Sydney Kings have unveiled the biggest screen in the southern hemisphere, a super cluster of video screens above the brand new Qudos Bank Arena hardwood, but NBL legend Andrew Gaze didn't mince his words when observing the new stadium addition, saying "who says size doesn't matter".
Preparing for his first season as an NBL head coach, Gaze has surrounded himself with assistants who have a plethora of NBL experience - including former New Zealand Breakers head coach Dean Vickerman.
Gaze says the individual roles of the coaching team are yet to be decided, but he takes solace in knowing their understanding of his system will allow them to come to an agreement on what is best suited for the team; and he says the coaching staff work well as a collective because they've know each other a long, long time.
The Kings as a whole are optimistic about their chances this season, with high expectations being placed upon them after marquee signings, including that of former NBA draftee Brad Newley from Spain, and that means Gaze faces no easy task to try to keep a lid on things.
"We as a group understand that we're not quite there yet," Gaze told ESPN.
"Hopefully we can be patient with each other and if that's the case then we feel like we would be in a good position to improve to a point where we can compete."
Gaze is under no illusions about the size of the task off the back of the Boomers' success in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games; he marvels at the talent the league has attracted, and believes players are choosing the NBL over Europe because they can see the direction in which the competition is heading.
"Players are making these decisions because they can see ... some good times ahead," Gaze told ESPN.
The Kings play their first game of the season against league newcomers Brisbane Bullets, who opened their campaign with a bang against the defending champion Perth Wildcats, and they're hoping for a reversal of fates after falling to the Queensland side during the Australian Basketball Challenge in September.
"It was an odd game because we got the jump on them and came out of the blocks really hard and established a strong lead that was cast away very quickly," Gaze said of the Kings' loss to the Bullets.
The Kings also head into the season with an unfinished roster, but the front office isn't going to make any rush decisions after preferring to wait to announce who will fill the third import spot until after receiving confirmed injury news about Julian Khazzouh.
Khazzouh will miss the opening three games of the campaign as he is still recovering from a torn quadriceps tendon
"We've been very conservative in not getting someone straight away, but I think now that we've got a better idea of where Julian Khazzouh is at we can make a decision and be in a position to do that within the next week or so," Gaze said.
