Nick Rakocevic has stepped up impressively without centre partner Isaac Humphries so far in NBL27, is thriving in Trevor Gleeson's system and is being rewarded for feeling more at home in a second Adelaide 36ers season.

Rakocevic was a late signing to the 36ers for NBL26 and had to hit the ground running when he debuted for their second game of the season in Cairns, but he ended up being a key part of their run that had them within seconds of a drought breaking championship.

Now, he feels much more comfortable both in the NBL and at the 36ers coming into this season, and he has been needed to step up even further with his fellow centre Humphries currently sidelined with a knee injury.

He has delivered impressively too including a starring role in Sunday's 14-point win in their home opener against the Cairns Taipans where he played 32:34 and delivered 21 points, 12 rebounds and shot 10/17 from the field.

His free-throw shooting of 1/6 for the game means there's room for improvement too, but all in all, Rakocevic is just feeling a lot more settled at the start of NBL27 and has been happy to play an even bigger role with Humphries sidelined.

"Obviously it was my first year with the team and in the league, so I just had to kinda figure out my role and what guys like to do, and what they don't like to do," Rakocevic said.

"And they needed to learn that from me, but obviously now with a whole season that I've played with pretty much 90 per cent of the same exact team, I feel like our chemistry is just unreal.

"It just makes it so much easier to play and I know the league better now and the type of style of play. I had to adapt to that last year and I think on the back end of the season I did a good job, and now I'm just kinda picking up where I left off."

With the coaching change in the off-season for the 36ers from Mike Wells to five-time championship winner Trevor Gleeson, it means a change in system too and the implementation of his renowned flex offence.

Given Bryce Cotton and Gleeson won three championships together at the Perth Wildcats, they know that it already works for the six-time MVP, but playing in that system looks like it agrees with Rakocevic already too.

While he did have to say all the right things with his coach sitting right next to him, Rakocevic does like the structure of getting to play in the flex and what it allows him to showcase as a big man.

"I think for me it's just nice to get the ball at the top and make plays, and make decisions. There were a couple of plays where I just kinda drove to the basket and spin, and do stuff like that," Rakocevic said.

"That's just kinda always been my game with that Euro style of basketball and I think it just fits really well with the offence that Trev runs.

"In the pre-season and now the last three games it's gone really great and I think he made a really good point where it's just going to take time for us to adjust to it.

"But we're getting better at it and that's the main thing. We just like having that all moving and it's been useful for us as a team and then obviously guys can get more looks out of it."

Coming off 8.5 points and 6.4 rebounds a game in his 18.8 minutes last season, Rakocevic produced a combined 34 points and 17 rebounds over the first two games of NBL27 in a win over Melbourne United and loss to the Perth Wildcats.

He then stepped up for the monster performance in Sunday's home opener at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre against the Snakes and took confidence from hitting a couple of early shots, and with his teammates getting him the ball.

"I just think that after the first shot when I got kind of a lucky bounce I would say, after that I kinda saw the ball go in a couple more times and my teammates did a really good job of getting me in easy positions to score the ball," Rakocevic said.

"As a big man, I just love playing with our guards who are just really talented at creating space for themselves but also for the big guys. I felt good out there and I was just happy to be back in Adelaide in front of our fans."

The 36ers are starting the season below full strength not only with the absence of Humphries, but with the knowledge when signing him that Bul Kuol could miss half or three quarters of the campaign as he returns from rupturing his ACL.

Then emerging superstar Flynn Cameron injured his ankle in the first game of the season too so that's three key players they are missing, but Rakocevic knows they still have enough talent to get by with a host of players looking to grab the extra opportunities.

"We just have to stay aggressive with our key guys out like Flynn, Ice and obviously Bul," Rakocevic said.

"It's our job to be aggressive but I think when you look down at who played for us today, Whitey (Isaac White) came off the bench and gave us great minutes.

"Deonte (Williams) and Riggy (Jacob Rigoni) came in and played big minutes for us, and so did Keanu.

"You have to really tip your hat to those guys who are consistently staying ready for when their number is called, and you have to give credit to the younger guys."

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