Wells pleased but not satisfied ahead of JackJumpers

Adelaide 36ers coach Mike Wells is pleased with his side’s opening to the season without being satisfied.

The Sixers are unbeaten after two games, the club’s best start to a NBL season in over a decade.

With a chance on Thursday night against Tasmania to go 3-0 for the first time since 2000-01, Wells knows things aren’t quite perfect yet as a newly put together group continues to gel.

But there has been enough to have him excited about what the side is building ahead of the meeting with the JackJumpers.

“I don't know if a coach is ever quite satisfied, right,” Wells smiled on Wednesday after training.

“I mean, obviously, we're pleased with the early results. Our connection and where we are with such a new group, and, obviously, it's a better start than the alternative, so as long as we're kind of getting better every day and kind of moving forward is the goal.”

With eight new faces in the group, including import Nick Rakosevic who only arrived a week ago, the day before the most recent game against Cairns, there is plenty of growth to come according to Wells.

But he admitted the group was ahead of where he predicted in the pre-season in terms of its connection.

“I think we have a really high IQ team,” he said explaining why.

“We just have a lot of experience in the NBL. We have some IQ guys that can figure some things out and kind of get us in the right direction, and I think our leadership's been outstanding.

“We had a lot of really high character guys last year, but for some reason, you know, it just didn't click the way you wanted to all the time.

“(This is) a new group. It probably happened a little bit quicker than I anticipated, but, you know, our commitment to what we're trying to do has been excellent, and our communication has been really good.

“It hasn't been perfect, but we're trying to figure things out on the fly, and I think they've done a really good job of being open and accepting coaching and what we're trying to do and then listening to each other.”

The 36ers had an interested onlooker at training this week with former Port Adelaide AFL coach Ken Hinkley watching on.

Wells revealed Hinkley was a big basketball follower and had provided valuable insights into coaching different personalities and building connections with players.

“He's just a tremendous resource for me,” Wells said.

“I got to know him a little bit last year and then kind of tried to visit some this year, you know, when our season ended last year.

“It was a big thing for me to just sort of figure out Australian sports and whatever sport that is and how it functions and how the team functions and how the locker room functions.

“Obviously, (Ken) did a lot of things successfully here with Port. He's not doing anything right now. He's in Adelaide, so why not tap into that resource? And he's been a really, really valuable for me.”

The Sixers take on the JackJumpers from 7pm on Thursday night, with limited tickets still available.