Can the Kings get Xavier Cooking?

It was a weekend to forget for the Sydney Kings.

They first suffered a heavy loss to the in form South East Melbourne Phoenix, before going down in heartbreaking fashion at the buzzer to Tasmania.

Despite sitting in sixth at 3-5 on the Hungry Jack's NBL26 season, it's not all doom and gloom.

But for Brian Goorjian's troops to turn it around, they need to reinvigorate NBL23 MVP Xavier Cooks, who is averaging just 10.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season, while shooting a career-low 26.5 per cent from the free throw line.

1990 NBL MVP Derek Rucker expressed his concern around Cooks' form on Monday's episode of NBL Now.

"He missed his first three free throws [on Sunday], and obviously an area where he's really struggled this season," Rucker said.

"Is it permeating over to other areas of his game? It probably looks like it is.

"He doesn't look as aggressive getting to the bucket, because that entails getting fouled and having to go to the free throw line to shoot free throws.

"He had a decent game rebounding, but he doesn't look like he's rebounding and attacking the glass with the ferocity that he's been known for.

"Overall, the offensive system and the spacing on the floor doesn't seem like it's best for utilising his skills and bringing him out of this malaise."

Rucker, who was a three-time All NBL First Team member during his career, dug further onto trouble of the Kings, who only have a net rating of +2.7 while playing at the third slowest pace in the competition.

"There needs to be some more pick and roll action on the wings [with Xavier involved]," Rucker said.

"Isolate him on the side of the floor and let him go to work like that.

"See if he can get to the rim quickly without him feeling like he's in jeopardy of getting fouled and having to go to the free throw line.

"Sydney have some things to get over and are probably kicking themselves right now but they're only got themselves to blame as their defence isn't up to scratch.

"This is a team that now is outside the top five in their defensive rating. They've got to find a way to be better defensively and more consistently over 40 minutes on the offensive end."

Rucker wasn't the only NBL champion that critiqued the Kings, with Damon Lowery also weighing in on their play during Monday's episode of NBL Overtime.

"The Sydney Kings did everything to lose that game [against Tasmania], they literally snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory," Lowery said.

"Turnovers in the fourth quarter, too much ice over on the fourth quarter. Then on a defensive end, no answer for Josh Bannan. None whatsoever.

"[On offence] I see it [their struggles] as personnel issues, with there being two ball dominant guards, who can dribble the ball 16 times during a 24 second shot clock.

"Xavier Cooks used to get in the rebound, and he dribbles down, initiates offence, gets all kinds of assists, gets on the rim, or get a pick and roll, and then he's involved in the short roll, making plays, [but] now it is so ice so heavy.

"They don't feature Xavier and for him to not get a shot in a half of basketball is an indictment on the guards.

"He [Xavier] knows he's an MVP, it's the others [Kendric Davis and Matthew Dellavedova] who have the keys, that don't, so it's up to them to orchestrate how they can get him involved."

Cooks' Kings will look to return to the winners' circle on Saturday, when they travel to Brisbane to play the Bullets.

That Indigenous Round fixture tips off at 8pm AEDT, live on ESPN.