“The ultimate professional” primed to deliver

Adelaide coach Mike Wells says it remains unclear what role, if any, new signing John Jenkins will play in Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash against the Phoenix, but he has no doubts about the NBA veteran’s ability to deliver when called upon.

Jenkins will link up with his new teammates in Perth on Friday night, just 11 days after his last competitive outing with Romanian club CS Valcea 1924, arriving match-fit and ready to go.

“This season has been unique. We need to see where he is physically, how he meshes, and make sure he’s ready,” Wells said.

“This is a high-quality opponent and I don’t want to put him in a negative position. We want him ready before we put him out there.”

Wells has previously worked with Jenkins during Team USA World Cup qualifying windows and knows exactly what level of preparation to expect from a player with 179 games' NBA experience.

“You’re going to see the ultimate professional,” he said of the 34-year-old.

“He’ll fit our group on and off the court. He has an elite ability to shoot the ball, but he does a lot more than that. I’m excited about mixing him with the group and we’ll see how it looks over these next nine games.

“A true professional is never out of shape, takes care of their body, and knows everyone else’s job as well as their own. He’s played 14 years as a pro in a lot of different systems. He’s played in FIBA.

“This has been a league he’s wanted to play in. The timing worked. He’s been playing, which is key. He hasn’t been sitting in the States doing one-on-one workouts. I expect him to get his feet under him really quickly.”

Jenkins joins the squad following the mutual departure of Troy Brown Jr, arriving at a time when the 36ers sit on top of the NBL standings.

Sunday’s clash with the Phoenix looms as a major test, but Wells insists it is being approached like any other game on the schedule.

“We’re in first place now and we’ll be in first place after this game. This is game 25. You have a 50/50 chance to win by controlling your energy and attitude. It won’t define our season whether we win or lose,” he said.

“The break honestly came at the right time for us. I felt like the wear and tear of the season wore our energy down a little bit. That’s kind of what you saw against Tasmania. You give them full credit for what they did, but a couple of days off helped us reset and recalibrate.

“We got back to some basics, had a few practice days in a row where we were focused on ourselves and not thinking about the scout so much. Then you start thinking more about the scout. I think it’s been a good week of preparation.

“This is the 33rd game of our journey. We’ve done our work. If you take care of the things you’re supposed to take care of, you’ll end up where you’re supposed to be at the end of the year.”