Alex Toohey Is a Student of the Game
Among the most underrated prospect in the upcoming draft class is Alex Toohey out of the NBL, who brings quite a bit to the table for an NBA franchise.
“A part of my skill is being a student of the game and always trying to learn stuff,” Toohey told Draft Digest. That tracks with what you watch on film. Toohey is 6-foot-7, over 200 pounds, and has a 6-foot-11 wingspan and 9-foot standing reach. He’s in his second season as an NBL Next Star with the Sydney Kings, a program that helped shepherd LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, and Alex Sarr into the NBA, and Toohey says it’s been a tremendous experience.
“Just learning how to be a pro, finding ways to compete at a high level. I think that’s a big part of the on-the-court game and the Next Stars does a good job of that,” Toohey said. “The resources they have for you to be a good person and the things you have at your disposal. You can reach out to people, and media teams are all there to back you up, and there’s just a bunch of resources. Not just on the court but off the court as well.”
“Overall it’s not just the basketball program it’s a people program to try to make people better people.”
Toohey is a returning Next Star, alongside fellow Aussie Rocco Zikarsky. But the program picked up some other notable names this past summer, like Karim Lopez and Malique Lewis. All of the Next Stars have played each other this season, but according to Toohey, winning is what matters above all else. The Next Stars don’t see themselves competing with each other.
“[They’re] just another opponent. All the Next Stars are trying to get to the same place. When you’re in the heat of the moment you’re just trying to beat them,” Toohey said.
Toohey’s Kings have been handing out quite a few beatings this season. They sit fourth in the Australian NBL standings, only two games back in the loss column from the number-one seed Illawarra Hawks. That’s not a surprise. The Kings came into the season as the betting favorites after they added Xavier Cooks - former NBL MVP - this offseason to a squad that already featured Jaylen Adams, Bul Kuol, and other elite players.
“It’s been great having all those players around me,” Toohey said. He’s provided quality role-player support around the Kings stars, figuring out how to mesh his skills with what they do best, and that approach will suit him well in the NBA. “Having Xavier come in at the start of the season was a big addition. Being able to cut around him and get out in transition where he can find me easily is a big one.”
“Jay [Adams] is probably one of the most elite pick-and-roll players in the league so making myself available on the wing, cutting when I need to trying to get behind the defense’s head that’s a big part of it too. Making sure that I’m embracing the journey and that I understand what it takes to be in the right spot.”
Toohey has been fortunate to play under head coach Brian Goorjian this season as well. Goorjian is a six-time NBL champion as a coach and also led the Australian Men’s National Team to their first-ever Olympic medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.
“The big thing he’s been saying to me is ‘you can’t let your three-pointer dictate how you play in the game.’ Last year I would just sit in the corner and if my threes didn’t go in that was it, it was a bad game,” Toohey said. “Coming from that to this year - pushing the ball in transition, making plays for my teammates, and not just relying on my three-point shot in how I play. He’s the one for me that taught me the perspective that it doesn’t matter how you shoot there are still other ways you can affect the game.”
Toohey has been a hot and cold shooter each of the last two seasons. He’s had months where he’s shot over 40 percent from deep on decent volume, but overall, he’s at 30 percent on 76 attempts in NBL play this season and ended last season at 25 percent on 67 attempts.
“Shooting is not a linear thing. Naturally, you go through those ups and those downs,” Toohey said. “I feel confident in my shot, that I’ve put the work in, and that the next one is going in.” While Toohey’s shooting is up and down, his off-ball movement and rebounding are not. They are both consistently exceptional, and he believes those skills come from his commitment to film and his craft.
“It’s something that has developed the more I’ve played. It’s that part of it but the film as well. Watching the game and understanding the patterns of people's tendencies,” Toohey said and then provided an example. “Like when Jay’s about to go for a floater if it’s not gonna go in it’s usually gonna go long so that’s an opportunity there. It’s just trying to read the game.”
Toohey makes sure he does everything he can to buy into his team’s strategy as well. The NBL is a fast-paced league, the fastest in the world outside of the NBA, and the Kings thrive in that environment.
“Our team especially puts an emphasis on trying to score in the first 10 seconds. That’s where the advanced stats say we get the most points per possession. We’re always trying to get early scores,” Toohey said. The NBL style and the Kings style are beneficial for a young prospect.
“The games are very high tempo and high scoring. You go from that to watching college and some of the other leagues around the world and it makes me understand that we are playing in a very fast league and I think that’s something that definitely prepares you for the NBA.”
Playing in the NBL instead of college also means an increase in the level of physicality, and professionalism. Something Toohey believes has been a huge benefit from going the Next Star route.
“Playing against grown men that are trying to feed their families there’s a level to it there, you’re not playing against kids anymore,” Toohey said. “These people work on their bodies for a living, and it’s their job to kinda beat you up.”
“Once you have that under your belt you can play at any level.”
Toohey’s growth on the court has been obvious. He can defend positions one through five and has shown increased ability as a ballhandler this season. After only a handful of pick-and-roll repetitions last season he’s up to nearly 20 with the Kings for this season and has been efficient, per Synergy Sports. This set of skills does not stand out for Toohey given his role with the Kings, but one he wants to make sure NBA teams are aware of come June.
“The way we play it’s probably definitely more heavy point guard pick and roll, but I think I’m definitely comfortable in the pick and roll situations and bringing up the ball and getting into offense,” Toohey said. “The four men in the league, like Paolo [Banchero], who can inbound the ball and get it back and run offense. I feel like I can do that as well in the four positions, three as well.”
Toohey is always finding ways to get better too. He is, at his core, a basketball junkie. He’s constantly watching film: “I always watch film day of and turn on the NBA day of as well. I like watching a lot of Europe as well,” Toohey said. “Even play sets, try to keep experimenting and learning.”
Toohey stays in touch with Aussies throughout the NBA, such as Josh Giddey and Joe Ingles, so he can learn from their experiences and prepare himself for the next step in his career. “[I] talk to them about the ups and downs, what it took for them, and the lessons they wish they knew sooner. If it’s a life question or a basketball question, they’re always willing to answer.”
On the court, Alex Toohey projects to have the positional versatility and two-way skillset that NBA teams desire from role players across the league. Off the court, he seems as ready as any prospect to make the leap to the NBA and do whatever it takes to help his team win.
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