The NBL's Top 20: Final Five

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Here we go on day four, as Pete Hooley names the players ranked 5-1.

By Pete Hooley for NBL Media

Saturday, October 1. Mark it in your calendar. The Hungry Jack's NBL is back!

It's been a long time coming, but this year's competition promises to bring more excitement than ever before.

The results from last year don't matter anymore. Every team has transformed in different ways, and when round one kicks off, every team will consider themselves well and truly in the mix for the championship.

A new year brings new superstars, and none are bigger in stature and in status, than Aron Baynes. That begs the question ... just how much of an impact will the big man have in NBL23? Does he have a claim as the NBL's top player?

And where do players like Rayjon Tucker, who had 28 points and 8 rebounds in pre-season action, or Craig Randall, who knocked down 29 on Sunday, stand among the league's best?

We threw the challenge to commentator and Melbourne United championship player Pete Hooley to pick his NBL Top 20.

Every day this week we'll be releasing another five players in the list, all the way down to number one, then providing fans the chance to have their say in the Fans' Top 20.

So here we go on day four, as Pete Hooley names the players ranked 5-1

On Friday, we'll be giving fans the chance to vote for their top 20.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6

Mitch Creek has been one of the stars of the league for a while now, but especially in the last few seasons at the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Ever since he became confident in his ability to shoot the three, Creek’s game has gone from strength to strength. In NBL22 he was on track to feature heavily in the voting for MVP, until ultimately the team’s disappointing end to the season put that talk to rest. Throughout the Phoenix’s highs and lows of that season, Creek was really the one consistent performer who seemed to always show up.

There was talk that the 30-year-old might venture back overseas after being out of contract at season’s end, but the Phoenix managed to get the deal done and their franchise star is staying put. A three-time All NBL second-teamer, Creek has always been around the mark as one of the best outside players in the competition.

What the numbers say
Across 28 games last season Creek put up just over 20 points, 5.7 rebounds and three assists. It was a career-best year scoring-wise for him in NBL22, and that was with a dip in his shooting percentages. He continues to build confidence from shooting the three, averaging a career-high five attempts per game last season, which was 50 more attempts than he’s taken in another other season (not including NBL Cup year). It also seemed like last season he was ready to take another step forward, with the highest field goal attempts he’s averaged ever at over 16 per game.

There’s no doubt that the Phoenix have recruited exceptionally well in this offseason and look very exciting on paper. However, no matter who they have out on the court, if they want to be legitimate title contenders, they’ll need another strong season from their star Mitch Creek.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL22?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL22</a> MADNESS<br><br>A Mitch Creek poster dunk has sparked madness in the NBL. ? <a href="https://t.co/6izAJu00lz">pic.twitter.com/6izAJu00lz</a></p>— Herald Sun Sport (@heraldsunsport) <a href="https://twitter.com/heraldsunsport/status/1469873462718054404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He’s been one of the biggest offseason signings across the NBL and there’s a good reason for that. Rayjon Tucker is an excitement machine. Tucker might stand alone in NBL23 in terms of his level of athleticism and ability to not just play above the rim, but to live there. He has a lightning quick spin move that he goes to whenever a defender manages to get back in front of him after being beat off the dribble. Combining that with his incredible strength for his size and Tucker will be a mighty tough matchup across the league.

With all that he can achieve on the offensive end, it’s his defensive presence that should be him find success quickly in NBL23. Melbourne United under Dean Vickerman always find a way to become one of the strongest defensive units in the league. So it’s not so much of an if that happens, but more so when. Tucker has all the tools to be a leading contributor to that defensive identity. We all know that high pressure defensive can lead to fast breaks, and if he’s on the end of that… we might need some new rims at John Cain Arena.

What the numbers say
Tucker arrives in the NBL being the all-time leading scorer for the Wisconsin Herd in the G-League. In the 21-22 season, he put up 21, 7.7 and 3.8 across 28 games and an abundance of ridiculous highlights along the way. There are some question marks around his ability to shoot the three consistently, but he did shoot 34 per cent from three in that previous season. The NBL style of play to really shrink the floor and tempt him to shoot will be a key to watch across the course of the season. The major positive from Tucker is that he can create off the dribble with ease and might prove to be tough to contain in transition. Across his previous seasons he’s shown that on nights where he’s struggled to put the ball in the hole, he can dominate in other areas like cleaning the glass, dropping dimes and getting defensive stops.

It's still very early in preseason, but Tucker has showed what he’s capable of putting of some big numbers this season in both games against the Bullets. He put up 20+ in both of those outings and managed to fill it up on the boards. Tucker’s ability to play through contact and still get a shot up will be key, as he managed to get to the line double digit times in both games. He’s fiery, he’s exciting and he could be an MVP contender. Watch your heads!

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rayjon Tucker putting the HIGH in highlights ? <a href="https://t.co/drqiAkm6db">pic.twitter.com/drqiAkm6db</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1554379871513587713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It’s the single most exciting, emotional and enticing story of an NBL offseason for as long as I can remember. Not only has Aron Baynes returned to the basketball court, but he’s chosen to bring his talents to the NBL as he focuses on a return to the USA.

Baynes has had an incredibly successful international career and is one of the more unique big men in basketball. Period. There aren’t too many basketballers, who are as strong as an NFL line-backer and still able to move as good as he does on a court. Baynes transformed his game during his time in Boston in 2017-18 by beginning to let it fly from the three. The confidence in his outside shot only grew as he became one of the best shooting big men in the NBA by the time he joined the Phoenix Suns in 2019-2020. Bullets fans have every reason to be excited and happy to see him on the floor in NBL23, but let’s be honest, all Australian basketball fans will be feeling the exact same way.

