The Fab Five: Players to watch at the NBL Blitz

With the NBL Blitz ready to begin on Saturday night on the Gold Coast, NBL fans will get their chance to see how their team looks ahead of opening round.

Of course, there's a lot of familiar faces ready to hit the floor, but it also be the first time we get to some of the new faces in action.

A jam-packed seven days of pre-season hoops all gets underway with Tasmania and Brisbane kicking things off at 5pm AEST.

>> NBL Blitz schedule, ticketing & more

Here's five names I’m particularly keen to watch at the Blitz:

Derrick Walton Jr

If you’ve been following the NBL's pre-season content, you’d understand by now that I am very high on the Derrick Walton Jr signing for South East Melbourne.

A proven winner, Walton Jr has all the tools to light it up this season and I’m expecting him to play at an All-NBL level.

What the Phoenix did particularly well this off-season, is to recruit the right pieces around their superstar guard, which should make his life easier.

With Nathan Sobey joining him in the backcourt and elite shooters like Joe Wieskamp and Matt Hurt, expect to see Walton Jr potentially lead the competition in assists.

Make no mistake, Walton Jr is one of the best playmaking guards we have seen in the NBL in recent years.

After spending last season in China, following his title run with the Kings, he’s back in Australia with a point to prove.

Rob Edwards

If you don’t know the name Rob Edwards yet, you’ll be well informed at the conclusion of the Blitz.

Having joined Cairns from the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, Edwards is an impressive talent, who will be heavily relied upon for the Taipans offensively.

The 27-year-old is one of the more experienced players on this roster and looks set to thrive under Adam Forde in the far north.

After averaging more than double figures in his first two years in the G-League and earning him a call up to OKC, his numbers dropped slightly in the seasons following, meaning he lands in Cairns with something to prove.

With an incredible passing point guard in Taran Armstrong leading the way, Edwards could be set to have a breakout campaign for the Snakes in NBL25 and put everyone on notice.

Cam Oliver

Strap yourselves in for the Cam Oliver show at the Blitz and beyond.

Brian Goorjian has spoken about how he wants his team to play and if they continue at the level they displayed against New Zealand last week, then look out league.

That kind of defensive hustle is going to be so fun to watch, and it leads to them playing free and fast on the other end, which is right up Oliver’s alley.

Oliver already has one of the best highlight packages in the NBL from his time at Cairns, and he will likely be adding to that every night for Sydney.

With all the other weapons on this roster, Oliver may fly under the radar in terms of defensive schemes against Sydney. If that happens … we may need to reinforce the hoops at Qudos Bank Arena.

Kendric Davis

Adelaide’s star point guard recruit is sure to excite fans when he hits the floor in NBL25.

Kendric Davis is an excitement machine and arrives at the 36ers with a reputation of being able to score the ball and facilitate at a very high level.

His college stats speak for themselves, and he wasted no time in transitioning to the next level, with a superb season for the Santa Cruz Warriors last year.

The NBL is notoriously a pick-and-roll heavy league, and that should have Davis primed to be a leading playmaker across the entire competition.

His lightning speed and ability to handle the ball will have him as a fan favourite in no time.

With Isaac Humphries rolling down the lane and DJ Vasiljevic on the wing, there will be a lot of space for Davis to get creative and make things happen for Adelaide.

Jack White

There’s been a lot of buzz around with the return of Jack White, and rightly so, he’s a star.

We saw what he was capable of last time he was playing for Melbourne United, and this time he looks well placed to be even more dominant in NBL25.

His confidence should be sky high after everything he’s achieved in the last few seasons, and he comes back to United as one of their primary weapons.

We already know that he’s one of the best two-way players in the competition, but I’m looking for him to take on more of a scoring responsibility this season.

He meets players at the rim, he finishes through contact and he's a fantastic athlete in the open floor. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that he’s still just 27-years-old.

White still has the fire and desire to make it back to the NBA and you’d have to think that if he plays to the level he’s capable of in NBL25, then he’ll get another opportunity.