Rakocevic's big flex: Chemistry, comfort and a bigger role

Twenty-one points, 12 rebounds and 10-of-17 shooting in a home-opener win. Nick Rakocevic is carrying a bigger load without Isaac Humphries, and a second season in Adelaide has him looking right at home.

Rakocevic feels more comfortable in both the NBL and at the 36ers coming into this season, and he has been needed to step up even further with his fellow centre, Humphries, currently sidelined with a knee injury.

That performance came in Sunday's 14-point win over the Cairns Taipans, where he played more than 32 minutes.

His free-throw shooting of 1/6 for the game means there's room for improvement too, but overall, Rakocevic is feeling much more settled at the start of NBL27 and has been happy to play an even bigger role.

"Obviously it was my first year [NBL26] with the team and in the League, so I just had to kinda figure out my role and what guys like to do, and what they don't like to do," Rakocevic said.

"And they needed to learn that from me, but obviously now with a whole season that I've played with pretty much 90 per cent of the same exact team, I feel like our chemistry is just unreal.

"It just makes it so much easier to play and I know the League better now and the type of style of play. I had to adapt to that last year and I think on the back end of the season I did a good job, and now I'm just kinda picking up where I left off."

With the coaching change in the off-season for the 36ers from Mike Wells to five-time championship winner Trevor Gleeson, it means a change in system too and the implementation of his renowned flex offence.

"I think for me it's just nice to get the ball at the top and make plays, and make decisions. There were a couple of plays where I just kind of drove to the basket and spin, and do stuff like that," Rakocevic said.

"That's just kinda always been my game with that Euro style of basketball and I think it just fits really well with the offence that Trev runs.

"In the pre-season and now the last three games it's gone really great and I think he made a really good point where it's just going to take time for us to adjust to it.

"But we're getting better at it and that's the main thing. We just like having that all moving and it's been useful for us as a team and then obviously guys can get more looks out of it."

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Rakocevic and co will be back on the court on Thursday night on the road to Illawarra before returning home to Adelaide on Sunday to host New Zealand.

Limited tickets are still available for the game against the Breakers, which tips off at 4:30pm ACDT.

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