NBL 2023: Xavier Cooks, Mitch Creek set to go head-to-head in Sydney Kings vs South East Melbourne Phoenix
MVP candidates Xavier Cooks and Mitch Creek will go head-to-head in a potential Grand Final preview when the Sydney Kings and South East Melbourne Phoenix clash.
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It’s the marquee match-up between MVP contenders that will decide a blockbuster clash being hailed as a potential grand final series preview.
Sydney Kings star swingman Xavier Cooks will go head-to-head with South East Melbourne Phoenix gun Mitch Creek in a Sunday NBL classic.
Cooks and Creek have set the league alight this season, consistently dropping big numbers to be in the best player conversation.
Together, the gifted duo have piloted their respective teams – Sydney and South East Melbourne – to the NBL’s top four.
At the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Centre, Cooks and Creek get another chance to push their MVP claims and championship credentials. The Kings are favourites to defend their crown, but the Phoenix are rising as the right end of the season approaches.
Cooks is seen as the leading MVP candidate, alongside Cairns big man Keanu Pinder, but even the Sydney star believes Creek is the forgotten man.
“Mitch’s whole career has been unbelievable,” Cooks said about Creek ahead of Sunday’s clash.
“His problem right now, is kind of what (Tasmania coach) Scott Roth said about me the other day, that I’m not shiny.
“Mitch has been around for so long and been so consistent that we just expect him to do this, so it has lost its affect. He is averaging 22 points and he is continuing to get better. I’ve got a lot of respect for that dude with the way he goes about his business.
“He plays hard, and he is a great competitor.”
Cooks is equally in awe of South East Melbourne, who led by Creek, fellow locals like Ryan Broekhoff and a host of standout imports, have emerged as genuine championship threats this season.
“They are a really good team and one of the more talented teams in this league,” he said. “They’ve still got to still figure it out.”
NBA experienced Phoenix swingman Ryan Broekhoff also has faith in his side’s prospects this season. Much of Broekhoff’s belief comes from Creek’s leadership and ability to make others in the team better through his actions, on and off the court.
The Phoenix forward has also become the complete player, who can shoot, defend, pass, and even use his athleticism in the post as an undersized four man.
Broekhoff shares the feeling that Creek doesn’t receive enough mentions in the MVP conversation.
“I’m not sure that he does, because he is so consistent, and he has done it for such a long time now, so it just becomes what you expect from him,” Broekhoff said.
“What he does night in, and night out is pretty incredible.”
Kings guard Angus Glover is focused on beating the Phoenix, but it won’t stop him from appreciating the Cooks versus Creek personal battle.
“I’m looking forward to playing the game, but you also get the best seat in the house to watch those two guys go at,” Glover said.
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BRING ON THE BOOS: HOMEGROWN KINGS READY FOR WAR IN ‘GONG
Wollongong-raised Sydney Kings stars Angus Glover and Xavier Cooks know the boos are coming from the Illawarra Hawks faithful, but they’re ready.
Since swapping their red and white allegiances for Sydney’s ‘purple filth,’ Glover and Cooks have copped it from the Hawks fans.
The pair are expecting no different on Friday when the Kings travel to the ‘Gong to take on a desperate Illawarra side.
Glover, who spent four injury-interrupted years at the Hawks from 2016 to 2020, is bracing himself for the barrage of boos.
“They are a fan of their club, so they have the right to boo me or whoever they want,” said Glover, who was also involved in an on-court scuffle against the Hawks last season.
“I mean, it’s cool and I don’t mind it. That is just extra motivation for me.
“The way I see it is that they wouldn’t boo we if they didn’t care.
“I’m just going down there to get the job done.”
Glover and Cooks will welcome the boos as extra incentive as they look to take another piece of silverware away from the struggling Hawks.
Sydney will retain the Adrian Hurley Cup if they beat Illawarra on Friday night, which is a major motivation after they relinquishing the trophy last season, according to Glover.
“It means a lot, especially for guys like Xavier and myself being locals down there,” he said.
“We’re on a good path to do that but, at the same time, we want to make sure we execute, and we’ll take care of business.”
Glover says the Kings’ joy in beating Illawarra extends to the club’s owner and chairman Paul Smith, who hails from the NSW south coast.
“Paul wants to beat them even more I think,” he said.
“As he always says, he wants to win those four games against Illawarra every year.”
Glover is just grateful to be playing against the Illawarra on Friday, given his run with injuries over the years.
He feared his career was over three years ago after suffering his third ACL in as many years.
Glover displayed remarkable fortitude to fight through the setbacks and notch up his 50th NBL game milestone last season.
This effort was even more impressive considering the guard privately pushed through the pain of a knee injury.
“Not a lot of people know, but I was playing hurt last season,” he said.
“I had a bone problem in my knee.
“I was allowed to play, but it was just incredibly painful.
