Round 4 did not produce one obvious fantasy winner. It produced two different lessons: double-game volume remains enormously powerful in NBL SuperCoach, and the best single-game performance can still expose a role worth tracking. Bryce Cotton topped the round, Josh Oduro supplied its biggest defensive-stat explosion, and Sam Mennenga made the strongest case for looking beyond the fixture count.
The official NBL SuperCoach Round 4 recap gives us the scoring evidence. This is Buckets' review of what that evidence should change for managers — and what it should not.
Cotton answered the scoring question, not the fixture question
Cotton's 91 SuperCoach points across Adelaide's two games led Round 4. He scored 56 against Melbourne, then 35 against Sydney as the 36ers ended the Kings' unbeaten start. Nick Rakocevic added 81 across the same double and moved to 278 season points, six clear of Cotton. Those totals reward managers who backed established offensive responsibility through an imperfect patch.
But Adelaide plays once in Round 5. The 91-point return is evidence that Cotton's ceiling remains intact, not a reason to assume the same weekly total when the fixture halves. Owners do not need to panic-sell an elite scorer; prospective buyers do need to distinguish long-term quality from this week's captaincy value.
Oduro's defence made the difference
Josh Oduro finished second for the round on 84 SuperCoach points. His 60-point SuperCoach game against South East Melbourne came from 21 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and four blocks. That is a far more interesting fantasy profile than a centre who merely got hot shooting the ball. The NBL's review of Melbourne's frontcourt also notes his strong season production and a persistent foul-trouble concern.
The conclusion is not that four steals and four blocks are his new baseline. They are volatile categories. It is that Oduro has shown a route to premium scoring without needing 30 real-world points. With Melbourne on a single game in Round 5, he remains a strong roster hold, but not an automatic captain or a must-buy based on one extraordinary defensive night.
Bolden and Maker need different levels of patience
Jonah Bolden delivered 80 SuperCoach points for Cairns across its double, including 20 points, eight rebounds and four blocks against Illawarra. His impact is real, but his production has come off the bench. The useful question for future rounds is whether the minutes and centre match-ups stay favourable, not whether a two-game score can be repeated in one appearance.
Illawarra newcomer Makur Maker recorded 39 SuperCoach points across the round, with 25 against Cairns in a 17-minute, 18-point and nine-rebound outing. That is genuine per-minute upside, not proof of a settled 30-minute role. In deeper Buckets Draft leagues he deserves attention where available; in SuperCoach, wait for a larger, repeatable workload before treating him as a reliable starter. For the earlier role evidence, see our Round 4 Fantasy Lab.
Mennenga proved a single can still matter
Sam Mennenga produced the round's highest single-game SuperCoach score: 62, behind a 40-point, 18-rebound performance against Perth. Brisbane's Tyrell Harrison also reached 59 in one game. Yet 13 of the top 15 overall Round 4 scores belonged to players from the four double-game clubs. Both things can be true: elite single-game output can compete, while the fixture remains a major advantage across the field.
That distinction matters when comparing players in different formats. SuperCoach rewards the cumulative round total; a Buckets Draft league may use different scoring settings or round rules. Check your own league configuration before copying a SuperCoach leaderboard into a Draft waiver decision.
Round 5 changes the board
The official NBL double-game guide lists New Zealand, South East Melbourne, Sydney and Tasmania as the Round 5 double teams. That shifts captaincy and short-term trade attention away from Adelaide, Cairns, Illawarra and Melbourne. It does not make every player on a double a better selection than every star on a single.
Availability is the bigger complication. Parker Jackson-Cartwright missed New Zealand's game in Perth, while Arnas Velička suffered a quad injury for Brisbane. The league's Round 4 recap discusses both setbacks; the official NBL injury register should be checked again before locking in any affected player. A return estimate is not a clearance, and two scheduled games are worth nothing to a player who cannot take the court.
Buckets verdict: Round 4 rewarded Cotton's established role, Oduro's multi-category ceiling and Mennenga's single-game dominance. The lesson for Round 5 is not to chase the last leaderboard. Start with verified availability, then compare role, fixture and format. Our Round 4 trade board explains the previous week's calls; the next trade and captaincy decisions need fresh Round 5 evidence.
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