Melbourne Coaches Prepare Unique Strategies for Pelicans’ Visit

Melbourne, Australia — South East Melbourne coach Josh King is ready to break the mold this week as his team prepares to face NBA superstar Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. The historic “NBA x NBL” exhibition series marks the first time an NBA team has played in Australia.

The exhibition series features two games: one against Melbourne United on Friday and another against the Phoenix on Sunday. “Everyone always says you can’t press in the NBA, but we’re at least going to try it like once or twice, just to see what it looks like,” King said with a smile, confirming his unconventional game plan.

King expressed admiration for Williamson, a two-time All-Star. “I don’t think we’re necessarily going to be able to put a game plan together to stop him. We’re just going to play our game and work on some things that we need to improve upon,” he said. His hope is for both teams to remain injury-free during the exhibition.

Melbourne United leads the early season NBL standings with a record of 3-0 but acknowledges the significant challenge posed by the Pelicans, especially with a fit Williamson, who has mentioned feeling better physically than he has since college.

Dean Vickerman, Melbourne’s coach, added a humorous note, saying, “We may get called for illegal defence. We might try to build a wall there to stop him getting to the rim, but our guys are looking forward to it.” He recognizes the tactical challenge his team faces in matching up against Williamson.

New Orleans head coach Willie Green shared his enthusiasm for the series as a valuable early test for his revamped roster. “It goes back down to continuing to go out and compete in every game,” he stated. Green emphasized the importance of sharing the basketball and maintaining competitiveness as they engage with their Australian opponents.