Adelaide 36ers star Majok Deng on being first to training and last to leave, playing his role and that block on Jerome Randle
OFTEN the first to arrive and last to leave the practice court, Majok Deng knows he has to make the most of every opportunity to improve. Listen to the Adelaide 36ers podcast here.
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OFTEN the first to arrive and last to leave the practice court, Majok Deng knows he has to make the most of every opportunity to improve.
“That’s been my habit since I started playing basketball because I feel like I’m behind on my skills and I’m trying to catch up on a lot of things because I started basketball late (from soccer),” he said.
“I want to keep working hard every day and that’s kind of my motto.
“I definitely feel like I am a big part of the team and I can help in a lot of ways.
“I’m just staying ready, waiting for my number to be called, whatever I can do to help the team win is my job.”
Deng is playing an important role coming off the bench for the Adelaide 36ers this season and brought the house down on Saturday night with his big rejection on Jerome Randle.
“It felt good, it’s not just Jerome, if that was anybody else I would feel good about it,” he said.
“Protecting the rim is my job, being long and athletic, it was a good block but it would be good on anybody.”
36 seconds with a 36er ...
Childhood hero?
“My parents. I’ve got a big family and the things my dad had to do to keep food and get everything we need, it shows what kind of man he was and I am trying to be like him when I grow up and I look up to him so much. My basketball hero would be Kevin Durant.”
NBA team?
“OKC.”
If you weren’t a professional basketballer?
“I’d probably be a soccer player, if I didn’t grow this tall I’d probably still be playing soccer. I started as a goal-keeper then to midfield and striker for my local club.”
Joey’s favourite saying?
“Play hard, that’s his favourite. Effort and play hard and bring it every day.”
Teammate you’d want shooting for your life from the free throw line?
“Most of us are pretty good free throw shooters but I would take Daniel Johnson.”
ROUND 7
Adelaide 108 (Shannon Shorter 19, Nathan Sobey 16) Sydney 93 (Perry Ellis 26, Jerome Randle 18).
THE MOMENT
Adelaide still trailed Sydney by one point with 7 minutes to go in the third quarter when Mitch Creek did what Mitch Creek does. Pressure, run, drive and score. Jerome Randle dribbled past halfway and passed to Todd Blanchfield but Creek was right on his hammer. He reached around, stole the ball, drove to the basket, scored and was fouled to turn the game Adelaide’s way.
THE STAR
The Sixers had plenty of contributors on Saturday night but hard to go past Shorter’s game. For several reasons — not just numbers alone, but all week the game was built as Jerome Randle’s return and nothing was said of the influence Shorter has had on the team since arriving. He was also suiting up for the first time since Joey Wright took aim after the loss to Illawarra and said he needed to up the intensity.
Shorter clearly got the message with a blistering first quarter on his way to a team-high 19 points and six assists. He also showed he’s not afraid to take a backward step with a heated exchange with Randle during the game.
THE QUOTE
There was a lot of tension there, a lot of pressure (early), and we settled in and played our style and didn’t fragment from one another so I thought we showed a lot of character.
— Joey Wright.
COMING UP
Saturday, December 1 v Brisbane (home)
FORMLINE
-2 v Melbourne (0-1)
+9 v Sydney (1-1)
+26 v Cairns (2-1)
-20 v Melbourne (2-2)
+30 v Sydney (3-2)
+4 v Cairns (4-2)
-4 v New Zealand (4-3)
-17 v Melbourne (4-4)
-9 v Illawarra (4-5)
+15 v Sydney (5-5)
THE NUMBERS
Points (per game)
Daniel Johnson 16.5
Mitch Creek 15
Shannon Shorter 13.8
Ramone Moore 12.7
Nathan Sobey 12.6
Rebounds
Daniel Johnson 6.8
Mitch Creek 5.6
Shannon Shorter 5.1
Josh Childress 4.4
Nathan Sobey 3.8
Assists
Shannon Shorter 5.1
Nathan Sobey 3.4
Josh Childress 2.8
Mitch Creek 2.2
Daniel Johnson 2.1
Blocks
Matthew Hodgson 0.6
Daniel Johnson 0.5
Shannon Shorter 0.4
Josh Childress 0.4
Mitch Creek 0.4
Steals
Mitch Creek 1.2
Nathan Sobey 1.2
Shannon Shorter 1.1
Daniel Johnson 0.8
Ramone Moore 0.7
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