Mojave King is perhaps the forgotten man from Australia’s recent crop of NBA Global Academy graduates.
The Queenslander was appearing on ESPN’s NBA mock drafts long before some of his illustrious peers, like Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels, but two up and down NBL seasons saw his stock plummet. King struggled to find playing time with the last-placed Cairns Taipans in the 2020-21 NBL season, and it was a case of deja vu when he joined Adelaide, who went 10-18 the following year.
The young guard was in need of a fresh start, and found one in the country of his birth, New Zealand.
King joined the New Zealand NBL (NZNBL) outfit Southland Sharks for the 2022 season, and played under the tutelage of veteran coach Rob Beveridge. Although the Sharks finished second to last with a 6-12 record, you can’t fault Beveridge in terms of player development, as King reminded us why he was once a touted NBA prospect. It should also be noted that Beveridge suffered a broken scapula and six broken ribs midway through the season, after falling six meters from his roof at home. This injury presumably destabilized the Sharks, who were already struggling to achieve a finals berth.
King averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 16 games for the Sharks, on 47% shooting from the field. He was unlucky not to be named the NZNBL’s Youth Player of the Year, but did win Southland’s Club MVP award. For those questioning the level of competition, King posted similar numbers to Adelaide’s Sunday Dech, a one-time NBL Most Improved Player nominee. Dech averaged 17.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists, albeit with an added reputation on the defensive end, but the comparable statistical output is nevertheless encouraging for King.
King’s trademark athleticism was on full display for Southland, as he routinely caught the opposition napping on fast breaks.