Sydney Kings coach Andrew Gaze's stint in the NBA Summer League is set to prompt big changes at the NBL team as he moves to fix the recruitment failures of last season
The Kings struggled with injury and poor form to key players before finishing 2016-17 second-last in Gaze's debut season at the helm.
Departed import centre Julian Khazzouh missed the entire season with a quad injury, while US guard Steve Blake returned home for personal reasons after nine games.
Forward Josh Powell, also released at season's end, was inconsistent and averaged under 10 points in 27 games.
Gaze has recently returned home from Indiana where he was an assistant coach during the pre-season ahead of taking a Kings invitational squad to China next week for a tournament.
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Gaze said his time with the Pacers opened his eyes to a new game plan which he admitted will impact recruiting.
"From a strategic standpoint, I really got a firsthand look at how the NBA game is played and how there's a real premium on versatility of positions," Gaze told AAP.
"The positions were kind of irrelevant. A lot of the time we played with four guards.
"You've seen it with the (NBA champions) Golden State Warriors - the way in which they utilised the three-point line.
"You've seen it from afar, but it's great when you get there in the inner sanctum to see how they make these decisions, how they implement their strategy."
The Kings have so far focused on recruiting for the front-court this off-season, taking former US college star Perry Ellis (forward), Australian youngster Dane Pineau (forward) and Melbourne United's Todd Blanchfield (forward/guard).
But Gaze said the 203cm-Ellis, who's trialling with Minnesota in the Summer League, was intended to also contribute around perimeter.
"I see him as a guy who can play multiple positions," Gaze said.
"He can score around the basket, very good rebounder, very high basketball IQ.
"For us, it's about trying to find a way in which we can continue to develop him at his perimeter game.
"He's really worked on that and the three-point shot has come into his repertoire."
Ellis won't travel with the team to China, where they'll compete in the Atlas Cup with seven other teams from the Asia-Pacific, Europe and US.
Gaze said the tournament will partially be used as squad trials.
