NBL Dream Team – Round 3

Looking Back (Round 2 Review)

Studs and Duds

In another round of NBL Dream Team dominated by the big men, diminutive Sydney point guard Corin Henry ($116,700) ensured he wouldn’t go unnoticed with an all-action performance in Friday night’s Capital City Clash. The fleet-footed King delivered on the promise he showed in his round-one debut to net a monster 58 Dream Team points against Melbourne, including 12 points from pick-pocketing the Tiger guards and another 10 from assists.

He wasn’t the only Sydney import to make the stud list this week, however, with power forward Darnell Lazare ($116,700) chalking up 50 points to cement himself inside the top 10 players of the round for the second consecutive week. In the opening round we projected some huge scores for Lazare if he could slash his turnover count, and he responded with an error-free effort against Melbourne. Now we just need the LSU alumnus to improve his finishing around the basket, with missed shots costing Lazare almost 30 DT points this week.

Another to rectify a weakness in his round-one game was New Zealand centre Alex Pledger ($114,400), who recorded a doughnut in the rebounds column last week against Perth. The Breakers big man was a beast on the boards this week though, hauling in 10 rebounds and adding three blocks to equal Henry’s round-topping score of 58 points. Teammate Cedric Jackson (guard, $191,300) got his game going in the second half and almost chased down Henry and Pledger with a typically well-rounded performance that included seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

Cairn’s centre-forward Cam Tragardh ($151,200), the only player to register a half-century last week, improved on his round-one tally to post 54 DT points against Wollongong and, with two games in round three, become the first Dream Teamer to achieve “must-have” status this season.

While Tragardh was an undisputed stud, similarly-priced teammate Jamar Wilson was king of the duds, finishing the Taipans’ loss to the Hawks with minus four points. It’s too early to panic, and a two-match round this week should temper the urge to trade in any case, but it’s fair to expect a little more when you shell out $151,000 in this game.

Melbourne recruit Chris Goulding ($60,200) is at least bombing at a bargain price, following up his melee-affected score of eight in round one with a minus two against Sydney. The 72 DT points the former Gold Coast guard racked up in a pre-season game just weeks earlier now seems like a lifetime ago.

New Zealand guard-forward Tom Abercrombie ($154,000) entered the season as the third-most selected player in Dream Team, but will surely be dumped en masse after an out-of-sorts opening fortnight that has generated just 16 points in total.

Looking Forward (Round 3 Preview)

Pick Me, Pick Me!

Player values will start to dip and soar after this coming round, so this week is your last chance to snap up some bargains at their starting price. Melbourne centre-forward Matt Burston ($66,100) looks set to be one of the biggest earners on the back of scores of 26 and 32 in the opening rounds, and the Tigers are about to embark on a streak of five consecutive home games.

Meanwhile, Cairns rookies Cameron Gliddon (guard, $49,100) and Clint Steindl (forward, $49,100) could only muster two points between them in round two, but showed enough in round one when they combined for more than 50 that they might be worth a punt for the Taipans’ double-game round three.

Double-Points Decision

The two North Queensland teams vacate the Sunshine State for two games apiece in round three, and although those games will all be played in enemy territory, it’s hard to look past a Dream Teamer playing twice when making the all-important captaincy decision this week.

Townsville guard Gary Ervin ($116,700) reportedly carried an injury through his Crocs debut in which he scored a modest – by the 2011 MVP’s standards – 18 DT points. If his body is right for the trips to New Zealand and Wollongong, then a big total is on the cards. Of course, form and fixtures point to Tragardh being the likeliest source of Dream Team gold in round three, with the scintillating Snakes centre doubling up with games against Sydney and Adelaide.