On Friday night at RAC Arena in Perth, a red-hot Nick Kay will line up for the Wildcats as the NBL finals begin and he chases back-to-back championships in a career that continues to ascend.
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The Tamworth-raised forward produced some of the best form of his career in the run to the finals, notably becoming a more effective three-point shooter.
The Boomers star was duly named in the All-NBL First Team for the second consecutive season. Only four Wildcats have made the side two years in a row.
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Kay described making the All-NBL team as a "huge honour". "There's a lot of talent in that team, a lot of high-quality players," he said.
The second-placed Wildcats meet the third-placed Taipans on Friday night, before travelling to Cairns for game two on Sunday.
In 2019-20, Kay has averaged 15.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
He upped his blocked shots from seven a game last season to 19 this year, and took 20 more three-point attempts while improving his clip from long range to an incredible 46 per cent.
You try to get better every year, whether people think that or not. I'm trying to get better, and I'll keep working and hopefully rewards come with it.
- Nick Kay
He said: "You try to get better every year, whether people think that or not. I'm trying to get better, and I'll keep working and hopefully rewards come with it.
"I've become more confident with the three-ball, shooting at a higher rate and the percentage is all right. So that helps a lot of other guys out with the penetration through the key."
He added: "No one is a complete player, but you work as much as you can to get closer to that."
Kay said Miles Plumlee's addition to the Wildcats squad had helped him up his game. Plumlee arrived seven games ago, with Kay on a career-best run of five-straight 20-plus point games.
