Inside Sydney Kings’ stunning off-season recruiting drive including the bombshell signature of Kendric Davis
Last year, as Sydney was being touted as NBL title favourite, Brian Goorjian was preparing for an Olympic campaign. This year, his full attention is on a near-complete Kings roster that might just fit the bill.
Get ready for Goorj’s Kings 2.0.
With the bombshell signature of NBL25 MVP finalist Kendric Davis, Sydney coach Brian Goorjian’s roster is near complete – more than five months out from next season’s tip-off.
It’s been a swift, decisive response from the master mentor to a Harbour City return that never really took off and was summarily ended in the first play-in game – ironically by his new charge and the Adelaide 36ers.
With forward Makuach Maluach inking a new deal, the Kings only have one vacant roster spot left. That will eventually be filled by a big man – a local one – meaning the Kings will enter the season with one import, along with a number of elite marquee locals.
This time last year, Goorjian was in the throes of preparing for an Olympic campaign with the Boomers as the Kings were being touted by some as the NBL title favourites and one of the most talented rosters ever assembled.
The year two Kings have ‘Goorj’s’ full attention as he prepares for another swing at an NBL championship.
“Last time I had the national program, it was full belt into that, which was an honour and unbelievably enjoyable, but now, having the freedom to build relationships, spend time on development, I’m really excited,” Goorjian said.
“When the season finished we identified what our issues were and we felt like the glass was half full because we had so many key guys coming back who we were comfortable with on our roster.
“We had seven or eight there and there was a lot of good last season.”
The bad centred mostly on Goorj’s wish for an extra ballhandler, with too much of the load left on the dodgy back of ultra-talented import Jaylen Adams.
Never one to do things by halves, this off-season he went out and got arguably the two best point guards in the entire league – Melbourne United’s Aussie hero Matthew Dellavedova and now the enigmatic Davis, who made a massive impact in Adelaide.
“If Delly didn’t get signed before that free agent list came out, we decided we were going full bore,” Goorjian said.
“Then, during that process, the Delly-KD thing got traction.
“There was an attraction there and the Delly piece really lifted KD.”
Goorj first learnt of Davis, the fiery but talented guard who lit up the court for the 36ers, when his national team assistant David Patrick gave him a warning.
Patrick was an assistant on a Texas Christian University team that featured both Davis and King Kuoat Noi.
“I remember when I was with David Patrick and we were at the Olympics and he said ‘man, Adelaide’s got a good one (Davis), talent-wise, you’re in for a handful’,” Goorjian said.
“They have a close relationship and there’s a lot of respect there between Kendric and David, It’s almost like a father figure.”
The Delly-Davis pair will power a likely starting five of former MVP and Boomers World Cup forward Xavier Cooks, defensive dynamo Bul Kuol and musclebound stretch big Keli Leaupepe. Add in the Sixth Man of the Year in Noi, a healthy Jaylin Galloway, veteran Shaun Bruce and several returning youngsters and Goorjian has a nucleus he believes fits the NBL recipe for success.
They’ll play five-out, where everyone operates around the arc and multiple three-point threats open up space for the likes of Delly and KD to work in.
With Kuol, Cooks and Dellavedova, expect the Kings to be one of, if not the, best defensive team in the NBL.
“There’s a formula to winning this thing. In my build and my history, I’m into the Australian content, building that out, and then putting the imports around it,” Goorjian said.
“There’s definitely an energy and a mindset and style of play we want to play to entertain our crowd.”
Davis said he signed with Sydney in the hope the Kings – and Dellavedova, who won an NBA title with Cleveland – can help him make the leap to the big league.
“I just felt I needed that platform that Sydney can provide, to give me the best chance of reaching the NBA – which is my ultimate goal,” Davis said.
“Delly has played in the NBA so learning from him and being part of the platform the Kings provide just made sense.”
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