They lost narrowly on the road. They will be competitive, just not daylight ahead of the pack as a few thought when they recruited fast.

They have only played against 1 team that they don't match up well with at all. Probably a bit early to write them off.

They got beaten badly in the opener and Bogut is close to fouling out every game, nowhere near the dominate force people though he would be and it's pretty clear he won't be. They're too old, just a bunch of egos on a team with no leaders and no coach. They would do well to try and snatch the assistant coach from the Sixers or Perth in the offseason, clean out Lisch, Randle and Newley and look for some structure.

Dave the optimism is great and all but it's clear no matter who they have on that team, as long as Gaze coaches they won't get anywhere.

Bogut is slow to defend the perimeter, screen and roll, or the drive to the basket.
I've been saying Wear needs to go since the pre-season. Kings needs 2 more imports, the likes of Prather and Wesley. Kings would be Wrong Again if they think they can win with 1 import - in Randle.
Bowen should start.
Deng Deng should be in before Pineau.
Give Adnam more minutes in place of Lisch.

I think it's too early to write Sydney off.
Were better tonight than last week when they capitulated in the last quarter.
Bowen has been great from what I have seen so far.

Gotta agree with this EYW bloke. Bogut is so far cooked it's not funny. To think he tried to fool us he still had nba offers on the table he rejected! DJ has schooled him twice in a week. Lisch is a shell of his former Perth self and Randle just ball hogs. Has he ever been on a championship team?

How long until gazes gets the arse, surely the highest paid roster can’t finish bottom two three years in a row

He did have offers - from G-league teams prob. Where his arse should be playing. Seems more his speed now.

They were better tonight against a team worried about Sunday. That's the focus this week, try and get the win they may need the confidence to reflect on at playoff time

Sydney are faded stars. Sadly coach gaze has him.head in the stars so distant. Team no structure. No morale. No leaders. All.look at me iso. Couldn't defend a flat tyre.

Put it this way, if the owners of Winx transferred it to Andrew Gaze to train it wouldn't win at a Warracknabeal Thursday meeting.

I'll give you DeLeon going crazy from 3 but Teys shots were all wide open because of poor defence and/or planned (let Teys beat them and double/focus on DJ and Sobey).

I thought that Newley was terrific tonight but when he was hot they didn't go back to him... frustrates me when teams won't go back to the hot hand.

Lisch missed some shots that you don't imagine he'll miss this season,

I made comment on this previously but Sydney don't play Perth until mid season and what we think about the Kings now will be different then whether they get their shit together or Gaze is under immense scrutiny for how poor they have performed during the season.

If I was the Kings I wouldn't be too concerned at all

I thought Bogut was solid, what I didn't like it they didn’t get him the ball.
He finished well around the hoop early in the game but in the last quarter with the game on the line i don’t remember him getting a single low post catch. That’s where he’s at his best finishing down low or passing out to shooters or slashing Newley. How is that not a focal part of the offense.

"They got beaten badly in the opener."

They were six up with less about six minutes to play! They faded badly, but they didn't get beaten badly.

Way too early to write off a team like Sydney. They have Breakers, Taipans and Hawks. They look capable of going 2-4 and potentially 3-4 by the end of October. At the end of October last season Melbourne were 2-3.

Sydney's problems have been at the defensive end, which most teams struggle with against the 36ers. They've just played twice a team coached by a guy who knows how to exploit their defensive weaknesses and has the players to do that. Even then, the 36ers had to come from behind to win last week and only won by 5 this week. So it's foolish to write Sydney off.

For mine, the worry is that Bogut played 30 minutes and Lisch played 33, last night. I don't see either of them staying uninjured if they're expected to do that every game. And once one of them misses a few games, Sydney's bench depth will be sorely tested.

oops - that should be "2-3 and potentially 3-2"

too early for me, Sigh...

Agree with KR. Sydney need to play their offence through Bogut more.
1st Q - DJ killing it but his knock has always been his D. Soo what does Gaze do to stop the rot? run offence with Bogut stepping out to the top of the 3 Pt line. How about have him dive and deep seal and force DJ to defend?
You then get the D collapsing and Bogut is an expert at finding open shooters and cutters.

Instead of this Randle just keeps jacking garbage because it is all about him.

Totally agree with the comments about Sydney's lack of D. They need a couple of guys who are quicker and give a shit about stopping the opposition scoring.

Cynical me thought that Gaze got the Sydney coaching gig because of his name and playing record. Obviously he sees something that I and others can't and that is why he is still in the job. . . . good luck Kings

How would a losing season for Sydney be a "shocker"?

It's kind of what we expect from them. So no shock at all.

For the sake of the league though, I really want Sydney to have a successful season. NBL needs success in the 2nd biggest sporting market in the country.

The issue with saying "don't write them off yet" is that you're expecting them to regroup, adapt, and make necessary changes.
But we know they won't.

Gaze can't utilise his given players efficiently, and he can't adapt. VG is pigheaded, and if he does make changes they'll be the wrong ones.

They'll win games, they are talented and not completely dreadful. But compared to where they should be with their budget, I'd say it won't be good enough. They may even make the playoffs, but I don't believe they will be a serious threat.