Stat Chat: Round 2

Statistics ... whether you love them or hate them, stats play a huge part in sport.

Whether it's when recruiting a player, how teams prepare, how a starting five is setup, or just about any facet of the game, numbers are crunched and relied upon as fact. 

This year, 2018 NBL Champion and expert commentator Pete Hooley will be our resident stats man on NBL.com.au, providing a rundown of all the key numbers from the weekend's games. 

Keep an eye out after every round for the latest edition of 'Stat Chat'. 

Round 2 in the books and there’s been some big performances already across NBL23.

Teams like the Sydney Kings have things clicking early and look a real threat to defend their title. Then there’s the young and energetic kids in FNQ who are surprising many with their exciting style of play. Let’s have a look at some of the numbers that stood out across Round 2.

What’s hot – 31
While the second part of Adelaide’s NBA pre-season trip didn’t go to plan, Craig Randall II picked up where he left off in Phoenix, pouring in 27 points to finish the trip averaging 31 a game. Randall II isn’t shy on confidence and if he has one of those nights in the NBL where he just won’t miss, look out.

What’s not – 4
Adelaide has just four days to get reacclimated to Australia before their NBL23 season kicks off on Thursday night. After being away for 12 days, CJ Bruton has noted how the trip was “super valuable” for his squad as they prepare to head into each game with a giant target on their backs. 

Craig Randall.

What’s hot – 17.5
Across their 0-2 weekend, the Bullets averaged 17.5 assists on 29.5 field goal makes. There’s no knocking that the Bullets are being unselfish as they continue to figure everything out, but has that gone too far at times and been more detrimental than positive? There’s occasionally moments where teams can be too unselfish, and pass up a good look for another one, but you’d rather start here and pull it back than go the other way.

What’s not – 5
At one point the Bullets held a 16-point lead over Tasmania on their home floor and it looked as though they were ready to run away with the game. In the fourth quarter and overtime period, the Bullets attempted just five shots inside the arc, as Tasmania continued to battle back and eventually come away with a big win in front of their fans. The Bullets sink to 0-3, and whilst they’ve shown signs of how good they can be, what will it take for it all to come together quickly?

It's been a tough start for Aron Baynes and the Bullets. 

What’s hot – 8
There was no knocking the effort and performance from the 2022 Most Improved Player, Keanu Pinder, in Round 2. He had eight offensive rebounds himself against Perth to go along with 18 points and 15 rebounds total in just 25 minutes. Pinder continues to improve game by game and has even shown the intention to start letting it fly from the three. 

What’s not – 1
That was Cairns biggest lead of the game on Monday night against the Wildcats. A one-point lead at quarter-time, thanks to some sharp shooting from Jonah Antonio, was quickly erased when they gave up 37 points to the visitors in the second quarter. With nine turnovers themselves in that period, the game was out of reach by half-time for the Taipans. 

Keanu Pinder. 

What’s hot – 64
George King was lights out across Round 2, averaging 20.5 points a game on 64 per cent shooting. It’s a much needed offensive boost for the Hawks, with King missing some key time in the pre-season and still getting to his peak shape. He's played just 25 minutes in each game and if his production continues to improve along with his playing time, King could be set for some huge nights.

What’s not – 49 & 22
The Hawks will feel as though they let one slip in the Jungle on Saturday night, and to be honest, they’re probably right. They were fantastic in the first half, scoring 49 points on the Wildcats home floor, even after the horrible news that their new star import Justin Robinson would miss the entire season with an injury. After leading at halftime, the Hawks scored just 22 points total in the second half and ended up losing by six.

George King. 

What’s hot – 8
In a game that United would want to quickly forget, it’s probably hard to think their could be any positives to take away from it. However, not only did they have a much stronger second half, they managed to turn the ball over just eight times in the game. Considering at one point they were facing a 38 point deficit, one would have expected that number to be much higher.

What’s not – 2
In the second quarter of the game, United scored just two field goals and six points total. They were two-of-20 from the field in that 10 minute period, with the only points coming from Goulding and Barker threes. It equalled their lowest scoring quarter ever, tying the six points they scored in the second quarter against the Hawks back in 2015. 

