BIO: Justin Simon was born in Temecula, California (USA)

NBL EXPERIENCE

Justin Simon made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 24 years of age. He scored 13 points in his first game.

In April 2020, the Hawks’ season began with turmoil as the club fell into voluntary administration, leading creditors to vote for liquidation a month later.

Despite this setback, the NBL pledged to keep the club alive, and on 17 June 2020, the league announced that the team’s license had been awarded to new owners Dorry Kordahi, Bryan Colangelo, and Michael Proctor.

Under the new ownership, the team rebranded as “The Hawks” in an effort to expand their appeal across New South Wales. Shortly after, the Hawks secured legendary coach Brian Goorjian to lead the team.

With all players required to renegotiate contracts, Sam Froling and Emmett Naar were the only returning full-time players from the previous season, as the ownership sought to rebuild the roster.

Key signings included Australian Boomers representatives Deng Adel, fresh off a stint with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, and Cam Bairstow, who returned from Lithuania after the COVID-19 pandemic cut short his season. Next Star prospect Justinian Jessup was signed on a two-year deal and placed with Illawarra, while imports Tyler Harvey and Justin Simon were brought in to headline the team’s offensive and defensive schemes, respectively.

The Hawks’ season began amid off-court drama, with fan backlash over the omission of key veterans AJ Ogilvy and Tim Coenraad, both of whom were later reinstated as injury replacements.

Further controversy arose when the team’s rebranding dropped “Illawarra” from its name, which led to public outcry in Wollongong, overshadowing the Hawks’ impressive 4-0 start to the season.

In early February, following efforts from the new ownership to boost membership numbers and corporate support, the NBL reinstated the Illawarra name ahead of the club’s first home game.

Despite winning back their identity, the Hawks encountered more challenges. Bairstow was ruled out for the rest of the season after missing nine games with a minor hip issue, while Daniel Grida also missed significant time. Additionally, Adel, who struggled to find his footing in the league with averages of 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, requested a release mid-season in hopes of preserving his NBA prospects.

From Round 16, the Hawks hit their stride, winning eight of their final ten games to secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Offensively, the Hawks struggled, dropping from an average of 90.5 points per game over the first ten rounds to finishing the season with a league-worst 81.5 points per game.

Only four players managed to average double-digit scoring—Tyler Harvey (20.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals), Justinian Jessup (13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals), Cam Bairstow (11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists), and Sam Froling (11.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks). The team also recorded the league’s lowest field goal percentage at 42.5% (47.8% from two-point range and 33.2% from three), and their free throw shooting stood at 69.4%.

Simon established himself as a defensive force in his debut NBL season, leading the league in steals and earning the 2021 NBL Best Defensive Player award.

He averaged 8.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 steals across 39 games. His defensive prowess was on full display in back-to-back games in Round 1, where he combined for 23 points, 20 rebounds, and eight assists against Brisbane and Cairns.

Despite facing numerous hurdles, Illawarra remained competitive and never dropped below fifth place, eventually finishing the regular season in third place with a 20-16 record.

The Hawks advanced to the NBL Finals for the first time in four years, facing the defending champion Perth Wildcats in the semifinals.

In the four regular-season meetings against the Wildcats, the Hawks managed just one win, a narrow two-point victory in Round 21, while the remaining games resulted in double-digit losses.

Illawarra opened the semifinal series with a hard-fought two-point win in Game 1, but Perth responded emphatically in Games 2 and 3, securing both victories by eight-point margins to end the Hawks’ playoff run.

SYDNEY KINGS
2022/23
After winning the championship, Sydney faced significant roster changes, losing star imports Jaylen Adams, Jarrell Martin, and Ian Clark to lucrative overseas deals. To counter these losses, the Kings opted to build around their local core of Xavier Cooks, Dejan Vasiljevic, and Angus Glover, who all showed marked improvement during the title run.

