SuperCoach NBL: Defining Moments (Round 5, NBL25)

SuperCoach NBL is back for its second year, and this time around it’s bigger than ever!

With a fresh new look, improved game navigation and app experience, registrations are now open for NBL25.

This year, we've teamed up with our friends at The Basketball Blokes to provide you all the information you need to know to pick your team, navigate the schedule and maximise your scoring. 

Every week throughout the Hungry Jack's NBL25 Season, the boys will be highlighting the key moments for individual players, to help you consider the make-up of your team, consider your trades and put yourself in the best position to achieve the highest score of the round, and potentially grab $1,000 cash.

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The player: Taran Armstrong (G) CRN $199,200
The moment: Confirmed out for the next two rounds with a secondary scan, confirming more damage to his ankle.

After being the most traded-in player in Round 4, coaches will now have to wait until at least Round 7 to bring the exciting playmaking guard back into their roster. The youngster was expected to return in Round 5, however, multiple scans have since confirmed a tear to his ankle ligament and bone bruising — leaving him out for at least another fortnight.

The player: Montrezl Harrell (F/C) ADL $326,600
The moment: Trez has signed on for the remainder of the season so he was not a forced trade to start the round. Went on to score 43 SC, despite the return of Jarell Martin.

The rumours are true; 500 game NBA veteran Montrezl Harrell will remain with the  Adelaide 36ers for the rest of the season. The club confirmed the athletic machine would be continuing with the club, after initially signing as an injury replacement for Jarell Martin — now replacing Alex Starling.

In Round 5, Martin finally made his debut for the club, but Harrell maintained his impact and went on to score 43 SuperCoach points.

The player: Parker Jackson-Cartwright (G) NZ $443,700
The moment: Popular captain choice started well with 41 and backed it up with 44, falling 1 assist short of a double-double.

The New Zealand Breakers returned to the NBL on Thursday night, suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of the Brisbane Bullets.

NBL24 First-Team member Parker Jackson-Cartwright was at the forefront of that with another 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists to strengthen his early MVP claims. The Breakers ended Round 5 on a positive note, celebrating their homecoming with a gutsy win against the Perth Wildcats.

The player: Cam Oliver (F/C) SYD $259,100
The moment: With 3:36 remaining in the third quarter, Oliver was substituted out and never came back in. He saw less than three minutes total in the second half.

After a horrific first half against the Tasmania JackJumpers, the Sydney Kings turned things around and powered home to an 80-71 win in Launceston on Friday night.

Cam Oliver struggled to make an impact against Tasmania’s bigs, scoring a season-low 10 SuperCoach points.

Goorjian leaned on forwards Kouat Noi and Bul Kuol to get the job done instead, substituting Oliver out with 3:36 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Sixth Man of the Year contender didn’t see the court again for the rest of the game.

The player: Bryce Cotton (G) PER $342,300
The moment: Bryce left the game with a rib injury after only two minutes of play. Had 0 SC points. His price will get very cheap. Opens up opportunities for Webster, Pepper and Henshall if he misses more time.

The biggest fear for many coaches on the weekend came true on Saturday night after Cotton left the game with a rib injury, suffered during the Perth Wildcats' 89-85 loss to the New Zealand Breakers.

Cotton suffered the injury in the opening moments of the game before collapsing to the court in pain after just over two minutes, finishing the Round with 0 SuperCoach points. His injury timeline is yet to be determined.

Some opportunistic coaches may take a chance and trade Cotton into their team, after his price reduced by $44.4K ($342.3K), while other coaches may take this as a prime opportunity to trade in teammates like Webster, Pepper, and Henshall, if Cotton is poised to miss more time.

The player: Max Darling (F) NZ $91,300
The moment: This will be known as the Max Darling game. Before his score of 27 yesterday, he had scored 46 SC in total across 18 games played in the NBL, including his previous high of 11 in Round 2.

Max Darling probably wasn’t high on any SuperCoach player's watchlist before Saturday night’s game, but he will be now. With 27 SuperCoach points against the Perth Wildcats on Saturday night.

With a string of double-headers still to come, Darling may become a prime trade target to bolster your bench.

The player: Matt Mooney (G) NZ $297,300
The moment: After going 1-9 from three-point range against Brisbane, he went 7-10 from three against Perth, on his way to 42 SuperCoach points.

After suffering their first loss of NBL25, New Zealand Breakers import Matt Mooney was the difference-maker against the Perth Wildcats.

Mooney knocked down 7/10 of his threes on his way to 28 points along with 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals — finishing up the Round with 71 SuperCoach points. After that performance, coaches may look to Mooney as a replacement for the potentially injured Cotton and Walton Jr in the guard position.

The player: Shea Ili (G) MEL $256,500
The moment: At 5.30pm Saturday evening, Melbourne United announced Shea Ili would miss the Throwdown against South East Melbourne with a calf injury, causing headaches for owners who had already utilised their weeks worth of trades.

Ili owners received the dreaded notification on Saturday evening that the Melbourne United guard would miss Throwdown XXVI and their Round 6 double-header with a calf injury. The 1,381 coaches with Ili will be looking for a replacement to help steer the ship after his Round 5 DNP.

The player: Derrick Walton Jr (G) SEM $308,200
The moment: Having scored 14 SC in only 11 minutes played, Walton Jr left the game with a hamstring strain. This proved to be disastrous for those who brought in Walton early or those that boosted Ili to Walton upon hearing the late injury news.

Walton Jr’s hamstring strain may be one of the only dampeners on South East Melbourne’s first win of NBL25. Having played only 11 minutes of Throwdown XXVI, Walton Jr left the game early with a hamstring strain and did not appear again in the nine-point win against Melbourne United. This injury proved disastrous for 768 Walton Jr owners, with him finishing on 14 SuperCoach points.

The player: Matthew Dellavedova (G) MEL $303,400
The moment: Less than two minutes into the second quarter in the Throwdown, Dellavedova had his leg trapped by a falling Jordy Hunter thanks to a bump from Chris Goulding. Owners were relieved to see his return to the game after a long stint in the rooms.

After a round of injuries to star guards, it’s safe to say owners of Dellavedova were relieved to see him return to the game after a tangle with Jordan Hunter in the second quarter against South East Melbourne. Dellavedova ended the Round on a respectable 34 SuperCoach points and will have to carry the load with backcourt teammate Shea Ili now unavailable.