From backup to big-time: The 36er set for breakout season

While the high-profile signings of Bryce Cotton, Zylan Cheatham and Montrezl Harrell have dominated headlines at the Adelaide 36ers, Flynn Cameron is quietly shaping as one of the off-season’s most valuable additions.

The 25-year-old guard has flashed his undeniable talent across two seasons with Melbourne United and now looks ready for more consistent opportunities to showcase his game at the top level.

A 28-point performance for the New Zealand Tall Blacks against Chinese Taipei at the FIBA Asia Cup was a clear reminder of his potential.

In just 26 minutes on court, Cameron came close to a triple-double with 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals, while finishing with a team-high +30 plus-minus rating.

“Flynn had a great second half. I think he only had six or seven points at the half. And he just, from all over the place, offensive rebound here, nice little right-hand dunk in transition … three balls,” Damon Lowery said on NBL Now.

“Flynn is going to go to Adelaide and he's in a very stacked kind of backcourt, but he's letting the coach know, Mike Wells know, ‘I'm ready to go, man’.

“Good international experience with Flynn."

Cameron, Mojave King and New Zealand Breaker Taylor Britt have been standouts in an unbeaten run to the Quarter-Finals for the Tall Blacks.

Like Cameron, Britt enters the Hungry Jack’s NBL season with high expectations.

“You can just tell how dangerous he is,” Lowery said.

Britt has averaged 19.3 points per game during the Asia Cup, setting the tone for his first NBL campaign since 2021.