“I had to get that right in the off-season and hence why I missed the start of the season.
“I’ve been injured a few times and missed games down there in Wollongong, so it’s nice to be ready for this game.”
“Can Bruce be the man this time?†Spoiler alert, he can 😎
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Shaun Bruce locked into his Clutch Shooter badge against the Hawks and stole the game for the Sydney Kings ðŸ…
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Glover also expects his Kings teammates to be ‘ready’ for Friday’s clash against Illawarra after giving up a 14-point lead in the final quarter to lose to Tasmania last round.
He says the team has addressed its fourth quarter woes and are determined to rectify the issue.
“We want to be the team that hits first,” he said.
“We feel like we’ve been hit first too many times at the start of the fourth quarter, which has allowed the opposition to get on a run.”
Illawarra may be sitting last on the ladder, but they are more than capable of causing an upset.
The Hawks suffered a one-point loss to the Kings back in round 7. The reigning champions were saved on the buzzer by a Shaun Bruce three-pointer.
Cooks believes that game is proof that Sydney can’t take Illawarra for granted.
“The last time we played these boys we were one Shaun Bruce moment away from losing that game,” Cooks said.
“We have the utmost respect for these dudes.
“They are at the stage in their season where they have nothing to lose.
“They are just out there playing for pride and playing free.
“They’re done for the year, and they are out there playing for respect and they’re doing a good job.
“They’ve got my respect and I’m excited for that battle.”
Bogut reveals why NBA dream is still on the boil for Cooks
Sydney Kings star forward Xavier Cooks needs to develop a consistent three-point shot but he can still make the NBA, according to a man who knows a thing of two about succeeding in the world’s best league.
Andrew Bogut, a championship-winning centre and the first Australian to be selected at No. 1 in the draft, believes Cooks possesses the all-round game to excel in the United States.
Bogut concedes the Kings gun needs to improve his shooting from range, but the 27-year-old Boomers World Cup hopeful has every other basketball box ticked.
“If Xavier had the three-ball it would be a no-brainer and he’d be in the NBA already, but I still think he is an NBA player with his skillset and being able to be multi positional,” Bogut said about Cooks, the NBL’s MVP favourite alongside Cairns big man Keanu Pinder.
“It will just come down to circumstance, timing and being in the right place at the right time.
“I know scouts are watching our league more and more and if he continues this form, he might get a knock on the door for a veterans camp or a camp invite.”
Cooks is contracted at Sydney until the end of the 2024-2025 season, although he does have an NBA-out in his contract.
Cooks pulled that ALL THE WAY BACK 😮 one of the dunks of the season!
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As Bogut rightly points out, though, it would be difficult for 27-year-old to roll in the dice on an NBA deal that isn’t guaranteed.
“We’d love him to make the NBA, but if he does over on a non-guaranteed it is an even tougher decision for him,” he said.
“It is a lot of money on the table when he is already one of the highest paid players in the NBL.”
Cooks has excelled this season, averaging 17 points on 60 per cent shooting from the field.
He is also averaging 8.36 rebounds and 3.73 assists.
Cooks’ main struggle is his three-point shooting. He is averaging just 0.6 in three-point shots made, which has him ranked a lowly 73 out of 149 players.
In comparison, the league’s leading three-point shot makers in Chris Goulding and Bryce Cotton are averaging 3.1 from beyond the arc.
Regardless, Bogut rates Cooks highly and says he reminds him of his former Golden State Warriors teammate and four-time champion in power forward Draymond Green.
“Like Draymond, Xavier does so many things on a basketball court,” he said.
“He can switch one through five, he can guard multiple positions, he handles the ball for us on the break and he is a good passer.
“He is an entangles guy who does a lot of things.
“He is now putting up numbers on the stats sheet, but he also gets deflections, he contests a lot of shots, gets loose balls and rebounds.
“Xavier is the NBL’s version of Draymond, but with a bit more offence.”
Bogut’s high praise for Cooks comes as Kings coach Chase Buford hailed the Ballart-born forward the NBL’s premier player.
“I think he is by far the best player in this league,” Buford said after Cooks dropped 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a big win over Adelaide on Sunday.
Buford has also been impressed with Cooks’ evolvement as a leader, on-and-off the court.
“It is growing all the time,” he said.
“He is holding guys accountable and making sure they are ready to go in and play the right way.
“Throughout the last time-out (against Adelaide on Sunday) I could have just stayed out and let X take over.
“He was coaching the guys about not letting it slip.
“He is a great leader. He hold guys accountable, and he admits when he makes mistakes.”
It’s a big weekend for the competition leading Kings, with clashes against New Zealand (A) on Thursday and a grand final rematch against the JackJumpers in Tasmania on Sunday.
Originally published as NBL 2023: Xavier Cooks, Mitch Creek set to go head-to-head in Sydney Kings vs South East Melbourne Phoenix
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