tough dude, I am familiar with Teysy, he’s a good friend of mine. DJ and Drmic, these are all my guys that basically we grew up together in Adelaide when they were rookies, so I’m excited to see them progress and become the players they are now.”
There is also a familiar vibe to the new captaincy with former skipper Brendan Teys returning to the post alongside recruit Kevin White. Teys captained the 36ers in their grand final season of 2017-18 before Daniel Johnson was voted in by the players last year.
But a club decision to go with co-captains this season saw Teys and White - who has previously captained Illawarra in his 232-game NBL career - take the reins together.
They bring years of experience to the team along with new signing Daniel Dillon who impressed with 11 points off the bench in Utah last weekend.
There is also genuine excitement surrounding the potential of new import Eric Griffin who has almost a decade’s experience playing around the world including with five teams in the NBA.
Griffin has emerged as an aggressive shot blocker on defence and athletic power forward on offence who has a long-range shot from outside three if he gets an open look. He, perhaps more than anyone, stands to benefit from Randle’s arrival given the creative point guard will create space and scoring opportunities once they develop on-court chemistry.
Adelaide’s third import, Ramone Moore, also looks fit and healthy going into the new season. Moore was hampered by two calf injuries last year which stalled his season but competed in a big-money US knockout tournament in the off-season and will play a big role for the 36ers straight away.
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There is also hope surrounding the growth in second-year professionals Harry Froling and Jack McVeigh who have had NBA workouts or Boomers experience since joining the 36ers last year.
Anthony Drmic is also expected to continue his development as a lethal three-point shooter and close checking guard after recovering from double foot surgery in the off-season and he did not look out of place against the Jazz at the top level.
The 36ers missed Round 1 of the NBL while competing in Utah but had an encouraging pre-season with wins over Perth, New Zealand and the Philippines national team.