THE NATIONAL Basketball League (NBL) resumed hostilities over the weekend, with another batch of games producing some entertaining action. It was a round which saw some defensive efforts shine through in the big games.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at the key individual stats, to see which players are excelling in the most crucial of areas over the course of the season.

POINTS PER GAME

Craig Randall III (Adelaide 36ers) – 21.8
Bryce Cotton (Perth Wildcats) – 21.7
Barry Brown Jr. (New Zealand Breakers) – 21.2
Mitch Creek (SEM Phoenix) – 20.8
Xavier Rathan-Mayes (Melbourne United) – 19.2

It’s a reasonably similar list to last week, with four of the top five retaining their spot as some of the best scorers the NBL has to offer. Randall held on to top spot, but only just as the Breakers restricted him to just 11 points and allowed him to take only seven shots. Cotton closed back in on the leading position after a quiet outing in Round 4. He bounced back with 27 points against the Phoenix on Friday night. Brown Jr. continues to impact the scoreboard from off the bench, while Rathan-Mayes snuck back into the top five after a whopping 32-point performance in the double OT win against the Hawks.

REBOUNDS

Keanu Pinder (Cairns Taipans) – 9.9
Xavier Cooks (Sydney Kings) – 8.9
Sam Froling (Illawarra Hawks) – 8.8
Aron Baynes (Brisbane Bullets) – 8.3
Rayjon Tucker (Melbourne United) – 8.1

The gap between Pinder and the rest of the competition shortened on the weekend, as the Taipans big man received some extra attention as the Kings curbed his influence and held him to just seven rebounds. In that same game, Cooks pulled down 12 boards of his own, and lifted his average in a big way. Froling’s 15 rebounds against United saw a jump in his numbers, while Tucker continues to represent the guards with a strong average despite being undersized compared to his peers in the category.

ASSISTS

Gary Browne (SEM Phoenix) – 8.8
Peyton Siva (Illawarra Hawks)/Justin Robinson (Illawarra Hawks) – 8
Shannon Scott (Cairns Taipans) – 7.3
Derrick Walton Jr. (Sydney Kings) – 6.4
Tahjere McCall (Cairns Taipans) – 6

Browne’s impressive start to his tenure at the Phoenix continued on the weekend, producing another eight to go with 10 points as his side upset the Wildcats on the road. He continues to work well with Creek and make the right plays. Siva kicked off his time with the Hawks in impressive fashion, proving a valuable playmaker as the Hawks fell, while Scott and Walton Jr. continue to chug along nicely, despite the latter playing less minutes on the weekend.