THE NBL has kicked off the 11th round of action for the 2022/23 season, but before the weekend gets going, it is a good time to take a look back at the performances that stood out last time around.

There were plenty of strong individual outings in Round 10, with some big showings across the span of either one or two games. Scoring seems to be on the up and some of the league’s biggest guns stood up for their respective sides.

As revealed on the Got Next Podcast, which chats all things NBL and WNBL, Rookie Me Central names a Team of the Week, and the 10th round of the fixture had plenty of stars making an appearance.

Starters

Point Guard – Bryce Cotton (Perth Wildcats)

Cotton was the player of the round last week, after producing a pair of blistering offensive performances. He kicked off the round with the a 32-point performance in the win over the 36ers on the road. In that match, Cotton also had six assists and one of the nastiest step-backs of the season. The three-time MVP was able to back it up a few days later with another game-high points total in Perth’s thrilling one-point triumph over United. Cotton produced 29 points including some big buckets down the stretch in a vintage weekend from the league’s biggest superstar.

Shooting Guard – Michael Frazier (Illawarra Hawks)

Frazier has been a fantastic recruit for the Hawks in recent weeks, with Illawarra looking a much better side since his injection into the rotation. After building solidly over the past couple of weeks with some decent performances, the former Wildcat was able to put it all together on Saturday’s tense loss to the Taipans with a statline of 26 points and eight rebounds, shooting 10 from 18 on the night. Although the Hawks could not get the win, they got awfully close to pulling off a remarkable upset thanks to Frazier’s performance.

Small Forward – Mitch Creek (SEM Phoenix)

A pair of strong individual performances and a 2-0 record from the Phoenix sees Creek slot into the three in our starting lineup. The veteran small forward just goes about his business on a weekly basis and is flying under the radar in the MVP race, and could emerge as a dark horse for the league’s highest individual honour. A combined 43 points and nine assists across two games was outstanding from Creek, who played a vital role in the Phoenix grabbing two substantial victories as he continues to be a barometer for the team.

Power Forward – DJ Hogg (Cairns Taipans)

Hogg has stepped up for the Taipans in season 2022/23, and his play continues to reflect how strong he has performed over the fixture. Against the Hawks in Saturday evening’s thrilling win, Hogg was at his high-scoring best with 23 points with eight of his 15 field goal attempts finding the bottom of the net. He is one of the league’s smoothest operators, and is quite hard to stop when attacking the rim, as was the case on Friday.

Center – Keanu Pinder (Cairns Taipans)

Although it might not have been his most explosive match, an all-around performance from Pinder sees him earn the final spot in our starting lineup. He was reasonably well-held offensively by the Hawks, not trying to do too much or force many bad shots. However he chimed in and made an impact in some other areas, to finish with a balanced statline of 18 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and a steal, in a truly damaging performance in a number of facets from one of the competition’s MVP favourites.

Bench

Point Guard – Derrick Walton Jr (Sydney Kings)

A pair of 20-point performances sees Walton Jr. back in form and back in our Team of the Week once again.

Shooting Guard – Mitch McCarron (Adelaide 36ers)

Although his 36ers fell short of the Wildcats, McCarron was the standout for Adelaide with 20 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in one of his best performances since joining the team.

Small Forward – Milton Doyle (Tasmania JackJumpers)

Although we are running with a small lineup off the bench, it is impossible to keep ‘The Silent Assassin’ off the team after his 25 points helped lead the JackJumpers to a comeback victory over the Kings.

Power Forward – Sam Froling (Illawarra Hawks)

One of the brightest prospects in Australian basketball, Froling continues to rise and produced another strong showing with 22 points in the thriller against Cairns.

Center – Alan Williams (SEM Phoenix)

Although the return of Zhou Qi has affected his minutes and usage slightly, Williams is still one of the competition’s premier big men and had a pair of impressive performances to help lead the Phoenix last weekend.

For more Team of the Week content, make sure you tune in to the Got Next Podcast, available on Spotify.