Bully ball, finding mismatches, and the three-point shot: How Mitch Creek evolved into an elite scorer

The expanded offensive package that Creek's shown since returning to the league has turned him into a perennial scoring title threat and MVP contender.

Credit: Cam McBride Photography

Mitch Creek left the NBL in 2018 with a club MVP award and All-NBL selection, but the player he was with the Adelaide 36ers was vastly different to what we’ve seen with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Not only has Creek added a three-point shot, but it’s his ability to play bully ball one-on-one, being able to manipulate the defence, as well as his overall skillset growth that has elevated his play to that of one of the league’s most devastating scorers. Creek now consistently makes it look easy, playing in a calculated fashion in the half court, seeking out advantages and welcoming physicality.

Creek speaking to Anneli Maley about his mindset when joining the Phoenix:

“I kind of came in off the NBA just like, cool, I’m going to be super confident in myself, and everyone’s giving me all this confidence… In that first game, it kind of just started there. I was like, sh*t, if I can do it one game, then I can do it every god damn game. And that’s the belief that I told myself, that if you can be a star once, you can be a star every day… All of a sudden, it was like this is it. This is the bar. This is the minimum requirement necessary to be successful right now… This is who I have to be.”

Creek has lived up to those words, but scoring in the NBL didn’t always come this naturally.