STAT WRAP: NBL26 Preseason

After a huge preseason, Round 1 of the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 season is here!

As we looked to gel as a group, we hit the court for five games leading into the season, winning four by an average margin of 21.75 points per game.

In the first edition of STAT WRAP for NBL26, take a look below at how our stars performed leading into game one on Thursday afternoon against the Tasmania JackJumpers. 

Jesse Edwards - 14.7 points, 10 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1 assist per game (3 games)

Since touching down in Melbourne, Jesse Edwards has showcased his ability to menace opposing teams with his size and length inside the paint.

Perhaps no single play was this more clear than his first in United colours, which saw the big man set a solid screen to open up the lane for Milton Doyle, who found Edwards with a perfect lob for an alley-oop slam.

Offensively, it would have been difficult for the Dutch giant to be any more efficient, with Edwards connecting on 76% of his looks from the field.

At the other end of the court, while he only tallied four blocks in three games, his strength walling up and disrupting shots was elite.

Tyson Walker - 14.6 points, 3.6 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals (5 games)

Another new face to the NBL, Tyson Walker quickly showed why Dean Vickerman was so excited to bring the American across the globe.

Always playing with blazing speed, Walker was able to blow by defenders on a regular basis to either score himself, or open up opportunities for his teammates.

His threat from beyond the three-point line only made his pace more dangerous, with defenders needing to respect his long-range ability, especially after going seven for eight from downtown in a preseason Throwdown against the SEM Phoenix.

Milton Doyle - 14.6 points, 4 assists, 3.8 rebounds (5 games)

Ever-steady, Milton Doyle did a bit of everything in his first few games in blue. 

Able to weave his way inside with ease, Doyle was able to put himself and his teammates in scoring positions more often than not.

While he didn’t shoot the ball at quite the clip of some of his teammates, he displayed his proclivity to catch fire in big moments, such as when he orchestrated a personal 12-4 run across a two minute span against the Brisbane Bullets.

Finn Delany - 13.4 points, 1.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds (5 games)

United’s most consistent scoring threat across the preseason, Finn Delany was a handful for teams to contain at both ends of the floor.

Delany tallied double-digit points in all five of our preseason games while getting buckets from all over the floor. The Kiwi forward shot the ball at close to 60% from the field and 50% from deep, while knocking down 80% of his attempts at the foul line.

On defence, Delany was able to stonewall some of the league’s most dangerous four men, holding Perth’s Kristian Doolittle to a 1/9 shooting game.

Tanner Krebs - 10.8 points, 2.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds (5 games)

Stepping into the starting lineup for all five of our games with Chris Goulding working his way back into the lineup, Tanner Krebs provided a consistent shooting threat from deep.

A prolific shooter and strong athlete, Krebs was an ever-present danger to knock down looks from behind the arc, while also working hard on defence.

Even when the shot wasn’t falling, the wing was able to work himself into games with his passing, such as against the Phoenix, where he dished out eight assists.

Kyle Bowen - 9.6 points, 1.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1 block (5 games)

One of United’s workhorses, Kyle Bowen injected his energy into the game every time he checked in off the bench.

Whether it was his floater around the rim, his motor running on the break, or his ability to create second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass, Bowen showed that he has continued to grow as a pro coming into NBL26.

Chris Goulding - 9 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 steal (1 game)

While he only appeared in one game, Chris Goulding’s play provided some strong insight into what the team may be able to produce at full strength.

Coming off the bench, Goulding tallied nine points in under 18 minutes, but importantly was a can’t leave presence on the perimeter, helping to open up the rest of the floor for his teammates.

Fabijan Krlsovic - 7 points, 3.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds (5 games)

Bowen’s bench running mate in the front court, Fabijan Krslovic has been exactly as advertised since donning the United blue.

From his first appearance against the Taipans, Krslovic was able to stretch the floor effectively (54% from three), find open teammates on the short-roll, rebound, and defend. 

Shea Ili - 7 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals (1 game)

Another player to have only suited up for a single game, Shea Ili wasted no time showing fans that he hasn’t changed one bit heading into NBL26.

On his first possession of our final game against the Bullets, Ili powered his way through Mitch Norton, drawing contact and finishing the bucket for an and-one.

Add in four assists and 2 steals in just 19 minutes, Ili looks poised to once again be one of the league’s most valuable players at both ends of the floor.

Tom Wilson - 5.2 points, 1.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds (5 games)

Facing off against NBL teams for the first time as a rostered player in over five years, Tom Wilson showed little signs of rust.

The NBL1 South MVP made the most of his minutes, cashing in from deep and staying aggressive when called upon.

Malith Machar - 5 points, 1.3 rebounds (4 games)

A scoring threat whenever he’s on the court, Malith Machar provided glimpses of how he can impact winning for United this season.

Someone Dean Vickerman can throw into the lineup to provide length, intensity and terrific shooting, Machar looked comfortable working to his spots across his four outings.

Dash Daniels - 4.8 points, 2.2 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 1 steal (5 games)

Melbourne United’s Next Star made it easy to forget he’s just 17 years old when he suited up this preseason.

An absolute menace on the ball, Daniels flashed some of his potential hounding opposing ball-handlers.

On offence, Daniels is still developing, but did show the ability to work hard running the floor and getting to beneficial spots on the floor. 

With so much anticipation ahead of the start of next season, the time is now to lock in your seat to see every second of action inside John Cain Arena.

Melbourne United Memberships are nearly all SOLD OUT! Click here to unite with us for NBL26.