NBL EXPERIENCE

Isaac Gattorna made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 22 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Adelaide entered the 2021/22 season with a revamped roster under new head coach CJ Bruton, who replaced Connor Henry just weeks before the season opener. The 36ers made significant changes to their lineup, bringing in Mitch McCarron (via Melbourne), Filipino NBA prospect Kai Sotto, and Cairns’ backup guards Tad Dufelmeier and Mojave King. King, a former Next Star, left Cairns, believing his limited playing time was impacting his NBA prospects. Imports Dusty Hannahs and Todd Withers were added to round out the core roster, while Cam Bairstow, coming off multiple injury-plagued seasons, joined the squad with Bruton’s encouragement, as the two had worked together in Brisbane.

McCarron (7.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.9 steals) was named the new team captain and tasked with leading the team as its franchise player. The 36ers had a tough start, losing their first two games to Perth (85–73) and Illawarra (71–81). However, they bounced back in round two with wins over Tasmania (83-80) and New Zealand (98–85), momentarily climbing to sixth place on the ladder (2-2), their highest position all season.

Adelaide suffered a major blow early in the season when big man Isaac Humphries (7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds in 17.7 minutes) went down with a knee injury after just six games, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. Cam Bairstow stepped up in Humphries’ absence, delivering the best season of his NBL career with averages of 11.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Unfortunately, Bairstow’s resurgence was cut short by a late-season ankle injury, which ultimately ended his NBL career.

With imports Hannahs (13.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) and Withers (8.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) underperforming, and the team sitting at 7-17, Adelaide was out of playoff contention as the season wound down. Despite that, the 36ers closed the season with some competitive performances, narrowly missing out on four consecutive road wins, including a close loss to the Phoenix (91-94). They finished the season in seventh place for the third year in a row with a 10-18 record.

Daniel Johnson (16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) led the team in scoring and claimed his second consecutive Mark Davis Award as Adelaide’s Most Valuable Player. Hyrum Harris (4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) was voted the club’s Most Improved Player, while Sunday Dech (12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) solidified his role as a key contributor in his second year with the team.

In his first NBL season, Isaac Gattorna saw limited action, averaging 1.2 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.3 assists across his appearances. Although his minutes were sparse, Gattorna showed potential in his development year with the team.

SYDNEY KINGS
2022/23
After winning the championship, the Sydney Kings faced a significant roster overhaul, losing star imports Jaylen Adams, Jarrell Martin, and Ian Clark to overseas deals. The team rebuilt around their local core of Xavier Cooks, Dejan Vasiljevic, and Angus Glover, signing Derrick Walton Jr, Tim Soares, and Justin Simon as their new imports. Kouat Noi (via Cairns) replaced Makur Maker, and rookie Jackson Makoi completed the roster.

Sydney started strong with a 3-0 record, including a dominant 20-point win over Melbourne United (91-71), which featured a 25-0 run in the second quarter. The victory set a new NBL record of 15 consecutive road wins, surpassing the mark held by Canberra’s championship teams of the mid-80s.

Their first loss came against Cairns (83-78), where poor free-throw shooting from Sydney proved costly. Despite the setback, the Kings bounced back with another road win but suffered a close home loss to Adelaide (92-88), where Craig Randall II led the 36ers to victory.

In a win over New Zealand, Walton Jr suffered an ankle injury, and Cooks followed with an ankle injury that sidelined him for three weeks. Despite this, Sydney held firm atop the ladder. A return from injury saw Cooks lead a close game against Cairns, but Sydney’s 17-game road-winning streak was snapped in an overtime loss (94-88).

The Kings secured their position at the top with a record-breaking 49-point win over Brisbane (116-67). Despite losing their last two regular-season games, they finished first with a 19-9 record, and Xavier Cooks was named NBL MVP, averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.

Isaac Gattorna, in his development role, appeared in 12 games, averaging 0.7 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.2 assists.

Sydney went on to defeat New Zealand in the Grand Final, winning their first back-to-back titles since their 2003-2005 three-peat. Derrick Walton Jr was named Championship Series MVP after scoring 21 points and delivering 6 assists in the Game 5 victory. Cooks contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Barry Brown Jr (22 points) led the Breakers’ scoring. Sydney’s Game 5 win (77-69) marked the end of a memorable season, with 67,811 fans attending the Championship Series, setting a new record for Grand Final attendance in NBL history.

It was the last game of the season, and it delivered all sorts of drama.

Re-live the best bits thanks to @HungryJacksAU ⤵ pic.twitter.com/KxOiNZnVDW

— NBL (@NBL) March 15, 2023

2023/24
Sydney underwent a major rebuild ahead of the NBL24 season, losing several key players to NBA opportunities. Reigning NBL MVP Xavier Cooks and DJ Vasiljevic both joined the Washington Wizards, and coach Chase Buford left for NBA opportunities, eventually joining Milwaukee. Imports Derrick Walton Jr, Justin Simon, and Tim Soares also moved overseas, leaving Jordan Hunter as the only returning starter from the championship squad.

Former league MVP Jaylen Adams returned after a season in Europe, joining new imports DJ Hogg (via Cairns), Denzel Valentine, and Australian Boomer Jonah Bolden, who made his return to basketball after a four-year absence. G-League championship coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah was hired as Buford’s replacement, and despite the heavy roster changes, the Kings entered the season as championship favorites.

After ten games, Sydney sat in second place (7-3), having lost only to the Tasmania JackJumpers (twice) and Cairns Taipans. This was achieved despite key injuries to marquee player DJ Hogg and Jaylin Galloway. However, from Round 8 onward, the Kings struggled, frequently conceding 100 points and finishing among the worst defensive teams in the league.

The team’s success came primarily from the pick-and-roll offense of Adams (19.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Hunter (10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks). Bolden (8.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) showed flashes of brilliance but spent much of the season regaining form after his long absence. Valentine (12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) and Hogg (14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks) failed to meet expectations, contributing to the team’s defensive struggles. The Kings finished the season in fifth place and missed the playoffs after losing to New Zealand in the play-in qualifiers.

Despite the disappointing season, several players had breakout years. Rookie Alex Toohey (8 points and 4.0 rebounds), Kouat Noi (10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds), who narrowly missed out on the Sixth Man of the Year award, and Jaylin Galloway (10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) showcased their individual talent and potential.

Isaac Gattorna appeared in 16 games but saw limited minutes, scoring a total of five points across the season.

Isaac Gattorna played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Adelaide 36ers and the Sydney Kings..

Dan Boyce (811 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.