Ask the Coach – CJ Bruton Round 6

Each episode of the Adelaide 36ers official podcast, Sixers Fix with Scott Ninnis features an Ask the Coach segment thanks to Sports Card World.

This week head coach CJ Bruton took on the questions from Adelaide 36ers fans and listeners of the show and here's how it went.

Nate Turner (@wookie026) asks:
How has the team practiced/stayed game ready with the games being postponed? Have you done anything differently then a normal week to week training or is it just business as usual n kept simple n not re invent the wheel?
CJ says: Well we're definitely not trying to reinvent the wheel but I feel like from where we've been at in the pre-season which was interrupted for us, and I got here late and we didn’t have a lot of time to practice together with guys in and out over time. So we've had to manage bodies and a few injuries along the way to get to where we are now and when our season started, we had five games pretty quickly. We had them in a short period of time last year and now we've had seven days back together to get our legs underneath us, and to get back on the same page and to understand what's required for us to be successful in our offensive and defensive schemes. It's been a blessing in disguise. Not much has changed in what we've done in our day to day stuff, but having days off and not knowing when we're playing has meant we've had to manage our health and make sure we've got enough bodies. Again some guys have been in and some guys have been out, so we've had to manage that and find ways of not trying to reinvent the wheel, but making small gains and finding ways to keep busy and occupied, and keeping our conditioning up to speed.

Do you feel this Covid break has hindered the team or given more time to iron out some creases?
CJ says: I think it's a double-edged sword. It does help with us getting a little bit closer to having Sunday on the floor and having everyone on deck. Sunday is back practicing with us so it helps us get him back and hopefully get our time together because we are yet to play a game with our full roster together. That's where it helps us but it hinders us not playing any competition games for a number of weeks now. It's like pre-season all over again and you are going out there blind. While you are practicing against each other and think you are doing all the right things, you don't actually know until you are playing against someone.

Luke Graham asks:
Why is there such a big gap between our best and worst?
CJ says: I think it is kind of baffling to me because we have shown that when we have been at our best we have a talented enough team to be pretty good, but it's the effort that I was disappointed about in the Cairns game. That wasn’t how we've been all season long and even the way we practiced the day after we beat New Zealand was nothing like that so it was disappointing in that sense. I do understand fatigue and tiredness but to have everyone on that page for one game, it does happen, but I was kind of disappointed with how that all played out. Now we have to get on the same page and everyone is still trying to learn how to do that and do all the right things, but we have to do it with the intensity and effort that's needed to play with at game level. As for why there's such a big difference between our best and worst at this point in time, I hope that we don't have any more lapses in that space. Going forward I don’t think you should see a difference in that effort, but as for the difference between playing really well and not playing well, that comes down to each individual giving their best when they are on the floor. If it's for three minutes or seven minutes or whatever it might be, it has to be at maximum effort at both ends of the floor.

Nick Mercure (nmercure78) asks: 
Does your current offensive style put Isaac Humphries at a disadvantage, or is he just getting match fit after last season's injuries?
CJ says: I don’t think it puts him at a disadvantage, Isaac's a great rim roller and if you remember back to last year with Josh Giddey, it wasn’t just how many times he had it thrown to him on the block and he caught it. But they connected in similar ways where Isaac would catch it on the move similar to Will Magnay and there's not many people who want to get in Isaac's way when he's going to the rim at that pace. He is able to finish with authority and with finesse around the rim so he is used to playing that way. Clearly he is getting back to feeling like himself and I think at the start of the season there was always going to be about him working through where he's at because of the limited amount of practice he had from the pre-season to playing the first game. That just comes with time and getting a feel and he's been through that, and he battled and we nurtured that process. While we might not have won four out of five games, we came through those five games thinking he was in a better place than I expected. He has been on the floor and out there practicing, competing and battling, and he's giving his all every single day.

