Bryce Cotton set a new Adelaide 36ers scoring record in Cairns and nobody was more delighted than coach Mike Wells while also acknowledging it’s his responsibility to get co-captain DJ Vasiljevic more involved.<\/p>\n
Cotton put in a performance for the ages in Cairns on Saturday night when he put up 53 points in Adelaide’s 86-81 win against the Snakes where he broke the scoring record of the late Darryl Pearce from 1988 in the process.<\/p>\n
The five-time MVP delivered 53 points on 16\/29 shooting from the field and 16\/16 at the foul line. Quite simply, that meant there wasn\u2019t a whole lot left for the rest of the team who scored just 38 points on 14\/41 shooting.<\/p>\n
That wasn\u2019t a concern in that game for Wells, but in the big picture he does want Vasiljevic more involved who had just three points on 1\/7 shooting against the Taipans.<\/p>\n
Currently he is averaging a career-low 10.3 points with 30 per cent three-point shooting this season.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“Obviously DJ is a huge part of what we do and I have to figure out more ways to get him the ball consistently throughout the game, he’s too talented of an offensive player,” Wells said.<\/p>\n
“That’s squarely on me and I totally recognise that, but he’s been super positive and he has been involved in every one of our meetings and understands where we’re at. <\/p>\n
“Sure, he’d like to have more shots and he wants to score and he is a really, really good shooter and I have to get him in position to get that ball whether Bryce is rolling or not.”<\/p>\n
Throughout his time on different coaching staffs in the NBA, Wells saw a lot of amazing players do special things including Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Kobe Bryant, but he wants to make sure Cotton’s brilliance isn\u2019t under appreciated.<\/p>\n
In 40-minute games, with the paint always packed without out a defensive three-second rule and everything else, for Cotton to be on the scoring tear he has now been on since returning from his rib injury last season is remarkable.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“To witness greatness within team sports, I don\u2019t think there’s anything better,” Wells said.<\/p>\n
“What this guy has done for his career is pure greatness and we’re so fortunate that he decided to stay in this league, and we’re really, really fortunate that he’s in Adelaide.<\/p>\n
“I think he looks amazing in blue. Everything he’s accomplished I’m in absolutely awe of and he’s the best player in this league, it’s not even close.<\/p>\n
“If he’s in the league, he’s the MVP every year, he just is. I’ve been very fortunate to see Olajuwon do some things, Charles Barkley’s first game with us in Houston he had 33 rebounds and that was crazy, and Kobe’s last game when he was with the Lakers, he put 60 on us at the Jazz.<\/p>\n
“But it’s a true credit for anybody to even come close to 50 in a FIBA international type game so I just hope that everyone can really appreciate what this guy does.”<\/p>\n
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