WITH the long weekend seeing a number of competitions taking a break, the National Basketball League (NBL)1 was no exception to this. The weekend off gives us the oppportunity to take a look at some of the leaders in the key statistical categories in the East men’s division. There have been a number of players that have been able to stamp their mark of the 2022 season in the opening nine rounds, whether it be in one game or all. The competition is at the halfway mark for the season, and there has been a lot to like. The quality of play is even more impressive given the East league is only in its inagural season, so the future is bright. A fair few players have enjoyed a strong start to their respective campaigns, and the race for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) is only going to heat up from here.

Points

Kiwi Gardner (Illawarra Hawks) – 33.8
Akoldah Gak (Illawarra Hawks) – 27
Brayden Jenkins (Albury Wodonga Bandits) – 25
Brennan Rymer (Norths Bears) – 22.55

Gardner has been the star of the show, leading all-comers as the only player to register over 30 points per game. While it is only over the span of five games, his ceiling has shown to be huge. The Hawks will be looking forward to making the most of his services in the back half of the season, especially given his recent form. In his last four games, he has not dropped below 35 points in any of his outings. Gak and Jenkins have impressed, but have a smaller sample size, while Rymer has been quite consistent for the Bears in their first batch of games.

Rebounds

Ryan Beisty (Newcastle Falcons) – 11.11
Oscar Forman (Illawarra Hawks) – 11
Anatoly Bose (Norths Bears) – 10
Callum Jenkins (Central Coast Crusaders) – 10

Beisty has been a machine on the boards to start the season, the clear leader in the rebounding battle in the first nine rounds. Always looking to get the best body position, he has been able to secure a number of crucial possessions for his side. Forman has been excellent himself in the skies, while Bose and Jenkins have been able to average strong numbers both in rebounding and in the points column, and will be looking to continue this in the back half of the year.

Assists

Kiwi Gardner (Illawarra Hawks) – 6.5
Benjamin Kearins (Hills Hornets) – 5
Michael Yoong (Norths Bears) – 5
Indiana Faithfull (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles) – 4.88

Gardner continues to push his case for the MVP award, and if he can continue to rack up the games, then he wil be a clear favourite. On top of leading the points, he also is averaging the most dimes per game in season 2022. Gardner is the only player to average more than five per game, and has been excellent in creating some offence for the Hawks on a weekly basis. Kearins and Yoong have proven terrific at finding open teammates, while Faithfull has led the offence for the Sea Eagles.