As most teams tick over the halfway mark of NBL23, the race for the top-six appears wide open.
Additionally, the depth of individual scorers in the league leaves the scoring title up for grabs, with Bryce Cotton leading the pack entering this week's play. Kane Pitman, Olgun Uluc and Peter Hooley discuss the top bucket getters, debate who the best new import is and ask whether the Sydney Kings have anything to worry about as they pursue back-to-back titles.
Let's get into it.
Who wins the NBL23 scoring title?
Kane Pitman: Someone has to be different. Mitch Creek.
Fourth in 2020, sixth in 2021, third in 2022...this year might be the year for Creek, who is shooting 52 percent from the floor and 38 percent from long range. Creek's efficiency has tailed off towards the back end in recent years, but with more support than ever on a loaded Phoenix offence, it feels like he is quietly pouring it on in NBL23. While Cotton continues to astound by sizzling anyone and everyone in isolation, Creek is getting it done off screen action, where he is among the most efficient players in the league.
Olgun Uluc: It has to be Bryce Cotton.
Of the guys hovering around the No. 1 spot right now, Cotton is the one with the least help, so it's effectively a requirement that he gets up his close-to-20 field goal attempts a game. He leads the league in minutes, and the vast majority of the Wildcats' sets are focused on getting him the ball; the scoring title is his to lose.
Peter Hooley: Bryce Cotton for me
The Wildcats have started to turn things around in the last few games, but if there is one thing that will have to stay consistent, it's Cotton's offensive performances. The fact that Corey Webster has started to really find his groove will only help Cotton as the season goes on. The defence will no longer be able to just sit in his pocket now that there is another offensive threat on the floor, which should give enough space for Cotton to really ramp things up. Perth go as Cotton goes, and there is no writing this man off with what he's capable of. 
Are there any major concerns for the Sydney at the top of the table?
Kane Pitman: Major concerns? No. But you feel head coach Chase Buford would love to see an uptick in fourth quarter offence.
In quarters 1-3, the Kings are finishing 65 percent at the rim and 35 percent from long range. In the fourth quarter they're 55 percent at the rim and 29 percent from behind the arc. Overall, they still rank fourth for offensive efficiency so it's hardly panic stations. The easy answer would be Dejan Vasiljevic finding the range, as he sits at 29.7 percent from three on the season on a healthy 6.5 attempts per game. It's hard to believe that number won't climb in the back half of NBL23.
Olgun Uluc: Nothing major, but the fourth quarter issues are slightly concerning.
It's no reason to panic, of course. It's just a reality that not having second and third options with the self-creation abilities of Ian Clark and Jarell Martin makes this team slightly different when they need to close out games. Xavier Cooks is playing the best basketball of his career, and Derrick Walton Jr. is probably the best floor general in the league, but there's been a tendency recently in late game situations where these Kings don't know where shots are going to come from. The good thing is there's every reason to believe the Kings' coaching staff and veterans will figure this out well before the postseason.
Peter Hooley: The only concern I have with the Kings so far is their ability to put teams away when they build a good lead.
We have seen a few times across this NBL23 season that the Kings roll into a game and are up double digits in the blink of an eye, but then end up having to battle it out it in the clutch. Against Tasmania it didn't go their way and against Cairns twice they lost in similar fashion. They have too much depth and talent to allow teams to get back into games and make it close down the stretch, if they can find a way to rectify this, it's probably game over. 
Who is the best new import in the league?
Kane Pitman: The Dererk Pardon experience is an absolute delight.
The Breakers five is an undersized blue collar big man who puts on the hardhat and goes to work. He's fourth in the league for rebounds per game (8.4), third for blocks (1.3) and mans the paint for the current No.1 ranked defence in the league. On offence, this is a man who knows what his capabilities are, and he DOES NOT stray. Pardon has attempted 103 shots this season, with ALL of them coming in the paint, where he's a very tidy 68.9%percent. He's not flashy, he just gets it done.
(shot chart via spatialjam.com)
Olgun Uluc: Derrick Walton Jr.
When it comes to a player's impact over an entire game, his value to a team, and just his straight up ability on both ends, Derrick Walton Jr. has been elite, and a welcome addition to the Sydney Kings and the NBL. He sets the pace on both ends for the best team in the league, and still doesn't even look to be playing his best basketball yet.
Peter Hooley: It's Milton Doyle
He doesn't create major highlights and he isn't outspoken about anything. Rather, Milton Doyle just goes about his business so smoothly that he's rightly become one of the best players in the league, not just best new import. This isn't recency bias speaking either, as you look back on the season and you'll find he has been doing this almost every game for Tasmania. Doyle's ability to take over games in the clutch has been phenomenal. Tasmania have always needed that one offensive leader to help them win games and they've found an absolute gem in Doyle. 
