Sydney Kings swingman Brad Newley on his return to form
SYDNEY Kings swingman Brad Newley says a diet of home cooking and Andrew Bogut honesty has helped him recapture his finest form this season.
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BRAD Newley says a diet of home cooking and Andrew Bogut honesty has helped him recapture his finest form for the Sydney Kings this season.
Newley freely admits he struggled to produce his best last year because he was slightly overweight after an off-season stint in Greece.
Flash forward 12 months and the veteran Boomers small forward has ditched the souvlaki for his wife’s cooking.
Newley says the greater focus on his diet has him feeling fit, fresh and ready to fire every week.
“My body fat percentage is a lot lower than it was this time last year,” Newley told The Daily Telegraph.
“I came into last year a bit over 100kg and now I’m 98. That is how I want to keep myself.
“I probably had too many souvlakis when I was over in Greece. I’ll put my hand up and say I dabbled too much.
“But this pre-season I just stayed in Sydney and I’ll have to credit my wife, Brigid, for cooking for me and looking after me.”
The slimmed-down Newley has delivered strong form on the floor this season. He was particularly impressive against the 36ers in Adelaide last week when he finished with a game-high 23 points in the 106-101 defeat.
Newley has also benefited from the presence of his close friend Bogut.
The pair’s close relationship dates back to the 2003 world championships when they joined forces to help Australia win the gold medal game against Lithuania.
“Having Andrew in the line-up is definitely a big positive for me personally,” Newley said.
“He provides another inside target and we haven’t really had that in the past.
“He takes his defenders out of it, just through his size, and it gives us drivers a lot more space to work with.
“Then from the defensive aspect, we’ve got something we can force our players into.
“Andrew is leading the league in blocks and rebounds – so you’ve got that interior presence, which gives you confidence that you can really have a go on defence because you know that support is there.”
Newley is also benefiting from Bogut’s trademark honesty. The big man’s forthrightness was on show after Sydney’s second loss to Adelaide last week, when the players’ spirits were down, with Bogut ensuring they kept their perspective in check.
“Whereas in the past we might have dropped the bundle a little bit,” Newley said. “We were off in our first game against Adelaide but we addressed it.
“With Bogut, we’ve already had honest conversations and we are only three games in. It is just nice to have a sounding board.”
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