The Coach Reflects – Round 4

Saturday night didn’t go as plan for the Adelaide 36ers but now coach Conner Henry has had a full week to get his team ready to respond in their first road game of the season but it's fair to say it's been a hectic week all the same.

The 36ers were on a roll heading into Saturday's home game against the Sydney Kings on the back of beating the same opponent the previous week at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on the back of successive victories against the New Zealand Breakers.

That gave the Sixers an impressive three-game winning streak but the game against the Kings didn’t go to plan with Sydney taking away the 94-75 victory to leave Adelaide licking their wounds with a 4-3 record from the seven-game home stand to open the 2021 NBL season.

The 36ers and import guard Donald Sloan then announced they were parting company following that game on Saturday night and in the days since it was announced his place will temporarily be filled by former Sydney and Brisbane combo guard, Jeremy Kendle.

Kendle was no stranger to Adelaide even this off-season playing with the Bullets on their trip to Adelaide for two pre-season games back in November before their new imports arrived, and both coach Henry and Jeff Van Groningen have a past relationship with Kendle.

So with the 36ers needing a proven, experienced guard to fill a role right now, with Kendle available and in Brisbane it became an easy decision for the 36ers to make.

Henry was happy that it turned out to be somebody he already knew.

"We've known Jeremy over the years and he was an import in a similar situation in Sydney under Jeff," Henry said. 

"I first met him really when I got to the country in July and I went up there for two of my four weeks of quarantine, and he was working out Brendan Teys, Brock Motum and a number of the other players who were in Brisbane. 

"We just created a relationship then getting to know him and I knew he would be a possible import replacement under this type of scenario that's taken place with Donald Sloan leaving. We had a number of days of discussion to lead to his arrival, and he's here now."

Sloan did have his moments for the 36ers across his six appearances including a 20-point performance in the overtime win against the Breakers. 

But overall the 36ers are looking for a guard who is more of a ball carrier and someone who can push the pace and get his teammates more involved, and that's why Henry sees Kendle as the ideal fit.

"I think Donald might have been a little bit more of a scorer, we'll see, but I do know one thing about Jeremy and he will play hard and push the pace which we need to do," he said.

"We need to really get out in the open floor and run some, and get some easier baskets. Right now offensively when we push the pace with Josh and get it through hands, our offence is pretty efficient and free-flowing. 

"Other times it becomes stagnant and we need to then be able to insert the next player and I think that's Jeremy once we get him up and fit, and in the system. He'll push that pace."

What makes Henry comfortable that Kendle is the ideal immediate replacement for the Sixers is that he knows the league, is already in the country and available, and more important is the exact type of guard they want in the system.

"He knows the game at the point guard position and the off guard position so right away we are getting a smart player who it won't take long for him to understand our two systems," he said. 

"He's already got his head around it and then it's his ability to shoot the ball and push the ball at pace. He's a 6'2 guard who is well built and strong, and can play at pace and at two speeds. 

"You couple the elite mind that I think he is of the game with those physical attributes, and I think he's going to be a good fit."

Nothing has been finalised just yet but it looks more likely that Kendle will debut for the 36ers in Monday's home game against the Bullets and not in Brisbane on Saturday.

"I think he'll play this weekend, how much I don’t know," Henry said.

"Whether he plays Saturday or if we get him up to physical shape through Saturday and have him suit up for Monday's game is something we've got to figure out."

Looking beyond Kendle as the immediate replacement for Sloan at the 36ers, Henry and the Sixers are looking to bring in another import from the United States but with the current pandemic situation across the world, that's not a quick process.

"The way the situation is working out with granting a visa, finding a flight from the States, going through two weeks of quarantine and then coming out of quarantine and getting that player up to speed, you can't just throw them into a live five-on-five situation after they've been sitting for two weeks," he said.

"It's conceivable that it could be a month but we're hoping to be down the track with a replacement choice soon. If that can happen and we can speed things up by finding a flight, which is really the big thing, then it might be a little sooner. 

"There's about 20 flights from Australia into the States right now but only about three coming in every other day so getting that replacement player on a flight is the real challenge."

Sloan did show he could shoot the ball, but what Henry was looking for in a guard to support Josh Giddey in running the point and Sunday Dech in the two spot was someone who could push the pace, create for others and also produce off the dribble for himself.

That's exactly the type of import now on the radar and they are in discussions with to join them for the rest of the season.

"We've got a good list going and we are talking to a couple of players seriously right now so we'll see how that plays out," Henry said. 

"We feel like we can get a player that's bigger and a little bit more athletic who can play in the open floor with pace a little bit.

"He might not quite have the point guard or off ball and handling the ball skills as what maybe Donald did, but we think if we identify this player that we like and get him that'll be offset by his athleticism, rebounding and scoring which we need. We also need somebody to possibly go and get us an easy bucket at times too."

Another option in that back up guard position for Adelaide who emerged on Saturday night is development player Alex Mudronja.

He came on against the Kings and provided an impressive spark finishing with a career-high 11 points. That's going to earn him more minutes now this weekend and it will also going forward if he continues to take his opportunities.

"We were really happy with how Mud came in. He was super aggressive, pushed that pace and he was able to get by their pick and roll coverage to get downhill, put pressure on their bigs and finish at the rim," Henry said. 

"He knocked down a three from deep as well which is something Mud has really been working on with Pearl (Jamie Pearlman) really for the last four months. 

"I'm really excited for Mud and he's going to get more minutes especially until Jeremy can get up to speed physically and with knowing everything. Mud will fill that role and play those minutes, and if he continues to play well then he'll keep on playing."