ROUND 7 of the 2023 National Basketball League (NBL) season took place over the weekend, with the action stretching from Friday to Sunday.

There were significantly less games than previous weeks, with the shortened round attributed to an extended batch of matches last week. Round 7 saw just five games take place, with only three days of games in comparison to five the week before.

Despite this, there was still plenty of action across the courts, with some exhilarating games producing magnificent individual performances. Now seven rounds in, the cream is starting to rise to the crop and the best players are starting to deliver consistently on a weekly basis.

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

• Parker Jackson-Cartwright (New Zealand Breakers) – 20.4
• Nathan Sobey (Brisbane Bullets) – 20.2
• Anthony Lamb (New Zealand Breakers) – 19.5
• Bryce Cotton (Perth Wildcats) – 19.1
• Zylan Cheatham (New Zealand Breakers) – 18.8

Some new faces are starting to consolidate their position as some of the league’s best scorers, as the mantle of number one changed hands once again.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright grabbed top spot from Nathan Sobey after the Bullets guard was well-held against the Kings on Sunday afternoon. However, there is a strong chance neither player holds onto the throne given the recent resurgence of Bryce Cotton in recent weeks.

Cotton has been the competition’s best scorer for most of the time he has been in the NBL, but was struggling to start the 2023/24 season. However, he has since stormed back onto the scene, and exploded with 37 points in the win over the Breakers over the weekend, and could take the scoring title in the coming weeks.

Rebounds per game

• Alan Williams (SEM Phoenix) – 10.0
• Sam Froling (Illawarra Hawks) – 8.6
• Ariel Hukporti (Melbourne United) – 8.2
• Marcus Lee (Tasmania JackJumpers) – 7.6
• Jonah Bolden (Sydney Kings)/Jo Lual Acuil (Melbourne United) – 7.5

The battle on the glass continued over the weekend, and Alan Williams remains on top in this category. Although he did not reach double-digit boards on the weekend when the Phoenix fell to United in the Throwdown, it was largely due to the fact that the opposition put in a lot of work towards curbing his influence. In that same game, Jo Lual Acuil continued his return to form, joining the starting lineup and pulling down 11 rebounds to get back to the level of output that earned him a spot on the All-NBL First Team.

Assists per game

• Patrick Miller (Cairns Taipans) – 5.8
• Parker Jackson-Cartwright (New Zealand Breakers) – 5.6
• Will McDowell-White (New Zealand Breakers) – 5.4
• Shannon Scott (Brisbane Bullets) – 5.3
• Jaylen Adams (Sydney Kings)/Justin Robinson (Illawarra Hawks) – 5.1

The assists charts did not change too much, given the likes of Patrick Miller and Shannon Scott are still missing through injury. The playmaking duo of Jackson-Cartwright and William McDowell-White both tried to spark New Zealand’s offence, with the latter coming off the bench. However, they fell to the scoring power of Cotton, in what was a quiet week for the assist leaders.

Steals per game

• Shannon Scott (Brisbane Bullets) – 3.2
• Jaylin Galloway (Sydney Kings) – 2.5
• Parker Jackson-Cartwright (NZ Breakers) – 2.1
• Will Cummings (SEM Phoenix) – 1.9
• Keanu Pinder (Perth Wildcats) – 1.8

Another category where there was not much movement given the top two missed through injury once again. Jackson-Cartwright had just the one steal in the loss to the Wildcats, but Will Cummings had two intercepts for the Phoenix on Sunday afternoon, and continues to be a serious pest in the backcourt.

Blocks per game

• Jo Lual-Acuil (Melbourne United)/DJ Hogg (Sydney Kings) – 1.8
• Tyrell Harrison (Brisbane Bullets) – 1.7
• Jordan Hunter (Sydney Kings) – 1.4
• Isaac Humphries (Adelaide 36ers) – 1.2
• Ariel Hukporti (Melbourne United) – 1.1

Some of the league’s best big men were at it again when it came to protecting the paint, with the battle for the best shot blocker being tied up over the course of Round 7. Lual Acuil swatted two Phoenix shots to equal DJ Hogg at the top of the list. However, Hogg had some big defensive plays down the stretch that may not have been recorded on the stat sheet, but still had a huge impact in getting Sydney to a remarkable comeback victory.