SEASON 2024/25 of the National Basketball League (NBL) is already approaching the halfway mark, and the race for a top six spot is as tight as ever.

Now 10 rounds into the fixture has seen record-breaking performances, dominant team displays and thrilling finishes as the NBL produces its most exciting season yet, with the championship race wide open as it stands.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be putting each side under the microscope, and the penultimate team for the series is the Sydney Kings, who have been steady without lighting the world on fire with their loaded roster.

Sydney Kings

Record as of Round 11 – eight wins, seven losses

How its happened

The Kings launched into championship contention with the most productive off-season of any team in the NBL. Firstly, they signed the greatest coach in the history in the competition, with Brian Goorjian coming out of retirement to take the reigns in the Harbour City. Secondly, they brought back former NBL MVP Xavier Cooks after a stint in the NBA to join a star-studded roster that also contained the likes of Jaylen Adams and Cameron Oliver. After 10 weeks of play, Sydney sits in fourth spot with a record of 8-7. Although the Kings have only been marginally better than breaking even, none of their losses have had a margin greater than 10 points, so they have at least been in the fight in all 15 matches.

MVP – Xavier Cooks

Despite missing a season in the NBL due to a stint with the Washington Wizards in the NBA, Cooks has returned to his damaging best in the first half of this season, leading the Kings with his excellent two-way efforts. Although not reaching the lofty heights of his MVP season a couple of years ago, the forward still has the best motor in the game, and often makes plays that do not necessarily show up on the stat sheet, but help his team nonetheless. On the season, Cooks is averaging 15.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, showing his game is still tremendously balanced and he can impact a match in a plethora of ways.

Where to from here?

The Kings are still reasonably well-placed for the back half of the fixture, but will need to lift their consistency if they are to make a genuine run at the title. It has been hard to tell which version of Sydney will hit the court in each match, and the team does not look anywhere near as dangerous as years gone by. Although the Kings are also victim of high expectation, they have not quite lived up to the hype that came in the off-season. There is no doubting Sydney has the talent to take out the ultimate prize, but whether things are clicking remains to be seen, but a winning streak in the coming weeks will help put these doubts to bed.