Adelaide 36ers playing ‘freelance offence’ according to star import Shannon Shorter

ADELAIDE import Shannon Shorter says the 36ers are playing “freelance offence” and unselfish basketball as they prepare to hit the road for a tough double header against New Zealand and Melbourne.

Shannon Shorter of the 36ers takes on the Taipans’ Damon Heuir. Picture: AAP Image/Brian Cassey

ADELAIDE import Shannon Shorter says the 36ers are playing “freelance offence” and unselfish basketball as they prepare to hit the road for a tough double header against New Zealand and Melbourne.

Shorter is averaging 14.8 points and a team-high six assists per game in his debut NBL season and has praised the way fellow import Josh Childress slotted into the team against Cairns on Friday night.

“Right after the game me and Josh were walking off the court and I told Josh ‘man, you nice, your game is smooth and you fit in effortlessly’,” Shorter said.

“And the way we play is really like a freelance offensive system and whoever got it going the coach says ‘feed him’ and he’s putting no shackles on us on offence.

“He (Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright) just wants us to compete on defence, so anybody can come in if you have the skillset and mindframe and natural instinct to be a ball player and make plays.

“Obviously Josh Childress has been around from the highest level to overseas and he’s a natural born ball player.”

The third-placed 36ers will fly to Auckland on Tuesday to play the New Zealand Breakers on Thursday night before heading to Melbourne to play United - for the third time this season - on Saturday night at Hisense Arena.

Having played Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne twice in the opening four rounds, Shorter said Adelaide was looking forward to coming up against the Breakers.

“This New Zealand and Melbourne trip is going to be exciting and tough,” he said.

“Teams get a lot of energy at their home,” he said.

“Melbourne have lost a couple of games but they still have a lot of talent. I feel they’re going to get it together as soon as possible. And New Zealand are playing really good defence, executing offence and getting a contribution from every player.

“It’s an exciting season, I feel like anybody can beat anybody on any given night.”

Shorter also praised the closeness of the team and spoke about his relationship with coach Joey Wright.

“Joey Wright, KB (assistant coach Kevin Brooks) and coach Tracey (York), they all great people and I love Joey to death.,” he said.

“We talk before every game, after every game, we talk a lot, and he is just a really great coach for me.

“He’s just really been more so of a mentor to me and really helped me out when my aunt passed and allowed me to go home and spend that time with my family, that was big for me, and it shows what sort of a man he is in terms of his character.”

The 36ers had a light training run after their weekly video review yesterday and highflying guard Nathan Sobey later had shooting practice with club legend Al Green.