Melbourne United will look to bounce from a disappointing performance. 

What’s hot – 5,340
It was the moment that all Breakers players and fans had been waiting for, for a very long time. What an atmosphere for the return to their home floor. A packed out Spark Arena full of 5,340 screaming fans to help cheer on the team to a much deserved and much needed victory. It was a beautiful sight to see and great reminder to the entire NBL community of just how incredible basketball back in New Zealand is.

What’s not – 0 in 42
It wasn’t the ideal home court debut for Will Mcdowell-White and backcourt partner Cam Gliddon, who both went scoreless in a combined 42 minutes of playing time. Mcdowell-White was zero-of-four in his 24 minutes, whilst Gliddon didn’t take a shot during his time on the floor. Whilst both play very different roles amongst the team, coach Maor will be hoping they both find their groove as quickly as possible, after they both showed promising signs in the preseason. 

The Breakers back in New Zealand. 

What’s hot – 50, 47, 90
Goodluck beating a team who shoots these clips during any game this season. The Wildcats went into Cairns and absolutely lit it up, shooting 50 per cent from the field, 47 per cent from three and 90 per cent from the line. Their 26 assists capped off one of the best away performances we have seen as everyone chimed in for the show, having five guys score in double figures. 

What’s not – 2:50
Wildcats big man TaShawn Thomas went down at the 2:50 mark of the first quarter after sustaining an ankle injury. After missing time in the pre-season for the same thing, Thomas has been out some crucial moments early on in NBL23, as he tries to find his role within a promising Perth outfit. The Red Army will be hoping he can get fit and stay fit as soon as possible, as their big man department will be tested against some of the league’s best in coming weeks.

Bryce Cotton. 

What’s hot – 27
After just 12 points on Thursday night, Mitch Creek took a lot of responsibility for the way the Phoenix performed, and vowed to be better in the second match of the round. Creek bounced back and put up 27 points at 70 per cent from the field to try and spark his team to a win on their home floor. He looked much more aggressive and determined to make plays for his undermanned squad,  as they continue to try and steady the ship before key players return from their injuries.

What’s not – 8:42
With 8:42 left on the clock in the last quarter, the Phoenix led the Taipans by 10 points after a back and forth battle all game. In the remaining time, Cairns outscored the Phoenix 26 to seven and pulled away in a flash to send the home team crashing to it’s second loss of the round. The Taipans shot 62.5 per cent from the floor in that quarter, compared to the Phoenix 31%.

Mitch Creek.

What’s hot – 1
Wherever you look, that Xavier Cooks dunk will be number one on the top plays for weeks to come. From the moment the Kings secured the ball, Cooks put his head down to sprint and you knew a poster was coming. More importantly, Cooks looks to have improved his outside shooting tremendously, stepping into threes with confidence and knocking down three threes on Sunday’s game. If he continues this trend, his NBA dream might come knocking sooner than everyone thinks. And a big congrats to the Kings on an NBL-record 14 straight road wins. 

What’s not – 44
In their first game of the round the Kings put up 100 on the Bullets and came away with a big win in front of their home crowd. That win could have been even bigger had they took advantage of more free points at the line, shooting just 11-of-25 from the free throw line at 44 per cent. With the speed they play at and the way in which they attack the hoop, they’ll likely continue to live at the FT line this season, so Chase Buford will be hoping this was just one of those nights from the charity stripe.

Xavier Cooks with the huge dunk. 

What’s hot – 2
Two overtime games in Tasmania’s history, both against the Bullets, both wins. It’s become a staple of their culture to be able to grind out games and put themselves in a position to win, regardless of how well they may or may not be playing. After being down 16 at one point on their home floor, the JackJumpers marched back and managed to secure a much-needed win in front of their fans. It was an impressive team performance in the clutch, but Milton Doyle also proved that he might just be their game-breaker this season. 

What’s not – 11
The JackJumpers had two different quarters across their Round 2 double-header where they managed to score just 11 points. The first quarter against Brisbane at home and the third against the Breakers in New Zealand. There are still some question marks around their offensive depth, as they continue to find a way to tick the scoreboard over in those droughts. 

Scott Roth addresses his team.