SuperCoach NBL: The five players you must pick for NBL25

With just hours to the first tipoff of the season, MICHAEL RANDALL names his five must-have SuperCoach starters, from top-dollar superstars to bargain basement cheapies.

The starting five is the heart of basketball, and in SuperCoach NBL, choosing the ultimate first five players is key to building a winning squad.

Striking the right balance between scoring and spending is crucial for setting your team up to compete for bragging rights and prizemoney.

Remember, in SuperCoach NBL, 50 per cent of your bench players’ points count toward your overall score, making it essential to get the balance just right.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with these five players – updated after the NBL Blitz pre-season tournament – and you will be on your way to SuperCoach NBL success.

>> PLAY NOW AT SUPERCOACH.COM.AU/NBL/

Bryce Cotton is the biggest star in SuperCoach NBL. But comes at a hefty price. Picture: Getty Images

1. Bryce Cotton | Perth Wildcats | $448,500 | Guard

NBL Blitz scores: 18, 48, DNP

Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is?

Cotton has been the best player in the NBL – and the top SuperCoach scorer – for years.

But he comes at a cost.

The Wildcats star averaged 36.8 SuperCoach points last season – No.1 in the comp – racking up a point for every minute he was on the court. As one of only two players priced above $400,000, Cotton will eat up a lot of your budget, but will give SuperCoaches confidence of big score returns week in and week out.

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Jack White is back in the NBL after a stint in the NBA. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

2. Jack White | Melbourne United | $232,000 | Forward

NBL Blitz scores: 43, 36, 27

White comes in dirt cheap after two years overseas, snapping up an NBA title in Denver in the process.

Despite his freakish athleticism and obvious skill, White has never been in a situation like he lands in back at Melbourne United with the chance to truly spread his wings on both ends of the floor.

United will be Chris Goulding’s team until he retires, but Jack might emerge as ‘The Man’ anointed as the legendary sharpshooter’s successor.

Could be the steal of SuperCoach NBL25.

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Xavier Cooks is back at the Kings and an elite SuperCoach scorer. Picture: Getty Images

3. Xavier Cooks | Sydney Kings | $365,500 | Forward

NBL Blitz scores: 20, 18, DNP

The last time he was at the Kings, Cooks won the league MVP and the Grand Final MVP on the way to leading Sydney to back-to-back titles.

Cooks returns to the harbour city after a stint with the Washington Wizards in the NBA and Chiba Jets Funabashi in Japan.

The Kings forward is a high-level contributor in almost every scoring category, is the highest-paid player in NBL history and has the added chip on his shoulder of perhaps proving his coach wrong after being snubbed by Brian Goorjian on the Boomers’ Olympic squad.

Has one of the highest scoring ceilings in the game.

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Lachlan Olbrich dunks. Picture: Getty

4. Lachlan Olbrich | Illawarra Hawks | $121,400 | Forward

NBL Blitz scores: 35, 12, 33

An early favourite for most improved player this season, Olbrich is still just 20 years old, but comes off a rookie season where he showed flashes of dominance in a playoff team.

He franked those maiden NBL efforts with a dominant season in the NZNBL, where he claimed the Kiwi league’s MVP and led Canterbury all the way to the league title.

Add the departure of superstar Gary Clark and Olbrich’s budget price and you have a kid ready to explode for the Hawks – and for SuperCoaches.

5. Cameron Oliver | Sydney Kings | $277,000 | Forward/Centre

NBL Blitz scores: 33, 36, 45

Don’t listen to anyone who tells you Space Cam isn’t SuperCoach relevant because he’s coming off the bench. The Kings have so many weapons, Goorj has the ridiculous luxury of bringing a double-double threat off the bench and allowing to maul opposing second units. Combination of elite inside game, knockdown from deep and elite rebounding make Oliver a no-brainer.

6. Jackson Makoi* | Cairns Taipans | $58,500 | Guard

NBL Blitz scores: 12, -2, 13

Suspended for the first two rounds, so can’t put him in the five but you could start him anyway given his incredible value.

The South Sudanese Paris Olympian looms as the pick of the uber cheapies with Makoi set to find a back-up role in Cairns.

The $58,500 starting price means the former Sydney King basically only needs to step on the floor to rise in price.

Makoi played sparingly in Paris, but he was part of a the history-making South Sudan team that won its first game in Olympic competition when they knocked over Puerto Rico.

The 24-year-old has recovered from a ruptured ACL and will get ample opportunity to show he belongs in the NBL.

Play the game any NBL fan can win. Start your team today at supercoach.com.au/nbl. SuperCoach is free to play. The top scorer each round wins $500 cash, doubled to $1000 for SuperCoach Plus subscribers.

Originally published as SuperCoach NBL: The five players you must pick for NBL25