Melbourne Tigers star Jack Purchase has a goal in mind for helping teammate Mason Gaze pursue a professional career in the NBL.
The 2023 NBL1 South Co-MVP has had multiple stints at the professional level, playing in 22 games total across three seasons for Melbourne United (2019-20), Adelaide 36ers (2021), and the Perth Wildcats (2021-22) as a Development Player.
He believes that Mason Gaze has the ability to be the lead player on this team coming into next season.
“What he does really well is he guards, he’s a really good defender, he’s an underrated defender,” Purchase said on Gaze via the NBL1 South Podcast.
“He’s going to be playing on the team as one of the best players every night, so lock in on that.”
Purchase explained that Gaze’s defence will be a key part of his repertoire and will push the 22-year-old to develop as an NBL-level guard in the upcoming NBL1 South season.
“I’m pushing him towards more of a guard player, I think that will be better for him in the NBL,” Purchase said.
“In the NBL, someone of his weight and size would be more of a two or a three, so I think that’s what he’s going to try and do this year, play in more of those positions.
“I think he can definitely do it.”
The Tigers struggled last season, finishing 12th on the ladder with a 10-12 record. However, their season turned around towards the start of June, pulling off a 6-4 record in the last 10 games -- with many of the losses coming in single-digits.
But the 28-year-old Purchase shut down the “underdog” narrative given to the squad last season, sticking by his side’s performance under head coach and NBL legend Andrew Gaze.
“I know we went into a lot of games as underdogs, but I never felt that we were,” he said.
“The way we played together as Tigers on the offensive run, and the system that we played with, I always felt like we were a good chance against anyone.”
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