In the 24 year history of the Sydney Kings, there have been few more tumultuous weeks than the one the franchise has just experienced.
You could point to the time in 1993 when import Kenny McClary sensationally walked out on the team midway through the season, or when Bob Turner tearfully announced at a press conference in 1995 that he would be stepping down as Head Coach once the ’95 campaign ended.
But the announcement on Thursday that Ian ‘Moose’ Robilliard would be moving into a front office position as acting CEO with immediate effect and Tim Hudson would assume the role as interim head coach was perhaps the most shocking this team has ever witnessed.
Change happens in all organisations. But in a sports team, it can have an enormous impact on a number of levels, particularly on a playing group that still has seven games remaining in 2011/12 and retains an outside chance of reaching the playoffs.
Any coaching move at this point can have one of two consequences for the players. On the one hand, it can galvanise the team and bring them even closer together. Alternatively, it can be a de-motivating experience and hurt the players to the point where they cannot emotionally get themselves up for games.
The franchise believes that with this playing group, as young as it is; that the former will be the case and they will rally around Coach Hudson for the rest of the season. This is a team with a lot of pride and determination, and while they know an enormous challenge awaits them, they will meet it head on.
And it could not be a tougher opponent first up after the events of this week with the Perth Wildcats at their infamous home court – Challenge Stadium, better known as the Jungle.
It’s one of the most intimidating environments there is in the National Basketball League, especially when the Wildcats are championship contenders, as they definitely are in season 2011/12. The fans are loud, proud and very knowledgeable about the game; they get on the officials constantly and ride opposition players mercilessly.
That crowd knows they have a team that could deliver an unprecedented sixth NBL crown to a city that has known great success – when it comes to the Wildcats, they haven’t even missed the playoffs since 1986, an incredible unbroken run that stretches back an extraordinary 26 years.
Coached by the outstanding Rob Beveridge, Perth is a stacked unit from top to bottom. They have a deadly backcourt in reigning Defensive Player of the Year Damian Martin (6.1ppg, 3.6apg, 5.8rpg, 2.5spg) and clutch performer Kevin Lisch (16.7ppg, 3.9rpg, 3.1apg, 1.0spg, 82.3% FT) backed by the hyper-aggressive Brad Robbins; a fine small forward in Cameron Tovey (5.2ppg, 5.4rpg) and an awesome, deep frontcourt anchored by 7’2” giant Luke Nevill (9.5ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.2bpg, 51.9% FG), featuring a bulldozer forward in Matthew Knight (11.8ppg, 6.0rpg), veteran experience and guile in Shawn Redhage (13.6ppg, 4.3rpg) and a standout Sixth Man of the Year candidate in the versatile Jesse Wagstaff (11.0ppg, 3.6rpg, 84.6% FT).
This is a team that knows only one way to play – that’s full speed. They attack up the floor relentlessly, are up and in defensively, and go to another level in their home gym.
They have beaten Sydney all five times since the Kings re-entered the competition in 2010 – albeit many of those games have been close, especially the last meeting which was a heartbreaking one point loss by the purple and gold – and come into this matchup as one of the shortest-priced favourites this season.
Speaking to the West Australian newspaper, Coach Hudson, who was made aware of the changes to the team only one day before the official announcement was made, is well aware of the mountain he and his troops will have to climb this Sunday in Perth.
“Perth is one of the hardest places to compete internationally, let alone just Australia,” he said.
“The environment is quite hostile, but I respect it and we’re just relishing the opportunity to be able to walk into that.”
With Kevin Ratzsch sidelined thanks to a back strain and young guard Tom Wright coming into the ten that will play the Wildcats this Sunday, it will take a phenomenal effort from everyone on the roster to cause what would be one of the upsets of the season.
A great deal will rest on the shoulders of Kings’ franchise centre, captain Julian Khazzouh (17.0ppg, 10.8rpg, 2.1bpg), forward Jerai Grant (12.0ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.4bpg, 55.1% FG), scoring machine Anatoly Bose (14.6ppg, 6.4rpg) and shooting guard Ben Madgen (11.7ppg, 3.2rpg) but much will also depend on whether guards Luke Martin and Luke Cooper can stand up to the immense pressure the Wildcats will bring to bear, on if Graeme Dann and Alex Gynes can be productive and play hard-nosed basketball, and on Coach Hudson to make the right calls against a ballclub which is unquestionably one of the best in the nation.
There’s no doubt the purple and gold are up against it this Sunday. They are facing a massive task versus an outstanding team that always plays well in their home arena, and the events of this week must have taken a huge emotional toll on everyone in the organisation.
Adversity can breed character however, and this is a time where men of character must stand up and be counted. It’s time for the pride of Sydney to shine like never before.
Sydney Kings. My City. My Team.
The game is not being shown on television; however you can catch all the action as SportFM radio in Perth is broadcasting the game live via the internet. Listen in from 7:00pm Sydney time via http://www.sportfm.com.au/. Live stats will also be available via www.nbl.com.au.
Sydney Kings (8-13) vs Perth Wildcats (14-7)
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Challenge Stadium, Perth
Tipoff 4:00pm (Perth time)
Live Stats available on www.nbl.com.au
Radio broadcast on http://www.sportfm.com.au/