What the numbers say
Baynes’ best career year came during that Suns campaign when he put up 11.4 point, 5.6 rebounds a game and shot the three at a career best 35%. He is no stranger to the Australian style of play, which should make his transition to the NBL as seamless as possible. With Nate Jawai no longer in the NBL, there is no one who can match the pure strength and force of Baynes on their own.

What makes Baynes an even more exciting piece to Brisbane’s puzzle is that ability to shoot the three at a high rate. Bullets coaches have spoken about the potential of even sliding Baynes to the PF position, because he can stretch the floor, and use Tyrell Harrison down low. A lot of the talk surrounding Baynes’ impact has come regarding his offensive talents, but defensively he could prove to be a big problem in the NBL. With a smaller court, his presence alone already shrinks the court for the opposition. Yet when you add his agility and ability to get out at attack on ball screens defensively, that could make him a nightmare to go against.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">An NBA Champion, 3x Olympian who’s a fierce competitor. This guy is flat out blue collar worker. <br><br>This is a GREAT LOOK for the <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrisbaneBullets</a> & the <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbl</a> that Aron Baynes playing in the league. <br><br>Bringing world class talent back home to ball. It’s a great look. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> <a href="https://t.co/XJnfBbQtdV">pic.twitter.com/XJnfBbQtdV</a></p>— Corey “Homicide” Williams (@chomicide) <a href="https://twitter.com/chomicide/status/1568038916749672449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It’s been an incredibly successful rise in Australian hoops for Xavier Cooks. After returning from injury during his time in France in 2019, Cooks has gone from strength to strength and become one of the best local talents we have. Coming off by far his best professional career, he helped lead the Kings to a championship and was named Finals MVP. After finishing in the top three for best defensive player in NBL22, Cooks has demonstrated just why he is one of, if not the best, two-way player in the league.

Cooks is an NBA talent, make no mistake about it. It’s not so much if, rather when he gets that next opportunity. Instead of heading back to Summer League in the offseason, Cooks chose to head to the NZNBL, where he straight up dominated from the second he touched down. Cooks is the type of player who is only going to continue to improve as he chases the goal of getting to the NBA, and he’s also proven himself to be heavily in the conversation to represent Australia at the next World Cup.

A NBL22 Championship, Finals MVP, NZNBL MVP – could Cooks possibly add an NBL23 league MVP to his cabinet? There is no reason why he can’t.

What the numbers say
Cooks’ efforts on the floor during NBL22 were enormous at both ends. Averaging 15.5ppg, 10 rebounds and three assists, Cooks had by far his best full season to date. He’s one of the more unique players in the NBL due to his size and length, and how comfortable he is with putting the ball on the floor and making plays. The one part of his game that is probably the leading reason he isn’t in the NBA just yet, is his lack of consistent shooting. Cooks shot the three at just 30 per cent last season and he went just 64 per cent from the stripe. The positive sign is that he has shown improvement on this each year he’s been playing and will only continue to do so with all the work he puts in.

When Sydney needed him the most, Cooks stood up. Without Jaylen Adams in the GF series, Cooks went beast mode, putting up 19 points, 11.7 rebounds and over five assists in the three game sweep. As if that wasn’t enough to deserve some rest, Cooks quickly joined the NZNBL and put up ridiculous numbers. He averaged almost 22 points, 12 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. He’s playing at such an extremely high level right now and his confidence is sky high.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">3? more years of Xavier Cooks has got us hyped ?<br><br>ICYMI the GF MVP Cooks has re-signed with the <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a> ? <a href="https://t.co/4DWg9RZ4tW">pic.twitter.com/4DWg9RZ4tW</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1534430023968600067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As if it could be anyone else.

He may not have been officially crowned MVP in NBL22, but Bryce Cotton still put up MVP numbers in his sixth season for the Wildcats. It’s just what he does and it’s just who he is. Cotton comfortably led the league in scoring last season, whilst still demanding more defensive attention than anyone else in the NBL. The Wildcats finals streak came to a heartbreaking holt during the final game of the season, but you’d be remiss to believe that could happen again.

John Rillie has taken over the reins as head coach, and it will be a fun and entertaining style of basketball coming from the Wildcats. Cotton has consistently proven year in and year out that he’s not just one of the best players in the game today, but one of the best we have ever seen. No matter what the defence throws at him, he almost always finds a way to get the job done. The GOAT import debate will continue on every year, but at still just 30-years-old, another couple of MVP trophies or championships, and those conversations will be a lot different.

What the numbers say
Cotton averaged 22.7 points a game last season, which sits only fourth best in his NBL career to date. That was largely due to some poorer shooting percentages than he’s previously had, but as noted above, he still finds a way to put up big numbers. Cotton is another one of those rare players who can end a game on his own in a two-minute span. He’s shown that no matter what other teammates are around him on the floor, as long as he’s out there, the Wildcats have a chance to win.

With all the attention Cotton gets, his playmaking ability often gets overlooked. He averaged almost five assists a game during NBL22, which is the second best year he has had so far. The Wildcats have retooled their roster and put some nice pieces around their superstar, which should allow him to a bit more reign to do this thing. There will always be players coming from Cotton’s crown, but it’s going to take a lot more than one season to do that. Bryce is still the nicest.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BRYCE COTTON IS THE GREATEST IMPORT TO EVER PLAY IN THE NBL. PERIOD. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING ELSE. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HomicideApproves?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HomicideApproves</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nbl22?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nbl22</a> <a href="https://t.co/9QtV0SgUUP">pic.twitter.com/9QtV0SgUUP</a></p>— Corey “Homicide” Williams (@chomicide) <a href="https://twitter.com/chomicide/status/1503329420496424960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>