Mid-Season Report Card: Melbourne United

With the Hungry Jack's NBL26 competition currently on a time-out due to FIBA Break, NBL Media has decided to assess each of the 10 teams and give them a mid-season report card.

During this series, one expert on NBL Now will evaluate the team's progress through the first 10 rounds, while also naming their most improved and MVPs.

Finally, they will each team a grade and predicted finishing spot.

The next cab off the ranks, after the Perth Wildcats, Illawarra Hawks and Adelaide 36ers, are league-leaders Melbourne United, with the team's performance analysed by two-time NBL champion, Andrew Parkinson.

Report card score: A+

I saw Jason Cadee gave the Adelaide 36ers an A. So I've got to give United an A+, because they're the benchmark. If they were 14-1, 15-0, I think it'd be worthy of an A++. But I'll stick with the A+.

What you like: Team depth

Their depth is the easy answer, as they've got amazing quality in a lot of positions. Especially considering they had CG43 out early on in the season and also Shea Ili, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, to come back into the team. Their guys that have stepped up, the role players that have come in and played well and the new imports that have just embraced the whole system and the way Dean Vickerman goes about his business.

You really can't fault them after 15 games, having those 13 wins sitting on top of the ladder, they're used to being on top of the ladder. They're normally around that one or two. They're just setting themselves up for another United year. You know they're going to finish top two and they're going to give it the championship a good crack.

What needs to change: Integrating Shea Ili

Except getting the Defensive Player of the Year back, I believe that's really the only change I can see coming that's going to help them. Obviously, injuries play a huge part in the NBL. We've already seen that in the first 40 to 50 per cent of the season, how impactful having a couple of players out can be.

United have sort of got that insurance against that with the depth they've got. It reminds me a lot of Brian Goorjian's South East Melbourne Magic teams, where we were thereabouts each year and really gave the fans and members something to cheer about.

Most improved player: Tanner Krebs

I'll say Tanner Krebs. The way he came in when CG43 was out was incredible. Now with CG43 back, his role has obviously diminished a little, so without any recency bias, Tanner Krebs has really been impressive. They've got so many new players, so when CG43 was out, along with Ili, Krebs really stepped up and looked like an NBL starter on a team that's going to vie for a championship.

Team MVP: Jesse Edwards

This is a real tough one. I noticed Pete Hooley on NBL Overtime the other night was talking about how Melbourne United should have some sort of representation in the MVP conversation. It's really hard to pick someone out, because normally it's an easy answer. It's CG43. But we can't give him the team MVP because he hasn't played all the games, so it has to be out of the three imports.

I know Pete went with Tyson Walker, but I'm going to go with Jesse Edwards, simply because I'm going to look at it a different way. I'm going to look at who they can't afford to lose. Not that they can afford to lose a Milton Doyle or Walker, but if Jesse Edwards went down, that's really the only spot that they don't have cover for.

Edwards has been amazing and we're talking about both ends of the floor. You know what he does on the defensive end and I noticed the other night when they were playing the Hawks with JaVale McGee. I thought he did a great job on him with the way he guarded him. Being that rim protector, Jesse Edwards is a guy they can't afford to lose.

You could also give it to Dean Vickerman and the management at United for the way that machine keeps ticking over.

Who needs to step up: Shea Ili's hamstring

I'm going to say Shea Ili's hamstring needs to step up. When you think about this season, that's one area that needs to improve.

Milton Doyle and Walker aren't chumps on defence, but to have Ili either starting in that spot or coming off the bench to relieve one of those guys would be massive. I can see him stepping up in the second half of the season when he gets that hamstring right, but there's no need to rush him back. That's the beauty United have with this team, if a guy is out with injury, there's no need to rush him back because they've got all these spots covered.

Finishing prediction: First

First and that's not really that hard of an answer. Now I look at Adelaide, who are breathing down their neck, and United's little brother Phoenix are up there. And the Wildcats and the Kings are in the mix. But I think they're well and truly set up to be first.