Stat Chat: Round 8 (What's Hot & What's Not)

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'. 

What’s Hot – 22

The 36ers look like a completely new outfit and that was on display in the jungle where they had 22 assists en route to putting up 96 points. Everything seems to be flowing well for Adelaide and all the buzz is now about that third import. Is it needed? Right now you’d have to say no. Franks is playing at an MVP level and guys like Drmic and Dech are thriving in their opportunities.

What’s Not – 1:32

There wasn’t too many negatives to come out of this dominant performance in Perth. However, 10 of the 11 rostered players for Adelaide hit the scoreboard in an unselfish team display. Deng Acouth was the unlucky one not to register a bucket, and whilst he only played 1 minute and 32 seconds, Adelaide should have been feeding the big fella in the three offensive possessions they had. “One eats, we all eat!”

Deng Acuoth.

What’s Hot – 14 & 10

It was a forgettable night for the Bullets over in New Zealand. After a tough week, all eyes were on them to see how they would respond. It wasn’t pretty. Thankfully Nathan Sobey managed to have himself a big game, with 14 points and 10 assists, in what was an overall poor performance by Brisbane.

What’s Not – 1

Brisbane had just one quarter of play where they didn’t give up more than 30 points to the Breakers. In the past three seasons, 3 of the top 4 finalists have all allowed between 79 and 81 points per game on the year. The Bullets were on track to give that up in the first half at one point, before showing small signs in the third quarter to try and spark a revival.

Nathan Sobey.

What’s Hot – 2

For just the second time in 22 seasons, the Taipans have won a series over the Kings. The first time was back in 2015, but this year would no doubt feel even better. They looked down and out numerous times in this Monday night clash, but when it was business time, DJ Hogg and Keanu Pinder said get on my back. Pinder is 100% an MVP contender and the Taipans will take a lot of belief out of this one.

What’s Not – 9

They have been praised as one of the most exciting teams to watch in NBL23, but the nine points they scored in the second quarter against New Zealand, wasn’t pretty. Credit to the Breakers defensive pressure and physicality, but the Taipans will look back on where it all went wrong. They are a team designed to be free flowing offensively and put up big numbers, and in the end it only took a poor second quarter to have them chasing their tail for the rest of the game.

DJ Hogg.

What’s Hot – 17

He’d only been with the Hawks for a couple of days but Michael Frazier had a fantastic debut for his new team on Sunday. He put up 17 points in his 25 minutes of action and looked to be a great fit for a team that is desperate for a scoring punch. As his conditioning continues to build, can the import guards of Siva, Harvey and now Frazier, help get some wins?

What’s Not – 16

For a team that is stuck in a rut and struggling to find a way out, 16 turnovers on your oppositions home floor is going to make it tough to find a way to win. The Hawks have had their struggles on both ends of the floor in NBL23 and this was magnified during their big loss to the Phoenix. The play of Harvey and Frazier was promising, but they still need help.

Michael Frazier II.

What’s Hot – 1

For the first time in club history, United shot an incredible 50/40/100 during their loss to Tasmania. That’s 50% from the field, 40% from the three and 100% from the freethrow line. When you look at simply the box score from Melbourne, it becomes even more astounding that they didn’t walk away with a win in this game.

What’s Not – 6 of 7

Unfortunately for United, the JackJumper hoodoo lives on. Tasmania has now beaten them in six of their last seven games, and over half of those it looked like Melbourne were going to blow the game open numerous times. As it stands, the Jackies just continue to grind away against United and that self belief is only growing.

Isaac Humphries.

What’s Hot – 37

The biggest ever win for New Zealand at Spark Arena. A 37 point demolition job of the Bullets in front of their home fans. If you weren’t already on board with this Breakers outfit, you need to get on quickly. This team is as legitimate of a title contender as you can find. They are the best defensive team around and their offensive game is the perfect combination of flare and structure.

What’s Not – 53.8

The Breakers started their impressive round with a huge road win against the Taipans. After a slow start, they backed their game plan and did what they do best. It was made harder with a tough shooting night for New Zealand, going at just 53.8% from the stripe and 32% from three. They still managed to score 82 points, and if anything, it just highlights how they will back their defence over anyone elses. 

Tom Abercrombie.

What’s Hot – 300

In the teams biggest ever win, their franchise man stood up in his milestone game. It’s been a big journey for Mitch Creek who celebrated his 300^th game in style on Sunday. He put up in incredibly efficient 27 points and six rebounds to help lead his side to that dominant win over the Hawks. The league’s leading scorer continues to put up big numbers, and he is well and truly in the conversation for the MVP.

What’s Not – 14

The Phoenix put up 112 points on Sunday but only 14 of those came from the bench. At full strength the Phoenix have one of the best starting line-ups in the league, but everyone knows that down the stretch of the season is where a team’s depth is tested. Simon Mitchell would have loved to see the aggression from Trey Kell and don’t be surprised if they use him more as the backup PG going forward.

Mitch Creek.

What’s Hot – 18

In a disappointing night, it was a positive sign from Perth to see them share the ball around offensively. We are so used to seeing them be Bryce Cotton heavy, and for good reason, why wouldn’t you be. 18 assists on their 30 made field goals is a positive sign for a team that is looking for overall contributors outside of their superstar.

What’s Not – 0

The biggest lead in this game for Perth was zero. That’s not a typo. From the opening tip, they never managed to get their nose in front and in the end fell again in the jungle. Their offense picked up in the second quarter after just scoring 17 in the opening 10 minutes, but overall they had zero answers for the offensive power of the 36ers.

Brady Manek.

What’s Hot – 17

It may have come to an end in an absolute thriller in Cairns, but let’s give some love to the Kings for their absurd 17 game road winning streak. It’s hard enough to go on the road and win one game in the NBL, let alone 17 in a row. The Kings have built themselves up into a resilient outfit that is only going to get better from here.

What’s Not – -11

It ended up being one of the most exciting finishes of the season, but the Kings will feel like they let one slip. They had a -11 differential in turnovers, with 21 on the night compared to just 10 from Cairns. When you give up that many possessions to a team like Cairns, it will always come back to bite you.

Xavier Cooks. 

What’s Hot – 2

The JackJumpers only led the game against United at two different periods. The first two points of the game and then the last, both which were scored by their star Milton Doyle. Tasmania continue to do what they always do and that is grit and grind it out. Their ability to lock down defensively in the clutch is what always keeps them in with a chance to win every single game.

What’s Not – -8

The JackJumpers got outrebounded by United by 8 in this game. Will Magnay is back, but it will take some time for him to find his form and to also get match conditioning. They have always been undersized, but they must do a better job collectively at cleaning the glass when you look at teams like Sydney and New Zealand.

Will Magnay.