To complement their Aussie talent, Sydney brought in Derrick Walton Jr on a one-year deal to replace Adams’ scoring, while defensive ace Justin Simon and sharpshooting big man Tim Soares were also added. With Makur Maker leaving for the NBA, Kouat Noi was signed from Cairns, and rookie Jackson Makoi rounded out the roster.

Sydney began their quest for back-to-back titles with a strong start, defeating Illawarra, Brisbane, and Melbourne to go 3-0. The twenty-point win over Melbourne (91-71) was particularly dominant, highlighted by a second quarter where the Kings reeled off a 25-0 run while holding United to just six points. This victory marked Sydney’s 15th consecutive road win, setting a new NBL record that surpassed the Canberra Cannons’ mark from their mid-80s championship teams.

The Kings suffered their first loss of the season in a surprise upset to Cairns (83-78). Despite missing Tahjere McCall, the Taipans stifled Sydney defensively while the Kings struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 14 of 25 attempts. Shannon Scott (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and DJ Hogg (15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) stepped up for Cairns.

Sydney bounced back with a road win against Brisbane but suffered another home loss to Adelaide (92-88). The 36ers, fresh off a win against the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, held off Sydney in the final minute thanks to a clutch defensive effort by Mitch McCarron. Craig Randall II led Adelaide with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

In Round 5, the Kings narrowly avoided a third straight home loss, with Kouat Noi nailing a buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat his former team Cairns, 106-103. Xavier Cooks was instrumental, nearly recording a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, helping Sydney solidify their position atop the ladder at 8-2.

Sydney then defeated second-ranked New Zealand in a highly anticipated clash (81-77), despite losing Derrick Walton Jr to an ankle injury in the first half. Walton scored 12 points in just 18 minutes before exiting, while Xavier Cooks also sustained an injury that sidelined him for three weeks.

A dramatic game against Illawarra featured a Shaun Bruce buzzer-beater that secured an 83-82 win. The Kings trailed by four points with 10 seconds left, but clutch plays ensured victory.

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE ⚡

THE SYDNEY KINGS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN 🔥

Watch #NBL23 live & free 📺 10 Peach & 10play | Live on ESPN via Kayo & Foxtel pic.twitter.com/CvxWVxOkI8

— NBL (@NBL) November 20, 2022

Cooks’ return from injury coincided with Sydney’s 17-game road streak ending in a 94-88 overtime loss to Cairns. Keanu Pinder posted a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Cooks added 25 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out.

Sydney secured the league’s top spot after a franchise-best 49-point victory over Brisbane (116-67), marking their largest win in the 40-minute era. Cooks, Soares, and Walton Jr led the offensive charge.

Despite losing their final two regular-season games, the Kings finished atop the ladder (19-9). Cooks averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists and was named NBL MVP. Simon finished the season with averages of 10.6 points, 5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

Sydney’s playoff campaign began with a semifinal series against Cairns. A dominant game-one performance by Cooks (27 points, 14 rebounds) secured a 95-87 win. Cairns responded in Game 2 with a 93-82 victory behind DJ Hogg (25 points, 8 rebounds). Simon recorded a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) in the loss.

In Game 3, Sydney defeated Cairns 79-64, with Dejan Vasiljevic stepping up with 15 points, including three clutch three-pointers.

The championship series began with New Zealand taking Game 1 in Sydney (95-87). Simon led the Kings with 18 points and 6 steals.

Game 2 saw Sydney equalize the series despite limited contributions from Walton Jr and Cooks due to injuries. Simon delivered 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 steals, while Noi added 20 points.

Sydney claimed Game 3 in front of an NBL record 18,049 fans, beating the Breakers 91-68. Walton Jr had 12 points and 9 assists.

The series extended to Game 5, where the Kings secured a 77-69 victory to win back-to-back titles for the first time since 2005. Walton Jr (21 points, 6 assists) was named Finals MVP.

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

Justin Simon played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Illawarra Hawks and the Sydney Kings. He averaged 9.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 74 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (832 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.