ROUND 12 of the NBL has wrapped, and there was plenty to take out of what took place over the course of the weekend. There were some stirring results with the season having passed the halfway point, so each result carries some significance. As a result of this, some of the competition’s premier stars stood up in their respective clashes, looking to drag their sides to a win. The familiar faces of the competition were back at it again, with many players appearing in our lineup more than once throughout the season.
In this series each week, we take a look at the strongest performing players at each position in the National Basketball League (NBL) to create our Team of the Week.
Point Guard – Jaylen Adams (Sydney Kings)
Sydney’s superstar guard has continued his incredible run of form, delivering another massive performance on Saturday night. In the Kings’ upset triumph over the Wildcats, Adams was far and away the best player on the court, doing it all for his team in arguably his best performance in the NBL. He delivered a stat line of 31 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in a herculean performance in what was Sydney’s best win of the 2021/22 season.
Shooting Guard – Josh Adams (Tasmania JackJumpers)
The JackJumpers produced one of the most impressive shooting performances in recent memory, equalling the NBL record with 22 three-pointers in their win against the Hawks. One of the main contributors to this effort was Adams, who was deadly behind the arc on Sunday afternoon. The import guard was outstanding with ball in hand, particularly in the second half when his side made their match-winning push. He finished with 28 points, with eight of his three-point attempts finding the bottom of the net as his red-hot offensive form rolls on.
Small Forward – Mitch Creek (SEM Phoenix)
It may sound like a broken record at this point, but Creek was once again leading the way for the Phoenix over the weekend. After a bout of gastro in in Round 11, Creek bounced back in impressive fashion in his two Round 12 outings. He was solid without being spectacular in the tense win over the Bullets with 15 points, including some clutch buckets, but his strongest performance came a few days earlier in the Melbourne Throwdown, where he poured in 23 points as the Phoenix fell short of victory. Despite the loss, Creek’s efforts could not be questioned, and he continues to be a vital factor in his team’s success.
Power Forward – Robert Franks (Brisbane Bullets)
The Bullets were unlucky not to emerge victorious against the Phoenix, but they still had some seriously strong contributors despite the result. Franks fits this description, given the impressive nature of his performance. The import poured in 23 points and eight rebounds and combined well with one of his teammates (we’ll get to him in a bit) to almost produce a winning score for Brisbane. They could not get the job done against quality opposition, but Franks’ endeavour could not be questioned.
Center – Jo Lual Acuil (Melbourne United)
How good has this guy’s season been? After winning the NBL’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2021, Lual-Acuil has gone from being the Most Improved Player favourite to being well and truly entrenched in the conversation for the league’s Most Valuable Player award. His magnificent season continued against the Phoenix, where he had another match-winning performance, with 30 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in a towering display against the Defensive Player of the Year favourite in Zhou Qi.
Bench
The first backup guard in our side is Perth Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton, who did all he could in the loss to the Kings. He delivered a match-high 33 points and four assists in an enthralling battle with Adams, but the Kings proved too good as a team despite the reigning MVP’s efforts.
The next guard on our bench is Antonius Cleveland of the Illawarra Hawks, who has been in some nice form of late. He had 35 points across his two games (including 20 in the loss to the JackJumpers) and has proven to be another reliable avenue to the basket for the Hawks, which is what they were desperately searching for.
Arguably the most unlucky player to miss out on a starting spot in our team is Brisbane Bullets forward Lamar Patterson. In the loss to the Phoenix, Patterson was simply excellent with a game-high 27 points, seven rebounds and five dimes and could not have done any more to give his side a shot at causing a major upset.
One of the key figures in the Adelaide 36ers‘ crucial win over the Taipans was forward Daniel Johnson. He was back to his best on Sunday afternoon, pouring in 18 points and nine boards to play a vital role in securing the victorious result for his side.
There were a few candidates for the final big man spot on the list, but Duop Reath Illawarra Hawks of the ultimately won out thanks to a strong pair of performances over the weekend. He kicked off his round with 16 points in the blowout win over the Taipans, before topping this with 25 points and nine boards against the JackJumpers.
