IN this series each week, we take a look at the strongest performing players at each position to create the league’s Team of the Week.

The second round of National Basketball League (NBL) action saw some magnificent performances at both team and individual level. Among the memorable matches were some impressive outings from some of the competition’s finest talents. There were youngsters and veterans alike making a significant impact on their respective matches as the league’s best begin to find their feet after two weeks of action and plenty more to come.

Point Guard – Matthew Dellavedova (Melbourne United)

In a promising second week of action for the NBA champion, Melbourne United star Dellavedova was terrific in the Melbourne derby. After a slow-ish start in round one, the feisty guard was back to his terrific best against the Phoenix on Sunday. His signature hustle was back, which set the tone for Melbourne getting themselves back into the contest after conceding an early lead. He was also able to shoot the ball with plenty of success, finishing with 19 points and found himself able to earn free throws with ease. In his signature style, he was also able to play above his height and pull down nine rebounds, while also dishing out six assists as well in what was a well-rounded performance.

Shooting guard – Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)

It was a breakout week for the young guard who hails from France, with the New Zealand Breaker gaining international attention thanks to his performances on the weekend. Suiting up for two matches in the second round of the NBL, Besson was able to surpass 20 points in both of these outings, announcing himself as one of the competition’s premier young talents. Against the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Friday night, Besson was one of the main reasons his team remained in the match until the closing seconds, finishing with 26 points and pouring in some big buckets in crunch time. A similar story was told on Sunday, when the 20-year-old delivered another 25 points and five shots from behind the three-point line.

Small Forward – Mitch Creek (South East Melbourne Phoenix)

The Phoenix superstar continued his charge towards the NBL Most Valuable Player award with another seriously impressive weekend. The bulk of his strong play came on Friday night, where he had a night for the history books in terms of scoring. In what proved to be a match-winning performance, Creek finished with a whopping 36 points which included making six of his seven attempts from behind the three-point line. This performance marked a career-game for Creek, who had never reached this many points in a game before and was also the best scoring performance in a match in South East Melbourne Phoenix history. He will be contending, if not leading the MVP race after two rounds and looks set to deliver the strongest year of his NBL career to date.

Power Forward – Robert Franks (Brisbane Bullets)

Prior to this round, Franks had shown that he was likely to be one of the recruits of the year, with the former NBA talent showing promising signs in the first round of NBL action. He took the next step over the weekend, producing a match-winning performance to lead his side to an upset victory over the Perth Wildcats. Franks finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds in an enthralling outing as he essentially dragged his side over the line. He was able to not only score in the paint, but also knock down a clutch shot from behind the arc in the second overtime period to give his side the lead and the win.

Center – Duop Reath (Illawarra Hawks)

One of the other contenders for recruit of the year also fired once again on the weekend, with Reath finding his place on this list for the second week in a row. The big man has continued to fire in his matches for the Hawks, and in round two he was as impressive as ever. Against the Sydney Kings, Reath poured in 27 points to finish as Illawarra’s strongest performer on the night in front of a hostile away crowd. His efficiency was also a point of interest, given he made 12 of his 17 field goal attempts, and three of his four shots from behind the arc.

Bench:

The backup point guard spot this week goes to William McDowell-White of the New Zealand Breakers. The 23-year-old had a career night against the Adelaide 36ers despite the loss. He finished with a career-high 27 points on some ridiculously accurate shooting, making 10 of his 14 field goal attempts, and seven of his nine three point attempts in what was a terrific performance.

The next backup spot goes to Adelaide 36ers shooting guard Dusty Hannahs, who has continued to prove his worth on his new side. He scored 40 points over his two games in the round, and was able to hit some clutch shots, particularly in his side’s win over the Tasmania JackJumpers, where he hit a circus three-pointer in crunch time. If Hannahs can build on this performance, the 36ers will be all the better for it.

The bench small forward spot goes to Tasmania JackJumpers captain Clint Steindl, who has performed admirably as the club goes through a losing streak. Steindl has been coming off the bench for the JackJumpers, but has still been able to his the scoreboard and affect the contest. In their loss against the 36ers on Thursday night, the skipper had 22 points off the bench and nearly proved a matchwinner. He followed this up with 13 points against the Taipans in what was a productive weekend.

The backup power forward position will go to Daniel Johnson of the Adelaide 36ers. Johnson produced a terrific week on the scoreboard, providing plenty of spark for his side as they looked to turn their season around. After a decent 14 points against the JackJumpers, Johnson took things to the next level against the Breakers with 22 points to lead his side to a 2-0 weekend.

The final bench spot goes to South East Melbourne Phoenix big man Zhou Qi, who has finally found himself comfortable in the NBL. There was plenty of hype around the arrival of the big man, given his size and NBA experience, and he produced a stunning performance in the Melbourne derby. Zhou finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and a whopping seven blocks as he played a crucial role in his side taking down the reigning champions.