David Andersen: Starting for ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne in the LNB Pro A in France, Andersen is leading his club with 11 points per game as well as six rebounds. In a concurrent competition, Andersen has also helped ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne to the top of the table in the FIBA Europe Cup, nailing a three-pointer per game as well as shooting 100% from the free-throw line.
Cameron Bairstow: Having hit the court for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA just twice this season, Bairstow has been moved down to the D-League with the Austin Spurs. The demotion is not a bad thing necessarily as it will see him continue to hone his skills in real-game situations but Chicago do have a trend of trading players not long after moving them to the D-League.
Aron Baynes: Playing off the bench behind the likes of Andre Drummond for the Detroit Pistons in the NBA, Baynes is averaging 4.3 points and four rebounds a game (including 1.3 offensive boards). His highlight block this week on Ricky Rubio was lauded by fans while the circus shot featured below made it into the NBA.com top ten highlight video on November 23.
Ryan Broekhoff: Ranked second in Group C in the Euroleague, Broekhoff’s PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban own a 5-1 record. He is shooting 15-33 from beyond the arc at 46% and scoring 9.3 points per game while averaging 2.9 assists, the second best mark for the club.
Andrew Bogut: Returning from a concussion injury that saw him miss a fair chunk of the start of the NBA season, Bogut has returned to the Golden State Warriors line-up to average 7.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He scored a season high 13 points against Toronto before collecting a big double-double of ten points and 18 boards against Brooklyn. The Warriors have created history with a 16-0 start to the season.
Matthew Dellavedova: Fighting an ankle strain, Dellavedova missed his first game of the season yesterday. He still owns the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league, having boosted his career assist numbers from 3.1 to 5.9 while also upping his points total from 5.0 to 7.9.
Dante Exum: In positive news for Exum, he has resumed running on a treadmill after his knee injury as evidenced by his latest Instagram post at https://www.instagram.com/daanteee/.
Adam Gibson: Through 11 games with the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL, Gibson sits second in the league for assists with 5.6 a game as well as sitting fourth for his club at 10.5 points a game (at 42% shooting).
Chris Goulding: After starting the season with nine straight wins, Goulding’s Melbourne United went through a run of three consecutive losses but they still sit atop the NBL. His shooting stroke has fallen slightly to 43% yet he still sits fifth for scoring at 19.3 points per game while hitting a third of his shots from beyond the arc.
Cameron Gliddon: Gliddon and his Cairns Taipans are searching for consistency in the NBL, with the club sitting sixth on the ladder with a 4-6 record. He is shooting 43% from the field and tallying 12.8 points per contest, ranked second for Cairns.
Joe Ingles: Continuing to fill a bench role with the Utah Jazz in the NBA, Ingles went through his first eight games without a turnover while averaging an assist a match. His field goal percentage has moved from 42% to 49% while his long-range shooting has risen from 36% to 39%.
Nathan Jawai: Perth Wildcats’ Jawai owns the seventh best field goal percentage (59%) in the NBL, recording 11.6 points per game. He is adding five rebounds and 2.5 assists but will be looking to curb his turnover numbers which also equal 2.5. A brash attempt for a rebound also saw Jawai receive a one-game suspension as Perth look to consolidate a top-four position.
Aleks Maric: Falling just short of a double-double twice already this season for Budućnost VOLI Podgorica in Montenegro, Maric is averaging 6.6 points and five rebounds through seven games as centre. He has started six of those clashes but will hope to improve as his club looks to move from fourth position on the ladder in Group D of the Eurocup.
Damian Martin: Returning from a calf injury he sustained during training for the Oceania Championship, Martin played three games for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL before a wild elbow from Brian Conklin broke his jaw. He was collecting only four points a game but his floor game remains as impressive as ever, sitting seconds for steals at 1.7 and sixth for assists at 3.7.
Patty Mills: A shoulder injury interrupted Mills throughout last season and hurt his shooting percentage but as back-up point guard to Tony Parker for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA, Mills is shooting 42% from the three-point line and 45% overall. The Spurs also sit second in the Western Conference, behind Bogut’s Warriors.
Brock Motum: Reaching double figures in scoring for three of his first five games with Žalgiris Kaunas in the Euroleague, Motum has since recorded two scoreless games. He is still shooting 50% from the field though, with the club sitting third in Group C.
Brad Newley: Gran Canaria are currently sitting fifth in the Spanish ACB and atop the ladder of Group B in the EuroCup. Averaging around seven points, three rebounds and two assists, the swingman is having another successful season overseas.
Ben Simmons: Simmons is taking the online world by storm just five games into his college career, with journalists and fans already working out which NBA team he will represent next year. A 20-20 performance for Louisiana State University, in which he collected 20 points, 21 boards and seven assists was a highlight.
http://www.basketball.net.au/catch-up-with-ben-simmons/
Rebecca Allen: Allen has hit the court for the first time since injuring her knee in the WNBA earlier this year and although she has started slowly, her presence in the front court will help out the SEQ Stars as they look to return to the top of the WNBL ladder. At the offensive end, she has added six points a game while collecting 1.5 steals at the other end of the floor.
Suzy Batkovic: Checking in for her 14th WNBL season, Batkovic is having an MVP-type season, having won two Player of the Weeks, a Player of the Month as well as making the Team of the Week four times. She leads the league and third-placed Townsville Fire with 23.11 points per game at 56% shooting with eight rebounds.