Jack Lewis (jacklewis333) asks:
In your opinion, what separates the NBL from other leagues across the world, to attract young prospects like Sotto to prepare for the NBA Draft, why is the NBL and the 36ers particularly becoming so notable for player development with the USA ?? @sixersfixpod
CJ says: I can't take credit for what's happened but part of it is the recruiting and part of it is the NBL and what's gone before from Ferguson to Josh Giddey, and Melo Ball coming here. The list goes on of players who have come out to Australia to help get their draft stock higher by playing against grown men. Our league is so competitive and our country as a whole has shown that on the biggest stage and that has allowed the growth for guys like Kai Sotto and other younger kids looking at our league. They can see that we care about every kid that comes through our program, we'll work with them on and off the floor about how you have to manage your life and look after yourself, and taking care of your body. It's a country where it's a safe place compared to what you see around the world and what's available to you, and we speak English. We tick a lot of boxes for a lot of young kids and their families see it as a great stepping stone for them to understand how to look after themselves, and how an organisation will back you and look after you as well.

Jason Reid (stillsleepdeprived) asks:
Hey CJ! Is Kai Sotto nearing full fitness with the extra rest from our extended break? Would love to see him impact the game on Friday night?
CJ says: The seven days off our feet I think hurt a lot of our players when we were behind closed doors, but he's definitely come back and as he has all off-season and since I've been here, he has shown his ability to impact the game not only on the defensive end but also the offensive end. By being so big, he has the ability by being so big he can dominant around the rim in that role. I see it no differently coming into our next game as well.

Kyle Wood (underdog_k) asks:
Who on the current roster would you have lineup in your NBL fantasy team?
CJ says: Well first of all I don’t play the Fantasy league, I mean I'm in the real deal at this point. But with it being a fantasy team you need scoring and you need numbers, and clearly Dusty is a guy who can shoot the ball when he's in a position to be successful. We set screens for him as well but he's a guy who can also get his own bucket so clearly at this point in fantasy basketball, I'm sure his numbers are up there for our team so having him on the list, he's one of the guys I would be putting on my roster.

Wayne Haines (skink44) asks:
CJ, after a very successful journey to a few different clubs as mainly a player but coach as well. How do the clubs you have been a part of view adelaide 36ers and there fans when they come to adelaide. Especially now having a change of venue from the “Clipsal powerhouse”, “adelaide arena “etc. which was once a fortress to the entertainment centre last few years?
CJ says: From the outside coming in here, the Adelaide fans were always one of the most knowledgeable in the game, if not the most knowledgeable in the game. There is a different level of noise right, up in Cairns the music is loud and it's already hot in the box up there and their fans support them. Then with the Adelaide fans, you know that when there's a bad call they let the referees know about. There's no ifs and buts, they cheer their team on and they are the sixth man who helps their team. They don’t just come along to watch, they participate in the actual game and that's a difference maker in making Adelaide the powerhouse that they have been not only with the players that they've had, but the players have thrived off the fans and showcase a brand of basketball that once they get on top of a team, it was always a case of knowing you are in trouble playing against them. Then if the fans stay loud you know they are still engaged and they are waiting for the next bucket to come, or for the next steal or dunk. For opposing teams and being an opponent in Adelaide, it was always about taking the air out, making sure you moved the ball and tyring to use pretty much the whole 24 seconds to take as much time off them as you could.

Jacob Cherini (freshprinceoflincoln) asks:
What player past or present in the nbl do you think would fit in this current team and take it to the next level?
CJ says: I would say myself in a heartbeat, but there's definitely a lot of talent that has come through our league and there's not really one particular person who comes to mind if you look at what we need with our current roster. But someone like a Mario Donaldson who played at the Sydney Kings comes to mind, or even a Steve Woodbury. That type of player like more recently Scotty Hopson or Lamar Patterson who can create and play off the dribble to create their own shot are handy in our competition, and have had much success in our league as well. There's not a particular player, but Mario Donaldson comes to mind. He played defence, he could shoot the ball and he was a bigger guard. Then somebody like Steve Woodbury was like a walking triple-double. He was very athletic, could grab a big rebound for you and he could control the game from his position as well.

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