Seven Seconds or Less: Great Tai have you back, Wesley
1. Unleash the Creek!
Forget 'Beast Mode', it's now all about 'Creek Mode'. Mitch Creek was dominant against the Wildcats despite his team going down. The 27-year-old had 31 points shooting 61% from the field.
https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1203554316667281408?s=20
It didn't work out the way Phoenix wanted it to, however you can't help but think that Creek's case for MVP is getting stronger and stronger by the round.
2. Bryce Cotton = Reverse Homer
We all know the Homer Simpson meme, well on Sunday, Bryce Cotton did the reverse.
He only had eight points in the first half, but exploded in the second scoring 18 points and guiding the Wildcats to a win. Once again Cotton proved why he is one of the best in the competition and made it clear we need to get him naturalised ASAP!
3. Good Tai have you back
Please forgive us for the sh***y pun, but South East Melbourne fans would have been very pleased to see Tai Wesley back in action. The big man finished 15 points and four assists in just 22 minutes and will no doubt get better with more time on the floor.
https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1203540050719363072?s=20
One interesting thing to keep an eye on is Dane Pineau's playing time and whether it takes a hit with the NBL veteran back in action.
4. The Madgen we've been waiting for
How great is it to see Ben Madgen back in full flight! In his first six games of the season, Madgen only scored in double digits three times and had a top score of 16 points.
The 34-year-old's 20-point effort against Perth is his second 20+ point game in a row. He is a crucial part of Phoenix's setup and is starting to really excel in the system.
5. iKuro, iKuro, iKuro
Whoever is in the Phoenix's marketing and sponsorship team deserves a pat on the back. You can't watch or be at a South East Melbourne game and not see something iKuro.
It's on their jerseys and sponsorship boards, which is regular stuff, but they've even got their courtside spectators decked out in iKuro kit!
https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1203549624247693312?s=20
P.S. If you're wondering (we were), iKuro is a black health water product.
6. What happened to the bench?
Phoenix scored 21 bench points against the Wildcats, which is a solid number, however they came from just two players. Wesley came off the pine for 15 and Kyle Adnam put in six points.
The rest of the bench only managed a combined total of nine minutes, with Kendall Stephens and Dan Trist getting on the floor but not bothering the scorers. Keith Benson had another DNP, so watch this space.
7. The battle of the point guards
Round 11 looks set to be a massive one for South East Melbourne. They face Adelaide on Friday night before meeting Cairns at home on Sunday. The most mouth-watering part of the fixtures is the battles at the point guard position.
John Roberson will go toe-to-toe with Jerome Randle and Scott Machado. We know what Randle can deliver and Machado is one of the hottest players in the league at the moment. Big challenges await.