An injury is never ideal but Jaylin Galloway's shoulder injury last NBL season gave him a chance to take stock of how to earn another NBA chance with his immediate focus on a big NBL1 East finish with Bankstown Bruins.

It was quite the whirlwind 2024 for the hugely talented, explosive and athletic wing who went from a strong NBL24 season at the Sydney Kings which saw him earn a second NBA opportunity directly after with the Milwaukee Bucks.

He made five appearances in the back end of the 2023/24 season and thought he was set for a lengthy stay in Milwaukee under coach Doc Rivers and alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

However, it hit him for six when he was unexpectedly waived. Then his NBL return at the Kings hit a hurdle when he required shoulder surgery after appearing in just 10 games, but in a way it's allowed him to take stock and refocus.

Now, Galloway is putting together a standout NBL1 East season with Bankstown, he is part of the Australian Boomers squad for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup next month, and then is gearing up for NBL26 at the Kings.

"I'm just taking it slow and I know it's been tough after being waived by the Bucks," Galloway exclusively told basketball.com.au.

"That threw me off a little bit mentally, but having that time off with this shoulder surgery has allowed me to get my mind right.

"Now playing in the East, I'm able to get good game reps and get my rhythm back, then I can do the Boomers thing and then be ready for this upcoming season. So it has been good to get my mind right for that."

Blessing in disguise

No injury ever comes at a good time but there's also no point feeling sorry for yourself during any rehabilitation process.

Instead, Galloway looked at the positive following the shoulder operation that ended his NBL25 early so he could take stock on the whirlwind period he had been through.

He refocused on what he needs to do to come back hit the ground running, to continue to chase his dreams.

"That whole period everything happened so fast from when I signed and then I got waived and then I came back to the Kings. I didn’t expect any of that to happen so it definitely caught me by surprise," Galloway said.

"Even when I had the injury and the surgery, I think it was somewhat of a blessing in disguise because it gave me time to take a step back and then just slow everything down, get my mind right and my body right.

"I didn’t take anything negative from it, but it definitely has been a good step for me as I know focus on making this return."

NBL1 East perfect return destination

When Galloway was weighing the best place to make his return to playing, the NBL1 East was ideal because he could remain in Sydney and continue working with the Kings staff and at the club's facilities with his rehabilitation.

He was happy to play in the East and the Bruins soon became his preferred destination. It's been working nicely with him delivering 24.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists across 11 games with one round to go before playoffs.

"This has been a huge part of my career coming back from my shoulder surgery," Galloway said.

"So using this league as my chance to get my rhythm back and getting back into game shape has definitely been a good journey.

"That was probably the main factor in wanting to play here so I could stay in Sydney. Coming off the surgery, I just wanted to stay in Sydney and do all my rehab here, and take care of my body the best I could.

"I thought staying Sydney was the best place for me to do that."

Focused on big finish for Bruins

The NBL1 East is the strongest it has ever been this season and that's highlighted by the amount of high level players across the competition, but also in how tight the league is ahead of the final round.

Only one game separates the top four teams with any of them capable of finishing one through four. Then there's the Bruins who are currently in sixth spot at 10-8 with games to finish at home to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and away to the Central Coast Crusaders.

That means that Bankstown can still finish anywhere from fifth to out of the finals in 10th depending on what happens. Galloway is enjoying everything about being part of it for the first time with his previous NBL1 experience in the North at Mackay and Ipswich.

"We know how important it is for us to get these last two wins to set us up hopefully for a home game to start the finals," Galloway said.

"We're definitely locked in for these two games, but it's crazy how close this ladder is and it just shows competitive and equal this league is so it's definitely awesome to see.

"Even the top three teams are pretty much on the same record so it's crazy how even this league is and I've never seen anything like this."

Having an NBL legend as teammate

The other great benefit for Galloway of playing with Bankstown this season is getting to call Jason Cadee a teammate who has returned to his junior club on the back of retiring from his 424-game NBL career.

Galloway sure couldn’t imagine a better point guard to play alongside.

"He's made the process a lot easier and he makes my job a lot easier too every time we're out on the court," Galloway said.

"Everybody knows that Jase is a passer so it just feels like he always gets you in the right spot. He's like a player and a coach at the same time out there and it's great to have him as a teammate."

Statement upcoming season for Kings

Once Galloway is done with his NBL1 East and Boomers commitments over the next month or so, he will turn his attention to the NBL26 season back with the Kings.

There's plenty to be excited about with the signings of Matthew Dellavedova and Kendric Davis to the back court especially, but Galloway is looking to make his own statement and take a leap towards an NBA return.

"This is probably going to be one of my better seasons so I'm definitely excited for this season and hopefully can help me get back to where I want to be," Galloway said.

"After being waived by the Bucks, I can use that as extra motivation for sure and that's what I'll be doing.

"After having that bit of a taste of the NBA, I definitely want to get back there and I've learned those little steps that I need to improve on to take my game to the next level."

Chris Pike

'Taste of the NBA': How Jaylin is plotting comeback | Basketball.com.au