3
Feb
In-depth Analysis
'Adelaide being Adelaide': Inside the 36ers slump
Head coach of the 36ers Mike Wells speaks to his team during the round 16 NBL match between Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers at Qudos Bank Arena on January 24, 2025 in Sydney. Photo: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images
Press Conferences
League-leading Adelaide face renewed instability despite their strongest season in eight years.
- Shock footage: Terry Taylor had Nick Rakocevic in 'crazy headlock'
- 'Heart of Glass': Phoenix crush 36ers on the boards
- Vision disputes 36ers Mike Wells' melee punch claim
The Adelaide 36ers have been mired in mediocrity for the better part of the last six years, winning just 73–104 (41.2%) before this season.
The four-time NBL champions are 21-8 in NBL26, have the best player in the league Bryce Cotton but as a source told basketball.com.au this week “Adelaide being Adelaide” are now trying to put out a fire that the front office met with players about head coach Mike Wells after losing three of their past five.
"The adding up of the way they've played in this latest period, they've lost to Sydney, South East Melbourne, almost lost to New Zealand and then Adelaide being Adelaide management have started asking questions," the source said.
Sydney Kings assistant coach and NBA champion Andrew Bogut made an incendiary claim the Adelaide 36ers met "to chat about firing your Head Coach (Mike Wells), whilst you sit in 1st place" after the league leaders lost by 20 to South East Melbourne on Saturday night.”
36ers owner Grant Kelley dismissed the claim on The FIVEAA Sports Show yesterday: “There’s no way that we would, to any coach, let alone to Mike, who has that record, you know, countenance any form of change or switch or anything.”
Wells took the reins in Adelaide for NBL25. He signed former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell and rising star guard Kendric Davis. Both Harrell and Davis were suspended mid-season after a melee in Melbourne spilled into the stands with a spectator behind the 36ers bench. The Sixers finished sixth at 13-16 with disharmony in the locker room and unpredictability on the floor.
More disharmony spilled over into NBL26 when Harrell, before he was sensationally released by the 36ers because of a drug suspension in China, countered Davis’ claim he was “treated bad” by the Sixers after he signed with the Sydney Kings.
"It's bullsh*t ... It's bullsh*t," Harrell told Code Sports.
"Nobody did KD wrong. Bro, you sound like a bitter ex. Move (expletive) on, bro. Every time you get in front of a camera or a microphone why is Adelaide the first thing you got to say.
"You literally were too childish for us to accomplish what we wanted to last year.
“I ain’t going to go into depth on everything you did to players … (but it got) to the point where nobody wanted to be around you, bro.
“Every day you blew up with somebody.
“I told him I was done with him … you want to belittle somebody else on the team and that’s not the right way to do things, bro.”
The 36ers failed to launch in the NBL25 Playoffs as another season full of promise (and excitement) fizzled.
Both Harrell and Davis are no longer on the Sixers but five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton is. Cotton, 33, stunningly joined the 36ers after leaving Perth in a he-said, he-said free agency departure.
Cotton was the first piece in a roster retooling that immediately made the 36ers a contender.
Zylan Cheatham has been a revelation, Isaac Humphries playing the best ball of his career, and signing Flynn Cameron away from Dean Vickerman’s Melbourne United a masterstroke.
But they’ve missed on their imports: first Harrell; then American Troy Brown Jnr; the jury is still out on former NBA player John Jenkins; and the enigmatic 28-year-old American-Serbian Nick Rakocevic.
Rakocevic was in the middle of the wild melee that ended up with Brisbane’s Terry Taylor suspended for two games and he for one, missing the top of the table clash against South East Melbourne Phoenix the 36ers lost by 20 at home.
It was an equally wild 48 hours after the Wells and Bullets head coach Darryl McDonald fronted the media.
In an explosive post game press conference Wells said: "To me, there is always a line in sports, and you do not cross that line.
"There was a takedown between two players and then everybody started jumping in. By the time I got down there, Terry Taylor had Nick in a headlock on his back and Maldonado was punching him in the stomach. That is what I had.
"Everybody else who jumped in was grabbing my players, while Maldonado was still punching Nick in the stomach. To me, that is not basketball.
"We can play, we can compete, we can get after it, and this is a hard-playing league, but people do not cross the line. That crossed the line."
