The NBL's Top 20: Part 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 one, as Pete Hooley names the players ranked 20 to 16. 

View the players ranked 15 to 11 on Tuesday. 

It’s been quite a remarkable 18 months for Dj Vasiljevic, since coming back from his achilles injury during his rookie season. It took a few games for him to find his feet once he was healthy, but after that, he was back to his best. He capped off his return season with a championship ring and one of the biggest shots we have seen in a GF series. His stellar play was rewarded with an NBA Summer League opportunity, an NBL1 All-Star 5 nod and then a Boomers debut – where he was simply lights out from all over the court.

With some big departures from Sydney’s championship winning team, Chase Buford will be calling on Vasiljevic to take up the reigns offensively. He’s never been shy of the moment, which means all roads lead to a career defining NBL23 for the young King.

What the numbers say
After averaging 12.4 points in NBL22, shooting at 40 per cent from the field, his numbers may have been slightly down from an unbelievable start to his professional career. That was largely in part to the first six games of his return, when he was getting back into the swing of things. His 20 points in game two of the GF series down at The Nest was the exclamation point that he is well and truly back. 

In NBL1 South, Vasiljevic straight up dominated in the 11 games he played; 26 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game helped begin his fun offseason. Combining that with his Boomers performances of 22 points in just 20 mins and following that up with 23 points in a win over Iran … this DJ is ready to take the leap.

The best sixth man in NBL22 is ready to lead from the front for Melbourne United this season. Before you tell me that Ili is not one of the top 20 individual talents in the league, I’m here to tell you that you’re going to struggle to list 19 other players who impact winning better than he does every single night. We know what he brings defensively, but it’s been on the offensive end that has made him so incredibly valuable. He’s one of those rare players that simply any and every team would want to go to battle with. After a career best season in NBL22, he’s ready to take yet another step forward. 

It's the full-court pressure, the denial, the hustle and ability not to be screened that puts him as one of best defenders in the league every season. He is one of those guys where the box score never shows his real impact on the game. It’s those winning efforts that has earnt him the ultimate trust from Dean Vickerman, and one that could very likely give him the keys as the starting PG in NBL23. 

What the numbers say
Numbers aren’t what makes Ili great. He is the one guy who you could watch a game and say he was the best player on the floor, without checking the box score. However, it was an incredible personal season for Ili in NBL22, in all facets of his game, highlighted by some career-best shooting numbers. Unlocking his offensive game, Ili shot just under 42 per cent from deep, to go with his strongest assist tally yet at 3.9 a game. The runner-up best defensive player last season, who some will say was unlucky not to win that, was so much more than his 1.7 steals per game. 

Ili took no rest in the offseason, joining Sandringham in NBL South where he starred throughout, winning league MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and All-Star 5. Averaging 23 points, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game, Ili led the Sabres to 15 wins during his 16 appearances. I’d say he’s pretty valuable. Combining that with his strong performances for the Tall Blacks during the qualifiers, Ili’s confidence is sky high right now. 

With 354 games of NBA experience, Tyler Johnson arrives at the Bullets ready to take them back to the promised land. After bouncing around a few teams over the last four years, Johnson finds himself with an exciting opportunity of being a go-to guy for James Duncan. Reuniting with an old teammate in Aron Baynes and lining up alongside a superstar in Nathan Sobey, Johnson will have enough pieces around him to show why he became so valuable for the Miami Heat from 2014 to 2019. 

A renowned good teammate in the locker-room, at just 30-years-old, Johnson is still in the middle of what could be a few exciting years on the court in his career. With Baynes' ability to open up space with his shot and knockdown the three, Johnson should have plenty of room to make plays for the Bullets.

What the numbers say
The Miami Heat days for Johnson was where he excelled most. In his last three seasons for them, he averaged 12 points per game and shot it at over 43 per cent from the field. After begin traded to the Suns in 18/19, he continued to be productive with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game to end the season.

After leaving Brooklyn in 2021, Johnson hasn’t been able to find a consistent home and opportunity to get back to his best. The NBL has shown that not only is it one of the best league’s in the world, but it can be a launching pad for both new and old faces to get back to the NBA. With a consistent opportunity to play at a high level, Johnson could be a revelation for Bullets fans in NBL23.

It was a bit of a rollercoaster of a second season in the NBL for Tyler Harvey. The star import for the Hawks made a monumental splash in his first season at the Hawks in 2021, before struggling to emulate consistently in NBL22. With all the deperatures and fresh faces for the Hawks, there will be pressure on Harvey to regain his All-NBL form. With his unorthodox yet exciting style of play on the offensive end, it’s that pressure that could unlock a big bounce back season for Harvey.

The 29-year-old is in the unique position of having a complete understanding of the NBL style of play that will have him primed and ready to shine this season. Whether it’s with a quick step-back three or one of his signature floaters, Harvey can score however and wherever he wants at a high rate. He’s the type of guy who will relish the opportunity to have his team counted out, and with a new running mate in the backcourt, there could be some big nights for the Hawks. If Harvey and Robinson catch fire from deep, cue the popcorn.

What the numbers say
It’s strange to say that a guy who averaged 16 points per game last season struggled at times, but when you look at his incredible debut season prior, it makes more sense. His 20 point average in NBL21 saw him finish third in the league in scoring. However, that took a hit last season when his three-point clip dropped to just 32 per cent, which will always hurt when you’re a volume shooter like Harvey putting up over seven a night. Nearly every other stat of Harvey’s from year one to two was identical, which is why he is perfectly situated to have a big season for the Hawks in NBL23.

After putting up 24 points in their first pre-season game, Harvey looked confident and willing to take on a much-needed leading role for the Hawks. With all the key departures during the offseason for the Hawks, they need the reenergised and focused Harvey ready to fire. If he’s knocking down the three ball at a high rate, then there is no reason as to why he won’t be featuring very highly amongst the leading scorers this season. 

The second leading assist man from last season returns for his second stint with the JackJumpers after their fairytale inaugural season. Perhaps more importantly for the Tassie fans is that with their entire local core returning, so does their floor general in Magette. With all the success he helped bring on the floor, it’s perhaps off off-court where his leadership and direction were even more vital to their success. Coming into his second stint in the NBL, Magette is the beneficiary being able to prepare for a league that he already understands so well. 

Magette had his struggles shooting the ball last season overall, but a lot of that can likely be put down to the lack of consistent offensive contributors. Adding two new imports to the squad can hopefully take off some of the pressure for him to score the ball at a high rate, and instead let him flourish at what he does best – control the game and make plays for others. The JJ’s won’t be catching any team sleeping on them this year and Magette showed in the GF series that he won’t back down from any challenge. 

What the numbers say
One of Magette’s strongest performances of NBL22 came in the GF Game 3 loss where he put up 12, six, seven and six steals, which will have him itching to get back on the floor for the upcoming season. Over the course of the season, he dished out almost six dimes a game to go along with 1.4 steals. The concern regarding his shooting consistency comes as he shot just 34 per cent from the field and just 28% from deep (and some of those were very, very deep). 

With better shot selection and added offensive options alongside Magette, there is a strong indication that we will see a more consistent output from the point guard in NBL23. There is no reason as to why he won’t find himself up the top of the assist leaders once again, whilst still maintaining his ability to fill it up offensively when needed.