Modern Legend Praises "Most Talented" NBL Era

Whether it’s the consistently sold-out crowds, the genuine two-way road-running between the NBL and the NBA, or the significant interest in league expansion, the NBL is absolutely flying off the court.

And according to one of the league’s greatest ever players, the on-court product has reached an unparalleled level.

When all is said and done, Bryce Cotton will go down in history as one of – if not the – greatest players in the history of Australia’s domestic competition.

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With three titles, three league MVP's and six scoring titles already in his back pocket, Cotton has been an integral part of the improvement of the competition, and he says the level of talent on the NBL floor is at the highest level it’s ever been.

“It’s not knock to the eras before us, but throwing a rabbit out of a hat I would say this is the most talented era the league has ever seen,” Cotton said on SEN.

“You have guys that leave this league to go to the NBA, or come from the NBA and come here.

“It’s not just the imports – you have locals that are getting drafted.

“The talent level this league is at, I think it’s unprecedented. It’s so exciting to play against these talents.”

Cotton’s Perth Wildcats have begun to retool their roster ahead of their NBL24 campaign.

Next Star Alexandre Sarr has followed back-to-back reigning Most Improved Player Keanu Pinder in heading West, while young guard Ben Henshall, former 36er Hyrum Harris and ex-Melbourne forward David Okwera have added high-quality depth to the side.

Both Corey and Tai Webster have committed to the club for the upcoming season, as has up-and-coming guard Michael Harris.

Cotton believes this new-look Perth side needs to be afforded the opportunity to forge its own identity.

“I think the biggest thing for us is just understanding we’re not the Wildcats of old,” he said.

“You get so fixated on the history of the club, all the championships, the winning culture, all [of] that. We have a brand-new team, brand new faces and brand new everything. We have to get out of ‘this is who we were way back when’.

“I feel we’re no longer the hunted. I think we’re the hunters again and once we can shift our minds back to being underdogs I think maybe we’ll have a better chip on our shoulders.

“It’s good to be back in this position and do some hunting again.”

Hunting alongside Cotton will be Pinder, who turned down reported interest across the NBL to sign on with the Wildcats – a decision which caught the former by surprise.

“I didn’t see that one coming, I was very ecstatic about that one,” Cotton said of the former Taipan’s commitment to the club.

“Keanu has been making extreme improvements throughout the league, so to have him on our side – we can definitely use him for sure.

“The fact we landed Keanu was a huge shock for me.”

Keanu Pinder scored 18 points and added 15 boards against Perth in one of his strongest individual performances of NBL23.

As the free agency train continues to roll on, teams are beginning to shift their focus from acquiring local talents to rounding out their sides with imports.

NBL23 import pair Brady Manek and TaShawn Thomas currently remain unsigned for the upcoming campaign, but head coach John Rillie has said the side has been in communication with the pair over the off-season.

Manek is currently playing alongside unsigned Tasmania guard Milton Doyle at Tofas SK, where he's averaged 15.3 points per game, across 11 appearances, while Thomas has averaged almost 11 points per game playing alongside Victor Wembanyama at Metropolitans 92.

Cotton believes Perth should look closer to home when assessing potential import options.

Former Brisbane wing Devondrick Walker is currently averaging 27 points per game representing Rockingham in NBL1.

“What he brings to the NBL level with his size and his ability to shoot – I think we could definitely use that with some of the pieces we’ve lost. I think he can come in, fill that role and space the floor for guys like myself and Corey,” Cotton said of Walker.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">? 47 points ?<br>? 9 made triples ?<br>? 63% from the field ?<br><br>Devondrick Walker is NEXT-LEVEL ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL1West?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL1West</a> via <a href="https://t.co/NEk1I7kaV8">https://t.co/NEk1I7kaV8</a> or the NBL1 App ?&amp;? <a href="https://t.co/GOefEhxWsL">pic.twitter.com/GOefEhxWsL</a></p>&mdash; NBL1 (@NBL1) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL1/status/1654489596024037376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“To be able to play alongside a guy like that who is basically a brother to me, that would mean everything.

“To play on a team together and hopefully win a championship together if he ends up on our team would be a true blessing.”

Devondrick Walker's Rockingham Flames will defend their NBL1 National Championship in August, in Joondalup, Western Australia.

Read what Walker had to say at the announcement press conference here