Bhullar (L) was an unused sub for the Kings, who lost 101-95 against the Pelicans. AP

One of the first few things Sim Bhullar had to do during his one-day training at the Sacramento Kings was get used to about 30-40 advanced and fast-paced plays — defence and offence. Time was of the essence, especially since the first basketball player of Indian descent to feature on an NBA roster had just a 10-day contract — for him, a blessing that not many players manage to get. And here he was, on the verge of making a debut against the New Orleans Pelicans. The call-up to the playing five however, never came.

Head coach George Karl would have been looking for the opportune moment to call on the 7’5” towering Canadian, the tallest in his team. But match proceedings dictated otherwise. Just as the Kings fell 15 points behind, a series of lightening fast-breaks brought them to within four points of their opponents. The Kings eventually bowed out to a 101-95 loss, but what the game did provide Bhullar — who is a notoriously slow sprinter — was a first-hand view of the pace at which starters DeMarcus Cousins, Ben McLemore and Ray McCallum play the game.

Yet Bhullar is still in the frame to make his first-ever appearance for an NBA franchise. The Kings still have a few games before his contract runs out and the 22-year-old is revving to perform. “I’ve been working on what I need to improve and I’m just waiting for the chance to get out on court and produce results,” he says.

His physique and fitness levels top the list of priorities he has fashioned for himself, despite already having showed significant improvement. “Biggest thing for me was to get the body weight down and actually start looking like an NBA player. Once the body starts getting into shape, all other aspects will improve,” says Bhullar, who lost 16 kilos over the past five months that he has spent playing for Reno Bighorns in the NBA’s development league. Given that he was on the bench and got a good view of proceedings, the marquee league’s pace has given him an idea of what levels of physicality is demanded to succeed in the top flight.

Stepping stone

Success though, as Kings owner Vivek Ranadive puts it, is just around the corner for Bhullar. In fact, the youngster’s featuring on the bench was in itself a stepping stone towards a secure future in the NBA. “He’s had a fantastic track record in the development league and he’s learnt well during the summer league and off-season period. He’s been on a terrific run and he’s slowly setting himself up for a good future,” says Ranadive. “The coach too has been monitoring him and has been happy with the progress so far,” he adds.

Bhullar will again feature on the Kings’ team sheet against the Utah Jazz this Monday. And should the opportune moment come for Karl to call upon the biggest player in his squad, he’ll find a centre looking to make a long-lasting impression.