THE fourth round of the National Basketball League (NBL) took place over the weekend, with six games stretched across Thursday to Sunday.

These games saw upsets, match-winning performances and some big moments throughout the round. The New Zealand Breakers returned to the NBL after participating in some NBA preseason matches over the past couple of weeks, while the Cairns Taipans will be back this weekend.

Now four rounds in, the leading candidates for the title and various award races are emerging, with new and familiar faces putting out strong performances on a consistent basis over the first month of play.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central‘s weekly stat series continues, taking a look at the leading contributors in some of the key statistical categories that impact the game most.

Points per game

• Nathan Sobey (Brisbane Bullets) – 21.5
• Parker Jackson-Cartwright (New Zealand Breakers) – 21
• Jaylen Adams (Sydney Kings)/Jordan Crawford (Tasmania JackJumpers) – 20.3
• Patrick Miller (Cairns Taipans) – 19.7
• Zylan Cheatham (New Zealand Breakers) – 19.3

Once again, Nathan Sobey leads the way on the scoring front, although with less than two points separating the top five, the gap is closer than ever. The Bullets guard had an inaccurate 14 points in the loss to the Phoenix during Round 4, and will be eager to bounce back this weekend. Jackson-Cartwright returned to the NBL to post 18 points, although his teammate in Cheatham starred with 30 of his own to move into the top five.

Former MVP Jaylen Adams continues to chug along nicely, while Miller did not participate in any games with the Taipans not returning until Round 5. The breakout performer of the past two weeks has been Jordan Crawford, who exploded for 32 points in Tasmania’s win over the Kings to close out the round. 14 of those points came in the opening two minutes of the final quarter, showing how explosive his scoring can be.

Rebounds per game

• Alan Williams (SEM Phoenix) – 9.5
• Ariel Hukporti (Melbourne United) – 9.4
• Sam Waardenburg (Cairns Taipans) – 8
• Jonah Bolden (Sydney Kings)/Sam Froling (Illawarra Hawks) – 7.8
• Marcus Lee (Tasmania JackJumpers) -7.5

It was a tremendous return to the NBL for Alan Williams, who returned for the Phoenix during Round 4 and made his first appearances for the 2023/24 season. He produced a pair of stirring performances, showing he has not missed a beat and remains one of the premier big men in the competition. He takes top spot after Ariel Hukporti focussed more on the scoring side of things in another solid weekend for the Next Star.

Sam Froling and Bolden continued to crash the glass for their respective sides despite losses. With the JackJumpers starting to roll, Marcus Lee has been a focal point for the team in the paint. He recorded 13 rebounds (six offensive) in his side’s road win over the Kings in the final match of the round.

Assists per game

• Will McDowell-White (New Zealand Breakers) – 6.5
• Patrick Miller (Cairns Taipans) – 6.3
• Parker Jackson-Cartwright (New Zealand Breakers) – 6
• Denzel Valentine (Sydney Kings) – 5.5
• Shannon Scott (Brisbane Bullets) – 5.3

William McDowell-White returned to NBL action with the Breakers, and was instrumental for New Zealand’s offence despite the loss. He has already established himself as one of the best playmakers in the league, and delivered a performance of that calibre with nine dimes against United, while his teammate Jackson-Cartwright had five assists of his own.

Miller will return to the NBL with the Taipans this weekend, and will be looking to continue his hot form after announcing himself with some terrific performances in Cairns’ first three games. Valentine and Shannon Scott are also settling into their new sides well.

Steals per game

• Parker Jackson-Cartwright (NZ Breakers) – 4
• Shannon Scott (Brisbane Bullets) – 3.2
• Jaylin Galloway (Sydney Kings) – 2.5
• Will Cummings (SEM Phoenix) – 2.1
• Justin Robinson (Illawarra Hawks)/Keanu Pinder (Perth Wildcats) – 2

Jackson-Cartwright resumed his disruptive ways on the defensive end, racking up five steals in the loss to United. He has an excellent knack for poking the ball free and forcing turnovers and creates plenty of problems for the opposition ball-handler. His work on both ends of the court will be crucial to New Zealand’s success, while putting his name forward as a potential MVP candidate.

Jaylin Galloway had another solid outing, but suffered an injury in the loss to the JackJumpers, and may spend some time on the sidelines. He has been one of the breakout stars of the NBL during the 2023/24 season to date, and will leave a big gap in Sydney’s output on the defensive end.

Blocks per game

• Jo Lual-Acuil (Melbourne United) – 2.5
• Tyrell Harrison (Brisbane Bullets) – 1.8
• Ariel Hukporti (Melbourne United) – 1.6
• Gary Clark (Illawarra Hawks) – 1.4
• Four players – 1.3

Jo Lual Acuil made a statement during his first round back with United after a season overseas, coming off the bench to show he still has what it takes to be one of the best bigs in the NBL. He had two blocks against Illawarra before swatting three shots against the Bullets on Sunday. Once he continues to progress his match fitness and potentially slot into the starting lineup in the place of Hukporti, his numbers and impact could be immense.