Frame-by-frame vision disputed Wells’ claim as did McDonald and Bullets captain Mitch Norton.
"I didn’t see Hunter throw a punch," Norton said.
"I continue to ask for clarity as to why TD got thrown out, who was at the back of the pack not doing a thing, when there were a lot of other players who were pretty heavily involved that didn’t get sent.
"I don’t understand that one. As for TT, he was sticking up for a teammate. All the other comments about cheap shots and all that stuff, I don’t really buy it."
McDonald counter: "Offensive rebound and I just like saw Rakocevic pile drive Hunter.
"After that, I didn’t see a lot. But yeah, it’s us, it’s our team, guys protecting each other. I don’t think anybody threw punches. Like you said, 'Hunter threw a punch' – Hunter didn’t throw any punches. He was trying to get away from the guy because the guy was landing on him.
"Again, it’s tough, man. When you have teammates, you want to protect your teammates, and that’s all we were trying to do."
Taylor was suspended, Rakocevic suspended for a game because of a previous infraction and Maldonado fined.
Winning a championship is the hardest thing to do in professional sports. Teams need luck, limited injuries and great chemistry.
The 36ers are 21-8 with four games to play and this is another distraction they simply didn’t need. It’s been almost a quarter of a century since Adelaide legend Phil Smyth led the 36ers to an NBL championship in 2002 and Adelaide fans are hungry – with high expectations in NBL26.
Distracts hurt and Adelaide has had more than plenty in the past month and it’s showing in its performances.
Adelaide 36ers – Last 10 Games
- Adelaide 36ers 77, South East Melbourne Phoenix 97 (Adelaide Entertainment Centre) – Loss
- Brisbane Bullets 74, Adelaide 36ers 107 (Gold Coast) – Win
- Sydney Kings 106, Adelaide 36ers 101 (Qudos Bank Arena) – Loss
- New Zealand Breakers 110, Adelaide 36ers 112 (Spark Arena) – Win
- Adelaide 36ers 89, South East Melbourne Phoenix 108 (RAC Arena – HoopsFest) – Loss
- Adelaide 36ers 72, Tasmania Jackjumpers 80 (Adelaide Entertainment Centre) – Loss
- Brisbane Bullets 86, Adelaide 36ers 97 (Brisbane Entertainment Centre) – Win
- Adelaide 36ers 85, Sydney Kings 79 (Adelaide Entertainment Centre) – Win
- Adelaide 36ers 95, Perth Wildcats 84
(Adelaide Entertainment Centre) – Win - Adelaide 36ers 93, Cairns Taipans 73 (Adelaide Entertainment Centre) – Win
Adelaide wanted an apology from the Bullets after last Wednesday’s blow-up and they got no sympathy from rival owner Romie Chaudhari, who poured more fuel on the fire on Saturday night.
"🫡🫡.... There's the "apology" you were asking for @Adelaide36ers. It's gonna be a tight race to the end, 5 teams with very similar records, anything can happen these last few weeks.... Fingers crossed we can keep it rolling 🤞🏾🤞🏾.... Either way, it's gonna be an exciting end to the season!!"
He’s right about one thing, it is going to be an exciting end to the season, only time will tell if the 36ers will break their drought and break through all the distractions.
Aggregate Total (NBL20–NBL26)
- Wins: 94
- Losses: 112
- Combined Record: 94–112
- Win Percentage: 45.6%
Pre-NBL26 (NBL20–25):
73–104 (41.2%): Six straight seasons without a finals appearance
NBL26:
21–8 (72.4%): Already Adelaide’s best win total since NBL18
NBL26 Adelaide 36ers
- PG: Bryce Cotton (IP) | Isaac White | Keanu Rasmussen | Che Brogan (DP)
- SG: DJ Vasiljevic | John Jenkins | Michael Harris
- SF: Flynn Cameron | Matt Kenyon | Deng Manyang (DP)
- PF: Nick Rakocevic (IP)| Zylan Cheatham (IP) | Magok Manyang (DP) | Blake Jones (IRP)
- C: Isaac Humphries | Ben Griscti
Injuries: Ben Griscti (neck): No timetable for return.
