Photo: Adelaide 36ers.<\/p>\n
Adelaide came within a sliver of the NBL championship last season and now veteran coach Trevor Gleeson is tasked with helping the 36ers take the next step.<\/p>\n
No one will put more pressure on Trevor Gleeson than himself as the veteran NBL coach eyes “the top of the mountain” with reigning runners-up Adelaide.<\/p>\n
Gleeson assumes control of a roster that is mostly the same as the one which lost the decisive game of the 2025\/26 Championship Series in overtime against Sydney.<\/p>\n
As they look to recover from that heartbreak, the 36ers retain reigning league MVP Bryce Cotton as well as the same import trio – a rarity in the NBL – for the new season that begins in September.<\/p>\n
Sharpshooter Dejan Vasiljevic is the only big name who departed after the Championship SDeries, so Adelaide can realistically target another deep run into the post-season.<\/p>\n
Five-time NBL championship-winning coach Gleeson replaces predecessor Mike Wells, who stepped down to return home to the USA.<\/p>\n
Gleeson, a former NBA assistant coach, presided over his first training session last week and faces plenty of pressure to hit the ground running.<\/p>\n
“No one’s got any more higher expectations than I do,” said Gleeson, who coached the Perth Wildcats between 2013-21.<\/p>\n
“Adelaide had a great year last year, it was a phenomenal year.<\/p>\n
“(But) last year’s done, it’s flushed, it’s over. We’ve got a new challenge of getting to the top of the mountain. We’re not there yet, we’re starting to do our work now and we’ll see how the journey goes.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gleeson is wary not to reinvent the wheel after the 36ers’ closest brush with an NBL championship since 2002.<\/p>\n
“You want to build what’s already there, the chemistry, obviously they’re a very, very tight group,” Gleeson said.<\/p>\n
“But we didn’t get to the top of the mountain. So that’s our aim.”<\/p>\n
Adelaide’s biggest obstacles to a fourth title appear to be Melbourne United, who have recruited excellently, and reigning champions the Kings.<\/p>\n
United have signed American guard Cole Anthony and star locals Luke Travers and Joe Ingles, all of whom played in the NBA last season, for Jacob Chance’s first campaign as coach.<\/p>\n
“I think Melbourne probably recruited the best in there,” Gleeson said.<\/p>\n
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