ROUND 11 of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2021/22 season has wrapped up over the past couple of days, with some seriously entertaining action going on across a number of courts. Of the seven matches, many went down to the wire, which saw a number of players stand up in a time of need for their respective sides. There were some terrific individual performances this weekend, in what was another cracking batch of high-quality matches around Australia.

Point Guard – Bryce Cotton (Perth Wildcats)

Time and time again, Mr. Consistent seems to just get the job done for the Wildcats. While Perth fell just short against the reigning champions, Cotton was a man on a mission as he looked to get his side over the line on Saturday night. He poured in a game-high 31 points, giving the team a massive scoring boost. His shots came from all over the court, demonstrating his ability to score from all over the court on any given night as he once again proved to be the best player on the court.

Shooting Guard – Caleb Agada (Melbourne United)

In the same game, there was a big performance from one of United’s dynamic guards, with Agada continuing his strong season. In the win over the Wildcats, Agada racked up a double-double with 15 points and a whopping 13 rebounds, which was an equal-game high for the match. Five of these came on the offensive end, giving his side a number of extra opportunities to score, which proved crucial by the time the final siren sounded, with the margin sitting at just six points in the end.

Small Forward – Lamar Patterson (Brisbane Bullets)

Patterson’s spot in this team was cemented at the start of the weekend, when his side took on the 36ers, and the forward proved to be the best player on the court in the four-point win. He poured in a whopping 32 points to give his side a massive scoring boost, which proved to be crucial when a number of his teammates ended up going cold. He produced some big buckets down the stretch, but what was also impressive was his court vision and passing ability, as he finished with six dimes in a game-winning performance.

Power Forward – Daniel Johnson (Adelaide 36ers)

The 36ers might have lost in their clash against the Bullets, but one of the reasons they were in the contest in the first place was the performance of Johnson. The forward racked up a big double-double in a truly impactful performance, and stepped up in the absence of some key personnel. He finished with 15 points and 14 boards as he looked to fight his way to a win, but unfortunately did not receive enough help from teammates, but Johsnon can still hold his head high with this performance.

Center – Yannick Wetzell (New Zealand Breakers)

The Breakers big man produced the best individual performance of the round in his side’s win against the Taipans. Against Cairns, Wetzell put up numbers of 23 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in the victory, leading his side to a big win for New Zealand, who are in the midst of a tumultious season to date. What was most impressive was his work on the defensive end, racking up six steals to cap off a truly dominant performance.

Bench:

The first point guard spot goes to Matthew Dellavedova of Melbourne United, who has continued his improved scoring run of late. Against the Wildcats, he poured in 18 points and five dimes as he still proves to make United a dynamic offence on a weekly basis. If he can continue to deliver these performances, the reigning champions become even more difficult to stop.

The next bench spot goes to Tasmania JackJumpers shooting guard Josh Adams, who was a major reason as to why his side was looking a chance to upset the Phoenix on the weekend. Adams was the game’s highest scorer, finishing with 23 points and keeping Tasmania in the contest, particularly in the first half when the result was up for grabs, as his run of form continues.

The bench small forward spot goes to Ryan Broekhoff of the SEM Phoenix, who delivered a pair of impressive performances for his team. To kick off the round, he poured in 25 points against the Kings, before backing this up with 18 points against the JackJumpers. Many of these points came from the charity stripe, as he demonstrated his ability to draw contact with ease

The next reserve forward on our list is Xavier Cooks of the Sydney Kings, who produced two strong outings in Round 11. Against the Phoenix, he kicked off his round with a team-high 23 points, guiding his side to an upset win, before backing this up with a double-double against the Bullets with 15 points and 12 boards, proving a valuable contributor as his side went 2-0 for the weekend.

The final bench spot goes to Melbourne United big man Jo Lual Acuil, who was once again dominant in his side’s win over the Wildcats on the weekend. Putting the Perth big men to the sword, Lual-Acuil finished with a team-high 22 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks as he continued to stamp his authority and announce himself as one of the premier bigs of the competition.