Incoming Players
- (IP) John Jenkins (replacement for Troy Brown Jnr)
- (IP) Troy Brown Jnr (Cangrejeros de Santurce)
- (IP) Nick Rakocevic (from Capitanes de Arecibo)
- (IP) Bryce Cotton (from Perth Wildcats – Import)
- Deng Manyang (Development Player)
- Flynn Cameron (from Melbourne United)
- Isaac White (from Brisbane Bullets)
- Matt Kenyon (from South East Melbourne Phoenix)
- Michael Harris (from Perth Wildcats)
- Zylan Cheatham (from Nagoya Diamond Dolphins – Import)
Departed Players
- Troy Brown Jnr (left the club on Monday, January 12, 2026)
- Montrezl Harrell (IP) – Released before the start of NBL26.
- Alex Starling
- Jason Cadee (Retired). Recruited by basketball.com.au
- Kendric Davis (to Sydney Kings)
- Lat Mayen (to Perth Wildcats)
- Nick Marshall (to Tasmania JackJumpers)
- Sunday Dech (to Perth Wildcats)
Across six seasons, Adelaide never finished higher than 6th and never reached the finals. Five of six seasons ended 7th–9th, placing the club firmly in the league’s lower-middle tier.
- Wins have hovered tightly between 10 and 13 in every season.
- No season shows a genuine step forward in total wins or ladder breakthrough.
- Even NBL25’s move to 6th came with the same 13-win ceiling.
- All six seasons finished with a negative differential
- Best margins: –51 (NBL23) and –60 (NBL25)
- Worst: –171 (NBL21) during the extended 36-game season
NBL25 Was a Relative Lift — Not a Reset
NBL25 represented:
- Best ladder position in six years (6th)
- Improved defensive balance vs NBL24
- Still outside true contender range (top four)
The Adelaide 36ers have been stuck in a six-year holding pattern. Between NBL20 and NBL25 they are good enough to avoid the bottom, but not good enough to threaten the top.
Adelaide 36ers — NBL25 Season
- Ladder Position: 6th
- Record: 13–16
- Points Differential: –60
- Head coach: Mike Wells
Season Result: The 36ers finished 6th at the end of the NBL25 regular season, placing them outside the top four and missing automatic playoff qualification. Their negative points differential (–60) reflects a season spent largely chasing consistency, with close losses offsetting some mid-season stability but not enough to climb the ladder.
Adelaide 36ers — NBL24 Season
- Ladder Position: 9th
- Record: 12–16
- Points Differential: –106
- Head Coach: Scott Ninnis
Season Result: The Adelaide 36ers finished 9th in NBL24, missing the finals. They ended the regular season tied on wins with Cairns (8th) and Brisbane (7th) but were separated by points differential, with a –106 margin leaving them outside the playoff picture.
Adelaide 36ers — NBL23 Season
- Ladder Position: 8th
Record: 13–15 - Points Differential: –51
- Head Coach: CJ Bruton
Season Result: The Adelaide 36ers finished 8th in NBL23, missing the finals. They ended with a sub-.500 record and a modest negative points differential, leaving them outside the top six and out of postseason contention.
Adelaide 36ers — NBL22 Season
- Ladder Position: 7th
- Record: 10–18
- Points Differential: –63
- Head Coach: CJ Bruton
Season Result: The Adelaide 36ers finished 7th in NBL22, missing the finals. A 10–18 record left them outside the postseason picture, with a modestly negative points differential reflecting a season spent in the lower half of the ladder without sustained momentum.
Adelaide 36ers — NBL21 Season
- Ladder Position: 7th
- Record: 13–23
- Games Played: 36
- Points Differential: –171
- Head Coach: Connor Henry
Season Result: The Adelaide 36ers finished 7th in NBL21, missing the finals. Across an expanded 36-game season, they struggled to sustain competitiveness against top-half teams, reflected in a –171 points differential, one of the weaker margins in the league that year.
Adelaide 36ers — NBL20 Season
- Ladder Position: 7th
- Record: 12–16
- Games Played: 28
- Points Differential: –114
- Head Coach: Joey Wright
Season Result: The Adelaide 36ers finished 7th in NBL20, missing the finals. Despite a mid-table win total, a –114 points differential reflected a season where defensive issues and margin losses kept them outside postseason contention.
