Starting 5: Alarm bells, Sixers' engine & dominant bigs

Round 8 saw heavyweights Sydney, Tasmania and Melbourne continue their rise, while alarm bells ring louder than ever for the Phoenix and Wildcats.

Pete Hooley looks at some key talking points from the round just gone.

1. Hot and cold

South East Melbourne’s streaky season hit a new extreme in Sydney, where the Phoenix turned an early 21-point lead into an 11-point loss.

After knocking down eight threes in the first quarter, they went cold from deep for the rest of the game.

Right now, their shooting is dictating everything about how they play, and it’s costing them games they probably shouldn’t be losing.

2. Free falling

Many tipped the Perth Wildcats as genuine title contenders after a promising start, but they’ve now dropped four straight, three of them on their home floor.

It’s not an excuse they’d like to use, but a growing injury list hasn’t helped in recent weeks.

The biggest difference, though, has been at the defensive end, which hasn’t been nearly as connected or effective as it was early in the season.

With some stars still sidelined, the games leading into the FIBA break could be the most telling stretch of Perth’s season.

3. Juggernaut

Don’t look now, but Melbourne United are flying, and it’s not just the Cole Anthony show.

Big man Josh Oduro has wasted no time adapting to his first NBL season.

He’s averaging 20 points and 8 rebounds while shooting over 66 per cent from the floor, and is putting his name in the mix for some of the League’s top honours.

His connection with Anthony is proving hard to stop, and with the squad now healthy, United are building nicely towards the break.

4. Adelaide’s engine

Watch Adelaide closely over the past two seasons and you’ll notice the engine behind their success might not be the six-time MVP.

As brilliant as Bryce Cotton has been in NBL27, it’s Zylan Cheatham who holds the keys to this 36ers team.

The star forward recorded the season’s first triple-double on Saturday night, with his aggressive offensive mindset paying off in a much-needed home win.

A fan favourite in Adelaide, Cheatham is the barometer of this team for more reasons than just his on-court performance.

5. A genuine superstar

When Sam Mennenga said in the off-season that the best version of himself was a League MVP, plenty of fans had something to say.

But the New Zealand big man has been the most dominant force of the season so far, and only his team’s struggles may stand in the way of that goal.

The improvement in his all-round game is hard to ignore: he’s shooting over 40 per cent from three and looks virtually unstoppable everywhere else on the court.

Enjoy him while he’s here, because the NBA will come calling.