36ers go back to the future in title quest

Adelaide coach CJ Bruton has looked to the 36ers teams of old when pulling together his new roster, and he says the one-two punch of Antonius Cleveland and Robert Franks is reminiscent of the duos present in the club’s championship winning sides of the late 1990's and early 2000's.

Bruton was a young player forging his path in the NBL during Adelaide’s golden era, which saw the club win three championships between 1998 to 2002.

“When you think of the 36ers in their prime when they were winning championships you had your Brett Maher, John Rillie, Darnell Mee, Kevin Brooks. When I look at the guys they have a defensive player and an offensive player together,” Bruton told The Huddle.

“Their synergy and their chemistry with one another and their teammates and how they represented the city of Adelaide – it was amazing.

“I thought they (Franks and Cleveland) tick a few boxes in that space and it was a good start … they’ve both got runs on the board.

“One was First Team All-Defence (Cleveland) … bringing them in here where we sit not making the playoffs … both of them added helps us push at least a little bit higher than where we finished [last season].

While the additions of Franks, Cleveland and a host of other players will see the 36ers line-up differ drastically from last season, one man returning to the club is Filipino wonderkid Kai Sotto.

Depsite being in and out of the side last season - largely due to injury - Sotto impressed when afforded ample opportunity. Those strong showings towards the back end of the season couldn't tempt an NBA side to take a chance on him, and he returns to Australia for the upcoming season after failing to get drafted.

At a rangy 7'3" Sotto has all the physical tools to forge an enviable career in the game, but his coach has issued a challenge to the young star to improve his professionalism.

“I’ve put it on him, the professionalism, delivering in that space, for him to want to achieve his goals and dreams he’s going to have to come to the party,” Bruton said.

“This is about what’s best for the team and how you help the team be successful, but playing the right way and getting your chance to show the world what Kai Sotto really can do.

“Playing a bigger role. I think he wants that and that’s what he said in the off-season, ‘I want you to believe in me coach’, but as you know if he wants me to believe in him he’s got to show me something on the floor every single day.

“It’s something every coach wants to see from every player every single day, that they deliver in that space.

“There were games he didn’t play but if you talk about the course of the [21-22] season and his momentum, he kept going on that [upwards] trajectory which is what we wanted to see,”

The 36ers, like every other NBL club, are ramping up their preparation for the upcoming NBL Blitz. While most other teams will have one eye on the first week of the season though, Adelaide is looking at a different prize.

After its commitments at the Blitz, Adelaide jets off to America to take on the Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the returning NBL x NBA series.

Although the trip means his side won’t play their first regular season game until Round 3, Bruton is looking forward to the chance to showcase Australian basketball to a new audience.

“I think playing in the Blitz and playing in pre-season games is always good, and everyone’s eyes are going to be on those game [with] where you’re at, what you’re doing, studying us from afar,” he said.

“I’m excited to go and represent the NBL and the 36ers, and I’m excited to go and see where our team sits.

“We get to set a tone before we come back after playing a few pre-season games in Darwin to come in and play a couple of teams where guys are fighting for jobs, guys are hungry to make their mark.

“Some Australian players will be representing the NBL show showing ‘hey, we’ve got some young kids in Australia you need to keep an eye on’ more than just the guys there.”