{"id":181056,"date":"2025-09-30T22:31:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T22:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/181056\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T22:31:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T22:31:08","slug":"how-jaylin-galloway-bounced-back-from-a-frustrating-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/181056\/","title":{"rendered":"How Jaylin Galloway bounced back from a frustrating year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even when Jaylin Galloway is gaming, he isn\u2019t playing around.<\/p>\n

His current favourite game is the new NBA 2K26, but he isn\u2019t messing with role players or rookies; he goes straight to the top. \u201cI play as LeBron,\u201d he laughs. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to go with the GOAT!\u201d<\/p>\n

Galloway, it seems, is one for thinking big. With his eye-catching athleticism, size, length and ability to defend multiple positions, he knows he\u2019s an NBA-level talent. He is determined to dominate in the NBL and earn a long-term spot in the world\u2019s premier competition.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Credit: May Bailey Photography<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely something I think about a lot,\u201d Galloway tells The Pick and Roll after a Kings training session.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a negative thought process; it\u2019s more in terms of that I truly believe that I can, and will, get back to the NBA. I definitely believe that I can get back for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sydney Kings wing has, of course, already had a taste of NBA action. He made his Summer League debut with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Vegas in 2023, and in March 2024, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-way contract. After logging seven games with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee\u2019s G League affiliate, he was waived in August of that year.<\/p>\n

Stung by that disappointment, he returned to the Sydney Kings for NBL25, only to sustain a shoulder injury early in the season that ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was huge,\u201d Galloway says of the double setback. \u201cI wanted to prove myself after what happened in Milwaukee and then having my shoulder injury. I mean, everything happened in such a short span of time. But Goorj [Brian Goorjian] and I decided to describe that injury as a blessing in disguise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hadn\u2019t had a break from basketball in a while, and having such a long time off from the game helped me step away and get my mental side of things right and build my confidence back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once he got back on the court, Galloway moved to the NBL1 East with the Bankstown Bruins, putting up career best numbers at that level for points, steals and rebounds per game.<\/p>\n

He continued to work closely with Goorjian and Kings captain Xavier Cooks as he rebuilt his fitness and confidence and established himself as one of the best players in that league, ranking in the conference\u2019s top five for average points (23.14 pg), three-pointers made (3) and steals (2.29) per game.<\/a> Bruins teammate Jason Cadee saw enough in Galloway across the NBL1 season to tip him for the NBL\u2019s Most Improved Player award.<\/p>\n

Then, of course, there was the FIBA Asia Cup campaign in Saudi Arabia, where Galloway played a starring role, leveraging her stellar athleticism and an aggressive mindset to pick up the tournament MVP award<\/a> after posting 15.7 points (in just 24.6 minutes),<\/a> along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game and shooting 84.2% on free throws. He had 23 points in the final<\/a> as he helped Australia outlast China and claim their third successive win at the event.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Galloway\u2019s game at the Asia Cup, however, was his long-range shooting. He made 18 of 28 three-pointers at the event at a scorching 64.3%. While his three-point shooting had previously been less developed than his ability to play above the rim and get downhill, it has become a strength lately, as seen in his 20-point effort against Serbian powerhouse KK Partizan, where he made six out of ten threes.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI worked on [three-point shooting] a lot; it was just about getting the reps in,\u201d Galloway says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely a big offseason for me, and Goorj was a huge part of that. The biggest thing for me was him saying he wants me to be a knockdown three-point shooter. I think that\u2019s the biggest step for me to get back to the NBA. NBL1 helped a lot with that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Galloway says the Kings team, with high-profile new additions like Matthew Dellavedova and Kendric Davis, is gelling well. He feels the hit-out against KK Partizan was an ideal way to fine-tune preparations for NBL26. \u201cIt made me realise how good the guards are over there; they\u2019re great, very skilled. I wasn\u2019t too familiar with the EuroLeague, so it was a cool experience to have.\u201d<\/p>\n

While a talent-laden Kings roster underwhelmed last season, Galloway says the team hasn\u2019t dwelt on that disappointment too much. \u201cIt\u2019s been more drawing a line [and moving on].<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys here know what we need to work on, but it\u2019s a different team. We\u2019ve got a lot of new guys, some young guys, a lot of college guys. Having experienced guys like X, Delly and Bogut makes it a lot easier to step forward as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Galloway has enjoyed having Andrew Bogut as part of the coaching staff and says he has learned plenty from the former NBA champion. \u201cI like his professionalism. I mean, he\u2019s done it all. Anybody would want Bogut\u2019s type of career \u2013 he was the number one pick. Some of the things he says in practice I\u2019ve never thought about before; it\u2019s good to have that type of knowledge around.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

With the agility, length and instincts to be an elite stopper in the NBL, Galloway has the potential to figure heavily in the Defensive Player of the Year race, though he says he doesn\u2019t focus on individual accolades, preferring to contribute however his team needs him. \u201cI just want to play the best basketball I can. I think I\u2019m versatile enough to defend one through four, and I would like to guard the best player on the other team,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Having grown up with parents who both played college basketball and an older brother [Cairns Taipans player Kyrin Galloway] who excelled in youth tennis before successfully switching to basketball, Galloway has been a familiar fixture on the scene for some time. It feels like a long time since he was a development player at the Sydney Kings back in 2020, and it\u2019s easy to forget how young he is \u2013 at just 22, he is slightly younger than, say, Reyne Smith, a player joining the NBL after a four-year college career.<\/p>\n

Having overcome the setbacks of last year and now riding the confidence of his Asia Cup dominance, Galloway seems poised to fulfil his obvious promise and enjoy a breakthrough NBL season.<\/p>\n

Share<\/a><\/p>\n

Perhaps, soon enough, he won\u2019t have to roleplay as an NBA player in his beloved video games; he\u2019ll be doing the real thing.<\/p>\n