Rakocevic “fully confident” Sixers can bounce back

Nick Rakocevic had another huge performance for the Sixers on Wednesday night, leading all scorers with 33 points and 14 rebounds in the Sixers’ 96-91 loss to Melbourne United.

Wednesday night’s performance was just another addition to Rakocevic’s dominant start to his second NBL season. The Sixers’ big man ranks first in the competition for rebounds per game (11.7) and sixth overall for scoring, averaging 20.5 points per game.

While Rakocevic is pleased with his start to the season, just putting up big numbers isn’t enough for the 28-year-old, with his eyes firmly set on team success.

“It’s great that I'm playing well, but at the end of the day, I came back here to win a championship,” Rakocevic said.

“That was my reasoning for coming back here and we were so close last year.

“That was the main thing. So, although I'm playing well, to me, it's not enough.”

Entering the season as one of the championship favourites, the undermanned Sixers are currently sitting ninth on the NBL table with a record of 2-4, and injuries to key players Isaac Humphries, Flynn Cameron and Bul Kuol.

Though it’s been a disappointing start for the team, Rakocevic is “fully confident” the Sixers can find their form as the season goes on.

“It's always good and all when you're playing well and the ball's going in, but I came here to win with this group of guys, and that's my main focus,” Rakocevic said.

“I’m trying to rally behind everybody else, because I know what everybody else can do and we just haven't shown it as a team yet.

“But like I said, I'm fully confident that we're gonna figure that out.”

Though it is hard to pick faults with Rakocevic’s start to the NBL season, Rakocevic himself has pointed at his free throws as an area for improvement.

He went 3/8 from the free throw line against Melbourne United on Wednesday night and is shooting just 32% from the free-throw line so far this season.

“I could do so much better. I could do way more, starting with my free throws,” Rakocevic said on his start to the season.

The Sixers travel east next to play a Sunday game at Afterpay Arena against the Sydney Kings, the team which the Sixers lost to in last season’s agonisingly close five-game Championship series.

Rakocevic is excited for a chance at a rematch, viewing the game as “personal” for him and the team.

“We’ve got to go get them. That all the motivation we need,” Rakocevic said.

“That's where it ended, you know? So, I think that's all the motivation that anybody on the team should have.

“I think it's a personal game for everybody because everybody came back. You know, 95% of guys (re-signed with the club), and that's how I look at it.

“That should be our mentality going into that game. They ended it last year for us, and they took it away from us, and we need to go there, and we need to make a stand.”

Sunday’s game against the Kings, which is the start of a four-game road trip for the Sixers, tips off at 2:30pm ACDT.

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