POINT Guards around the National Basketball League (NBL) delivered once again in Round 3, clearly the standout position for Round 3.

After bigs took over in the second round of the 2022/23 season, guards hit the scoreboard and delivered plenty of impact. Many of the best players of the week were at the one in their respective lineups, and torched defences with some massive performances. It was yet another indication of how the league is trending, with teams looking to put an emphasis on three-point shooting, making it difficult for guards to find success without perimeter shooting in their repertoire. Many of Round 3’s top performers chimed in from behind the arc, as the competition eases away from inside scoring.

The Tasmania JackJumpers kicked off Round 3 with a win over the 36ers, and a massive factor in that result was Josh Magette‘s hot start to the match. His 14 points in the first quarter were the most of any JackJumper to start any match in the club’s short history. After a disappointing outing in Round 2, Magette was at his best from behind the arc, finding himself on the end of some quick ball movement from Tassie, and when he got hot, he was not afraid to launch off shots from just about anywhere. A highlight came late in the first term, when he chucked up a seriously deep three from the Chemist Warehouse logo, which was nothing but net. Finishing with 23 points and seven assists, he was the standout player of the game.

Three-time NBL MVP and Perth Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton delivered a whopping 32 points – including 22 points in the first half – in his side’s three-point loss to United on Friday night. He was just about unstoppable in the first half, finding plenty of success scoring the rock inside, which was an outlier to the weekend’s perimeter-centric action. It was as good a half as we have seen this season, and although he could not get his side over the line in the end, he was the main reason they were still in the match after Melbourne caught fire.

>> BRYCE COTTON PLAYER FOCUS <<

Some fourth quarter dominance from Adelaide 36ers import Craig Randall II got his side over the line for their first win of the 2022/23 season. Randall registered 17 points in the final term as the 36ers overran the Hawks to bounce back from Thursday’s loss. Like Magette, Randall did most of his damage from downtown, nailing six triples and punishing Illawarra for some disappointing perimeter defence. However, Randall has shown in recent weeks that if he is hot from behind the arc, not much can be done to curb his influence.

The final match of Saturday saw New Zealand Breakers guard Izayah Le’afa tormented his former side, producing a terrific statline against the Phoenix. Le’afa did a bit of everything, finishing the match with 14 points, six rebounds and 10 assists in a magnificent all-around showing. The Breakers have been on quite a roll of late, and Le’afa has played a crucial role in their strong start to the season. He had another double-double in New Zealand’s triumph over the Hawks on Monday night with 14 points and 10 dimes as he continues to pick apart opposition defences.

It appears the NBL’s guards are set for a big year, as the competition extends beyond inside scoring to three-point territory. With big names at the one for a number of teams, they should continue to have a big say on the result of games.