The NBL23 DPs primed to launch in NBL24

As a fan, watching a young player develop from being the new kid on the scene to an integral part of your team is one of the great joys in sport.

The development player pathway is a program that’s unique to the NBL in the Australian sporting landscape, and we’ve seen dozens of players enter the scene as a fresh-faced 17 or 18-year-old and quickly make their mark on the competition.

Some of Australia’s top basketball exports started their journeys as development players in the NBL. It’s a well-trodden pathway to the top, with potential Boomers World Cup representatives Chris Goulding (Brisbane), Jack White (Cairns) and Will McDowell-White (Sydney) all starting their careers as NBL development players.

It’s a long journey to the top though, and there are plenty of DPs from last season who are looking to take their next leap forward in NBL24. While some have graduated to fully rostered positions and others remain as development players for this upcoming season, NBL Media looked at some of last season’s DPs that are primed to launch in NBL24.

*Players are listed alphabetically

Walter Brown

He may have only made eight appearances and scored a total of three points in NBL23, but there’s something about Walter Brown the Tasmania JackJumpers love – and they’ve banked on it becoming clear to the wider NBL community, sooner rather than later.

Brown was recently awarded a three-year contract extension by the competition’s newest club, with the third season set to see him elevated to the main roster.

The JackJumpers have gone all in on the New Zealand-born guard, and his off-season stint with the NZNBL’s Canterbury Rams has set him up perfectly for a much bigger impact in the NBL this upcoming season.

Brown has returned to the Tasmania camp as a NZNBL champion, after playing a crucial role in Canterbury’s 11-point Grand Final win over Auckland Tuatara.

He added ten points and eight rebounds in a gritty performance, alongside NBL star Corey Webster.

He was also named the competition’s Youth Player of the Year, after averaging over nine points per game on almost 50 per cent shooting for the season.

Owen Foxwell

There’s a Kyle Adnam-sized hole in South East Melbourne’s rotation heading into NBL24, and given his new status as a fully rostered player, Owen Foxwell could be the young gun to fill it.

The injury issued suffered by the Phoenix’s guard rotation throughout last year may have hampered the club’s on-court progress, however a silver-lining of that was Foxwell’s emergence as a genuine NBL-level defender.

The 19-year-old soared as high as being ranked inside the top ten players in the competition for steals per game, but as his minutes were reduced, he fell down the pecking order. That being said, he still finished the season averaging over a steal a game.

Given Foxwell has played the entirety of his professional career under Simon Mitchell, it will be interesting to see how he fares under new coach Mike Kelly, but his performances alongside Sydney’s Angus Glover for Eltham in NBL1 South indicate he’s ready to take on the load of being one of his go-to defensive options.

Sean Macdonald

The way Sean Macdonald played for Tasmania last season, you could be forgiven for thinking he’d been a fully-rostered NBL talent for years. However, he’s still just 23 years old, and will remain a development player for NBL24 – much to the benefit of Tasmania.

Macdonald exploded to play 32 games for the JackJumpers last season and was – at times – even preferred to import guard Josh Magette and veteran Jarrad Weeks in the side’s rotation down the stretch.

He earned a nomination for the league’s Most Improved Player of NBL23, alongside genuine stars Keanu Pinder and Will McDowell-White, and played in all four of Tasmania’s post-season games.

His versatility to ably fill both guard positions will definitely help him in his goal of once again improving his own output, and with the likes of guard options Matt Kenyon, Jarrad Weeks, Isaac White and Josh Magette all moving on following the end of last season, head coach Scott Roth might be prone to calling on the known quantity of Macdonald when the going gets tough, or the game is on the line.

Jackson Makoi

In a perfect world Jackson Makoi would be preparing to head to the FIBA World Cup, ready to help stamp South Sudan’s mark on the world stage in international basketball.

Instead, the 23-year-old guard will be continuing to rehabilitate the serious knee injury he suffered last season.

Makoi appeared in 15 games during NBL23, after breaking into the reigning champions’ deep guard rotation. He also appeared in six World Cup qualifiers – which included a breakout 25-point performance against Cameroon.

There’s no doubting the Kings will be cautious with the impending return of one of their brightest talents this upcoming season, and although the likes of Derrick Walton Jr and Dejan Vasiljevic have left the side, Sydney will still certainly boast one of the most dangerous rotations in the competition – and you can bet Makoi will not just be handed minutes.

When he does return to the court to showcase his remarkable talents and potential once more this season, it will be a definite bright spot for the back-to-back champions, and a player who is earmarked as a future star in South Sudanese basketball.

Nick Marshall

Adelaide’s Nick Marshall has graduated to the 36ers’ full roster for NBL24, and if he can repeat the improvement he made in his game between his rookie and sophomore seasons, then he could embed himself as a key player in CJ Bruton’s rotation.

The now 24-year-old increased his scoring mark from 1.9 points per game in NBL22 to 4.5 points per game last season. He also increased his field goal percentage by 10 per cent, pulled in twice as many rebounds and made improvements in his assist and steal numbers.

He also made three less total appearances for the year.

Marshall was one of the biggest beneficiaries of Adelaide’s import issues last year following the release of Craig Randall II, and has already shown head coach Bruton that he can be trusted to carry a bigger load for the side if needed.

He’s also averaged over 20 points per game for Mt Gambier in NBL1 Central over the off-season.

The upcoming NBL Blitz looms as a key performance indicator for Marshall ahead of the new season and, with Antonius Cleveland having departed the club and Adelaide searching for a pair of new imports, he could well be primed to take a leading role for the side ahead of the new campaign.

Fraser Roxburgh

The youngest development player from NBL23 may have only made one appearance for the club last season, but Fraser Roxburgh now has a full season of professional experience under his belt – and he can now fully focus on his playing career.

Roxburgh was just 17 years old for the bulk of last season’s competition, which meant he had to juggle his 36ers commitments with the rigours of finishing high school. His final exams aren’t too far around the corner and, while his pre-season may be slightly interrupted, the forward will likely take a huge step forward this season.

Roxburgh – like all of Adelaide’s development players this upcoming campaign – has been based in NBL1 Central this off-season, and he’s played a strong contributing role in a stacked West Adelaide side.

He’s played alongside 36ers teammate Mitch McCarron, new JackJumper Anthony Drmic and Illawarra’s Lachlan Olbrich to help lead the side to a 15-3 regular season record, and top of the standings.

Across his 17 games so far he has showcased his abilities as an all-action contributor and averaged 14.5 points on almost 50 per cent shooting, shot over 40 per cent from three, and added 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

He’s the only development player at the club remaining from last season, and that season of experience in the professional realm could prove crucial in the battle for early minutes.

Isaac White

This time last year it was looking like Isaac White was all but out of the league. Now he’s ready to impress as a fully rostered player in Brisbane’s newest revolution.

White was left out in the cold by the Illawarra Hawks at the end of NBL22 and after initially signing as an injury replacement player for Tasmania last season, White stayed on for the full campaign as a development play.

The 25-year-old has been a dominant force in NBL1 North this off-season, and was named to the competition’s All-Star Five alongside established NBL stars Jason Cadee, Todd Blanchfield, Kouat Noi and Majok Deng – and overcame Shaun Bruce and Nathan Sobey to earn a place in the side.

White has averaged a remarkable 32.7 points per game for the Mackay Meteors in the Queensland conference this off-season and has absolutely hammered home is ability as a spark plug scorer both from deep and at the rim.

The emerging guard’s NBL career to date is the perfect example of someone taking opportunities when presented, and given he’s likely to be presented with a larger role than ever before this upcoming season, expect him to properly launch his NBL career.