ADELAIDE 36ers, Perth Wildcats and South East Melbourne Phoenix have all earned two players in our Draft Central National Basketball League (NBL) Team of the Week for Round 11 after impressive performances.  Four of the remaining six sides had one player each in the 10-player squad, with only Brisbane Bullets and Illawarra Hawks missing out on any representatives this round.

The sole team with two starting players this round was the Phoenix, after suffering a narrow loss to Adelaide, then getting up over Cairns Taipans in an overtime thriller. The match-winner from the latter game, John Roberson earned a spot as a starting guard after averaging 27 points and four assists, while Mitch Creek was consistent as ever, posting up numbers of 26.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals across the weekend. Their opponents in that latter game also had a starting player, with Cameron Oliver named as the other forward following his average of 22.0 points and 14.5 rebounds. For the 36ers, they also had two players named, with the hot hands of Jerome Randle – who averaged 27.5 points, 6.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds – making the side, while teammate Eric Griffin found a spot on the bench.

Rounding out the starting five was Team of the Week regular, Shawn Long who had another weekend of back-to-back brilliant efforts. Long averaged 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, as well as 2.5 blocks. The reserve center for this week is a Team of the Week debutant, as New Zealand Breakers’ Robert Loe entered the frame. He is surrounded on the bench by other Team of the Week regulars, with the combination of Perth Wildcats’ duo Bryce Cotton and Nick Kay also earning a spot, as well as Sydney Kings’ Casper Ware who also made the final 10.

There were quite a few unlucky players to miss out this week, with Cairns duo D.J. Newbill and Scott Machado,  Illawarra duo Emmett Naar and AJ Ogilvy, Perth’s Terrico White, South East Melbourne’s Adam Gibson, Melbourne’s Melo Trimble, Sydney’s Jae’Sean Tate, Brisbane’s Lamar Patterson, Adelaide’s Daniel Johnson and New Zealand’s Thomas Abercrombie.

STARTING FIVE:

G: John Roberson (SEM) – 27.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 52.4 FG%
G: Jerome Randle (AD) – 27.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.0 blocks, 55.0 FG%
C: Shawn Long (MU) – 19.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.5 blocks, 65.2 FG%
F: Cameron Oliver (CT) – 22.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks, 60.6 FG%
F: Mitch Creek (SEM) – 26.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 58.3 FG%

BENCH:

G: Casper Ware (SK) – 28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 53.8 FG%
G: Bryce Cotton (PW) – 23.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.0 blocks, 47.2 FG%
C: Robert Loe (NZ) – 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 71.4 FG%
F: Nick Kay (PW) – 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, 55.6 FG%
F: Eric Griffin (AD) – 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 65.0 FG%