THE National Basketball League (NBL) boasts some of the world’s premier talents, with a number of players catching the eye on a weekly basis.

Each round holds unique and engaging storylines, not only from a team perspective, but an individual one too.

In this new series, Rookie Me Central will highlight a few players to keep an eye on ahead of the weekend’s upcoming action.

With the first four rounds in the book, it is as evident as ever that the competition is set for an even season, with a new batch of guns emerging during the start of the fixture. There are plenty to watch on a weekly basis as the NBL continues to grow.

Keanu Pinder – Cairns Taipans

Pinder has just about become the best player in the competition to start season 2022/23, after a blitzing beginning to the fixture seeing the big man average over 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. He has been an absolute weapon for Cairns to start the year, and has been a major factor in his side exceeding expectations after the first four rounds. He has been a machine in the post and comes up against another premier big man in Xavier Cooks this weekend, which will be a true test to the claims that he is the dominant center in the competition.

Bryce Cotton – Perth Wildcats

Cotton has made himself must-see TV over the last few years, but he is on this list for a different reason. His Wildcats were smoked by the JackJumpers last weekend, while Cotton himself had one of his quietest games in a while. He was restricted to just one field goal attempt in a whole half of basketball, which is a serious rarity from one of the best scorers the league has to offer. He will certainly be looking to bounce back and hit the scoreboard on the weekend, so it will be intriguing to see how he responds and if he can get back to his explosive best.

Aron Baynes – Brisbane Bullets

It may have taken a few weeks, but Baynes and the Bullets finally clicked last weekend, delivering their first win of the season. Baynes himself was the best we have seen, delivering a massive double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds and standing above the rest. He is the most talented player in many of the games he plays, it is just a matter of staying on the court long enough to prove that. Baynes will certainly play a key role in Brisbane’s attempted resurgance in the coming weeks, and expect him to look to back up Monday’s dominant showing.