“This is Bryce’s team”: Anstey says only Cotton can save 36ers

Since Game 1, plenty has been said about how the Adelaide 36ers need to make adjustments to level the Championship Series against Sydney.

From tactical changes by Mike Wells to the 36ers’ supporting cast stepping up, all are very valid points.

But as three-time MVP Chris Anstey said on a special Roundtable edition of NBL Now, the 36ers’ hopes start and finish with their MVP.

“Let's not try to overcomplicate this. The answer [about how Adelaide gets back in this series is] absolutely, unequivocally has to be Bryce Cotton,” Anstey said on Friday’s NBL Now Roundtable.

“There's no other player in Adelaide that's going to turn this around.

“This is Bryce's team. It's not Mike Wells' team, it's not DJ's team, this is Bryce's team.

“I would love to see Bryce be even more aggressive. If Bryce Cotton takes 40 shots in Game 2, I'm happy.”

Anstey’s thoughts were echoed by 1990 MVP Derek Rucker, who said, “Bryce has to be great”, and fellow champion Pete Hooley.

“If there's one guy you wanna see get faced with the ultimate test, it's Bryce Cotton,” Hooley said.

“You just want to see that because greatness always finds a way.

“The difference between Bryce and Kendric [Davis] in this series is that if Bryce plays poorly, Adelaide has zero chance. Sydney can still get by with mediocre performances by Kendric.”

If six-time MVP Cotton does have another quieter showing like in Game 1, where he only scored 10 points, Rucker knows how important his teammates are going to be.

“He [Cotton] needs a companion to come along with him, just early to knock down one or two shots, just to alleviate that pressure.

“DJ [Vasilejvic] was not a factor in Game 1, and I think he has so much pride and belief in himself that in Game 2, you're gonna see a different type of guy.

“[Nick] Rakocevic and [Isaac] Humphries were really good together, but they only played nine seconds together in Game 1. That's a major oversight when you have two weapons [and I’d look at using that to their advantage in Game 2].”

But as Hooley explained, improved performances by the Sixers, despite being back on their home court, could be easier said than done.

“The Sydney Kings were designed to give Adelaide nightmares,” he said.

“You give the credit to Chris Pongrass for putting this team together.

“When you have a team that's built at the start of the season, you've got to figure out who's the benchmark in the competition? Who are we likely to have to go through to win a championship? And it's Bryce Cotton, it always has been, regardless of whatever team he's on, if they make it.

“So they put a team together where if we want to be physically dominant against Bryce, we've got Delly (Matthew Dellavedova)i. If we need some length or athleticism, it was Bul Kuol, but now it’s Makuach Maluach. If we want to get a bit of height, we add Tory Craig halfway through the season, who combines a bit of everything.

“Bryce now has a different look every single time, and if he beats one of them, he runs into the next one. It's a bloody hard task.”

>> Championship Series schedule, tickets & how to watch

As good as the league-best offence and defence were in Game 1, Rucker believes they still have room to grow, while outlining the best method to disrupt MVP runner-up, Davis.

“The danger for Adelaide is that it looked like Sydney never got out of third gear,” Rucker said.

“You've got to just go and take the ball out of his [Davis] hands and see if you can elevate his level of anxiety when he does get the basketball.

“Put tremendous pressure on him, see what he's willing to do.

“[Adding to that is the fact] Kendric is going to get booed, something crazy. We thought Sobes (Nathan Sobey) was bad. Wait till what they do to Kendric.

“They are going to be hyperprotective of Bryce Cotton and attack Kendric hard.”

‍Watch every Championship Series game live on ESPN. Friday night’s game will also be on 10 Drama in Adelaide and Sydney.