JUST like that, another round of the National Basketball League (NBL) has begun for the 2023/24 season, with another batch of games set to light up the Australian basketball scene over the weekend.

Things could not have started in any stranger fashion last night, as the match between the Sydney Kings and the Cairns Taipans was played without a shot clock or air conditioning in the second half. Power outages saw these obstacles threaten to derail the match, but both coaches agreed to go on and play out the remainder of the game.

The game turned out to be a cracking affair, with the Kings holding on for a three-point game, albeit not without drama. The Taipans thought they had forced overtime when a half-court heave banked in after the buzzer, but the shot was found to have been released too late, and the reigning champions held on for a thrilling victory. It was the first of what should be many cracking affairs this weekend.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will continue its weekly series of highlighting some key players worth keeping an eye on this weekend.

The Adelaide 36ers

This might seem like cheating, but kicking things off on the list are the 36ers, who will be hoping the ‘new coach’ curse is in their favour this weekend. Adelaide parted ways with CJ Bruton earlier this week, after a disappointing start to the season, and just 27 wins in his 67-game tenure. The team will now be headed by Scott Ninnis, and it will be interesting to see how the team performs against the Taipans this weekend. Across many sports, a new coach’s first game has resulted in a win, regardless of opponent, and that could translate this weekend.

Mitch Creek – SEM Phoenix

Creek delivered a match-winning performance against the Breakers last weekend, with 26 points and some big buckets down the stretch. An established star of the NBL, the Phoenix have come to expect performances of this calibre from their gun forward. However, import guard Will Cummings was released by South East Melbourne on Friday, which leaves a big hole in the team’s offence, considering he contributed 14 points per game. The Phoenix will need their big guns to step up as they look to replace him, and that starts with Creek, who may need to deliver another performance of that calibre.

Patrick Miller – Cairns Taipans

Miller and the Taipans delivered one of the upsets of the season when they handed Melbourne United a loss at John Cain Arena on Sunday. Cairns’ star import was at his best with 32 points and 10 assists in a true showing of what he can bring each game. Although his side fell to the Kings on Thursday night, Miller still had another 20-point performance and was nearly a match-winning factor. He and the Taipans face Adelaide on Saturday night in South Australia, and he should be at the forefront once again.