After falling one game short of the Hungry Jack’s NBL Championship Series in back-to-back seasons, the South East Melbourne Phoenix are desperate to take that next step this campaign.<\/p>\n
To do so, they’ve retained core pieces like Nathan Sobey, Angus Glover and Jordi Hunter while recruiting Tanner Krebs, Dash Daniels and Hunter Goodrick from rival NBL teams.<\/p>\n
Mix in the addition of D’Shawn Schwartz and reported signing of Yannis Morin by ESPN’s Olgun Uluc, and the Heartland club appear set for a massive year on the hardwood.<\/p>\n
But Phoenix Head Coach Josh King believes it is another one of the team’s imports that will be the key to their season.<\/p>\n
“I hate singling out guys, but I’m going to single out Skylar [Mays] here,” King said to Phoenix Media.<\/p>\n
“He’s a very talented player, and I’ve said this one time before, and I think he would say this to us as well: he’s probably not coming off his best year or two.<\/p>\n
“But he’s a guy that I feel like has tremendous potential to be an MVP-type candidate.<\/p>\n
“I’m really excited to get him in the gym, as he’s a tremendous player who’s really gonna help our team this year.”<\/p>\n
It’s not just people inside those four walls of the Phoenix that believe in Mays too, with NBL commentator Jack Heverin believing in the 114-game NBA veteran.<\/p>\n
“South East Melbourne Phoenix are nearly done [with their roster build], and this group is starting to very much take shape,” Havering said on The Marketplace, presented by Paywise<\/a>.<\/p>\n “They’re led by Skylar Mays, who I think is going to be one of the signings of the off-season.”<\/p>\n Echoing that sentiment was fellow NBL Now panellist Uluc.<\/p>\n “I think Skylar has been substantially understated as one of the introductions to the League,’ he said.<\/p>\n The Phoenix open their NBL27 season at RAC Arena against the Perth Wildcats on Saturday, September 19.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n