DrinkWise Preview: NBL23 - Round 2 v Sydney Kings

Written by Melbourne United Media

Melbourne United are set to renew their rivalry with the Sydney Kings in a blockbuster clash at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Coming off a thrilling overtime victory in Round 1, United will be hoping to keep up their momentum against the defending NBL champs as the Kings make the trip down to the world’s sporting capital.

Led by import guard Derrick Walton Jr, Sydney aim to end their horrid record at John Cain Arena over recent history, having lost 11 of their past 12 games at the venue against United, including their last meeting, a record-shattering 42-point drubbing in Round 3 of NBL22.

The contest will also see the debut of United’s Roll’d Rally Towels, which will be sure to bathe the stands in a sea of blue as the Melbourne faithful cheer their side to another strong performance.

PLAYER TO WATCH

After producing perhaps the highlight of the season in his Melbourne United debut, all eyes will be on Rayjon Tucker as he comes up against the Kings for the first time.

While he didn’t play his best game, ‘Tuck’ still produced a strong 16-point, five-rebound, three-assist performance in Round 1, and will be looking to build upon that showing in front of a capacity John Cain Arena crowd on Sunday afternoon.

Buoyed by his teammates, look for the explosive guard to attack the Kings at the rim, while feeding those around him when he attracts extra attention.

KEY MATCHUP

It will be a must-watch clash at the lead-guard spot on Sunday, as Xavier Rathan-Mayes aims to hold onto his perfect JCA record, while Derrick Walton Jr aims to play spoiler.

XRM is coming off a historic opening round, which saw the Canadian become the first player to lead the league in points (33) and assists (9) per game after Round 1 since Andrew Gaze in 2000.

Walton Jr has been almost as impressive in his pair of showings, averaging 26.5 points and eight assists.

Both elite scorers and facilitators, the entire contest could come down to who of the two of them can step up in the biggest way defensively.

THE OTHER GUYS

Sporting a lineup full of weapons, Sydney will look to attack United from all angels when they head south.

Xavier Cooks, Tim Soares and Jordan Hunter are all formidable big men, while Justin Simon possesses the ability to impact the game on booths ends with his activity.

A major X-factor remains on the wing in Dejan Vasiljevic, who has been up and down through his first two games.  

The sharpshooter is averaging just 10.5 points per game on 29.5% shooting across his first two games, and will need to connect consistently on Sunday if the Kings look to pick up the road win.

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GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Sydney Kings

Tip off: 4pm (AEDT), Sunday 9 October, 2022

Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne

Tickets: Available here

Watch: 10 Peach and ESPN Via Kayo

Listen: Broadcast available via Clutch Radio