Abby Bishop: The University of Canberra Capitals are struggling in the WNBL, winless through seven rounds and sitting at the bottom of the ladder. Bishop needs help in the front court but is still collecting 12 points a game as well as grabbing an offensive board per contest.
Sara Blicavs: Impressing with the Dandenong Rangers in the WNBL, Blicavs sits second at the club for scoring (13.6 points), first for rebounds (7.5) and equal-first for assists (2.8). She has been the team’s most consistent performer but with a couple of injuries, the Rangers have fallen to sixth on the ladder with a 4-4 record.
Natalie Burton: The Perth Lynx sit equal-first on the WNBL ladder, thanks in no small way to the defence of Burton. Her rim protection has helped the Lynx to the second best defence while oppositions shoot a league-low 38% against them from the field.
Elizabeth Cambage: Through 11 games for Shanghai Dahua in China, Cambage is dominating on court with 28.8 points and 11.4 rebounds a game. She is scoring 40% of the team’s points and helping them to the top of their group.
Katie-Rae Ebzery: The league’s best point guard in the WNBL currently, Ebzery sits third in the league with 18.9 points at 53% shooting and a competition best 5.7 assists. Her team, the Sydney Uni Flames, have surprised a few with their 7-2 record and she has made the Team of the Week twice already.
Maddie Garrick: The Melbourne Boomers have struggled to get going in the WNBL, especially in the back court as Tess Madgen, Brittany Smart and Kristen Veal all struggle with injuries. Garrick has been solid though, recording 10.9 points and 2.2 assists to help keep the team just two wins outside the top four.
Cayla George: One of two players in the WNBL to average a double-double, George is collecting 12.8 points and 11.6 rebounds in a strong front-court pairing with Batkovic for the Townsville Fire. Their Championship defence is alive and well but a couple of uncharacteristic losses see them currently sitting third on the ladder.
Laura Hodges: After winning the Championship with Bourges Basket in France last year, Hodges’ team has had a poor start to this season with a 1-4 record. The forward continues to play her role though, averaging 7.3 points a game while shooting a team-best 57% from the field.
Lauren Jackson: Persistent knee problems are keeping Jackson from making a return to the WNBL with the UC Capitals with her aim now to get healthy for the Rio Olympics next year. There is no doubt that tournament will be her swansong but hopefully fans get one last chance to see Jackson in the green and gold.
Rachel Jarry: As co-captain of the newest team in the WNBL, the SEQ Stars, Jarry has been an offensive powerhouse with a team-high 15.2 points a game while hitting 51% from beyond the arc, the best mark for players who have hit 15+ three-pointers. With a 6-4 record, the Stars sit fourth on the ladder but did drop from first after losing two straight road games a few rounds ago.
Alice Kunek: Closing in on her 150 WNBL game milestone, Kunek is beginning to find her role within the Melbourne Boomers after transferring from Dandenong. She is shooting at just 30% but still collecting 11.5 points a game, one of four Boomers players to be averaging double-figures.
Tessa Lavey: Lavey had a slow start to the WNBL season with the Perth Lynx, struggling to find the basket at the offensive end. As we get deeper into the season, she has become accustomed to playing alongside the likes of Sami Whitcomb in the back court which has improved her assist numbers while she is now consistently scoring 10+ a game while shooting 94% from the free-throw line.
Tess Madgen: An Achilles injury has disrupted Madgen’s WNBL season and the Melbourne Boomers will be desperate to get her back on court as soon as possible. She is second in the league with 19.6 points a game but also leads the competition in turnovers which is sure to be her most immediate area of focus.
Leilani Mitchell: The Adelaide Lightning look to be a more cohesive team in the past few weeks in the WNBL but their horror start that has seen them take a 2-7 record into Round 8 could be too big a hole to dig themselves out of. Mitchell has been unable to carry the team on her shoulders to too many victories but is putting together a very solid season with 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game.
Elyse Penaluna: Averaging 10.9 points in her WNBL career, Penaluna has been a scoring machine for the Melbourne Boomers so far this season, increasing that production to 16.8 with 8.9 rebounds. Her defence has also been impressive, with her 19 total blocks best for second in the league behind Louella Tomlinson.
Erin Phillips: Phillips continues her rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence after suffering a knee injury in the most recent WNBA season but has officially ruled out appearing on court in the WNBL this year.
Belinda Snell: On the verge of 250 WNBL games, Snell continues to light it up from all over the floor as part of the Bendigo Spirit. A 20-point game early in the season was no fluke as she is averaging 12 points a contest and shooting 32% from distance. At age 34, she is still receiving as much court time as any other Spirit player.
Penny Taylor: A massive 40-point effort from Taylor in China showed she has lost none of her offensive prowess as the Shanxi Flame look to improve on their 8-7 record. She is scoring 23.8 points a game, more than double any other team mate to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and an excellent 3.2 steals.
http://www.basketball.net.au/cambage-and-taylor-starring-in-china/
Mariana Tolo: A torn ACL has seen Tolo in rehabilitation alongside Phillips in the Centre of Excellence but her motivation remains to get healthy before the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Kelly Wilson: Only a few weeks away from reaching the 300 WNBL game milestone, Wilson could be eyeing Jess Bibby’s all-time record if she continues to play in the same form she has showcased this season. With 5.6 assists, she is third in the league while her 10.7 points is good enough for fourth within the Bendigo Spirit organisation.
