Vasiljevic’s captaincy key to resurgence

The shooting might earn him the highlights, but head coach Mike Wells has lauded the leadership of captain DJ Vasiljevic through this season, as he marvels at the growth in connection and communication from the Adelaide 36ers.

You can never underestimate the importance of having a strong leader for any successful team and that's exactly what Wells is seeing with Vasiljevic for the 36ers.

While the outsiders might see Vasiljevic as a dynamic three-point shooter, and that was on show with seven triples in the first quarter and 10 for the game in Cairns against the Taipans.

However, he has had just as significant impact on the wins since away to Sydney and at home to New Zealand, even with a combined 23 points on 5/12 three-point shooting.

It has been his ability to bring the group together and lead by example, and especially against Sydney to absorb the pressure the Kings put on him to get his teammates involved and in positions to score.

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It's been a lot longer that Wells has admired his leadership, though, and that dates right back to when he first arrived in Adelaide in August.

“DJ's leadership has been unwavering. You can make a point that it's been more noticeable here at the end, but it has not wavered since August,” Wells said after Sunday afternoon’s 94-78 win against New Zealand at the Entertainment Centre.

“It might not have stood out because there were more things going on and this team was forming our identity, and how we were going to play, but DJ hasn’t wavered. Not since day one."

Again, on the outside Vasiljevic might be viewed as a shooter and scorer, but that underestimates the significant role he played as someone willing to do everything to help his team win in two championships previously at the Kings.

Then when he arrived in Adelaide last season, the immediate impact he had on the group beyond any scoring he put up, was that he brought that winning mentality to the group, and someone to hold everyone to account.

That's why he couldn’t care less how many shots he gets or points he scores, he just wants to contribute to Adelaide winning.

He sees no reason why their current momentum can't take them a long way.

“Obviously what we've endured throughout this season, not many teams have done it in NBL history in my opinion,” Vasiljevic said.

“We're finally all healthy together, we're listening to the coaching staff, we're gelling on the court and we're having fun.

“I think we've got what it takes, but we've got three games to try and push ourselves a bit higher.

“Maybe we finished fifth to give us a home court advantage, but we just have to take it a game at a time and then when the Play-In and Playoffs come, that's when we're about that.”

The 36ers are now have longest current winning streak in the NBL of three straight matches following Sunday's 16-point home victory against the Breakers.

That gives Adelaide three straight wins by a combined 49 points against Cairns, Sydney and New Zealand with the 36ers having won six of the past eight games to be in sixth position at 13-13.

It's the first time that the 36ers have had a .500 record since the start of December. It continues a mighty impressive turnaround since three straight 20-plus point losses to have now won six of eight, but even those two losses were strong showings on the road to Tasmania and Perth.