Kings are no one-man band

As Kendric Davis pushes his case back into MVP calculations, veteran coach Brian Goorjian knows the Sydney Kings’ resurgence is about more than one star. Rebuilding the club’s culture has been his priority, with Xavier Cooks and Bul Kuol central to that shift.

Davis was again outstanding on Wednesday night, posting 27 points and seven assists in an overtime win over Adelaide. That followed a combined 64 points and 14 assists across victories against Perth and Melbourne. But despite his incredible form, Goorjian is clear this is far from a one-man show.

When Goorjian returned ahead of NBL25, restoring the Kings’ culture sat at the top of his agenda. There were glimpses last season, but the turning point came on October 26, when Sydney suffered a damaging loss to the Tasmania JackJumpers from a near unlosable position.

That moment became a catalyst. Since then, the Kings have won seven of their past nine games, including two wins apiece over top two sides Melbourne and Adelaide.

Cooks led the way on Wednesday with a season-high 27 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Yet for Goorjian, the true value of the championship captain and former MVP goes beyond the stat sheet. It is about standards and leadership.

"You go back to the Tassie game and the inbounds pass and missing the two free throws, and he was trashed after that and no one is going to get abused more than him, even though I don't look on social media," Goorjian said.

"We got an opportunity after that and I told him disappointment is your friend, and there's going to be tremendous growth through that."

Goorjian also pointed to the growth in his relationship with Cooks, forged through shared adversity over the past 18 months.

"And we have over this year and-a-half that we've been together, we've dealt with a lot and a lot of disappointment, and he's been through a lot and I've been through a lot," Goorjian said. "This year there's been a real growth in our relationship because we need each other. I understand him better and he understands me better, and we're kinda joint because this is his team moving forward, the Kings. There's been a real bond through this rollercoaster ride."

Another key barometer for the Kings is Bul Kuol, particularly the defensive tone he sets when he stays out of foul trouble.

Kuol was just as influential as Davis in last Friday’s win in Perth, where Davis poured in 38 points, while Kuol shut down Kristian Doolittle. He then turned his attention to Chris Goulding in Sunday’s win over Melbourne, before playing a major role in holding Bryce Cotton to just seven points after half-time on Wednesday.

His impact has been so significant that scoring is almost secondary.

"He (Kuol) has been, when you talk about where the team's headed, that's our marquee and we're playing with two imports and his role is huge," Goorjian said.

"Right now, what he's contributing to our team is like what John Brown brings to Phoenix. He brings that element of defence, he doesn’t need to be serviced offensively when we've got some scoring power around him. So his role in this is very similar."