The Good and Bad From Rocco Zikarsky’s NBL Blitz Debut

Matching up with one of the NBL’s best centers, Brisbane Bullets Next Star Rocco Zikarsky had a fair shake of good and bad moments in his NBL Blitz debut. Given the matchup, this performance gives room for optimism for the season ahead.

Rocco Zikarsky and the Brisbane Bullets tipped off their NBL Blitz campaign against the reigning champion Tasmania JackJumpers. Tasmania is without last season’s NBL Finals MVP Jack McVeigh who left for a two-way deal with the Houston Rockets but McVeigh’s fellow Boomers Olympic teammate, center Will Magnay, is still with the squad and posed a tough test for Zikarsky in the opening game of this season’s NBL Blitz. Following the Olympics, Magnay received some NBA interest this summer but ultimately chose to stay in Australia. 

Zikarsky did not start for the Bullets but ended up playing roughly 16 minutes and put up eight points, three rebounds, one assist and two blocks on 3-for-6 shooting from the field. He was plus-8 in his time on the court. Zikarsky had a mix of matchups in this one but primarily went head-to-head with Magnay. He impressed as a play finisher and rim-protector while also running the floor very well. He finished two plays with dunks, sliding up into the lane and out of the dunker spot to catch a shovel pass from a teammate's baseline drive on both plays. 

Rocco Zikarsky throws down the poster on Will Magnay. Huge finish over arguably the best shot blocker in the NBL.pic.twitter.com/14FA3Vjk3N

— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) September 7, 2024

Zikarsky ran the floor well, getting into a sprint right away after his team secured possession and helping draw opposing defenders' attention, and opening up the transition game for the Bullets. This helped create some easy opportunities that they capitalized on. On the defensive end, he protected the rim well. He swatted away a couple of layups and got called for a foul on a solid defensive stand against Magnay late in the third quarter but it looked like it could’ve gone either way. 

On the flip side, Zikarsky’s pick-and-roll defense wasn’t the best. Twice in drop coverage, he got caught too high and with his hands down, making it easy for the opposing guard to throw a lob over him. Zikarsky got caught in some non-ideal switches as well. On one early in the second quarter he tried to switch out of it with a teammate and seemed to communicate it properly, but the teammate missed the call and they got burned for an open three. Late in the second quarter, he got switched on the tiny Jordan Crawford, who blew right by him after a head fake for an easy underhand scoop finish at the rim. It was the slowest he looked the whole game. 

The biggest concern coming out of this opener was Zikarsky’s screening and dribble handoffs. Something we flagged in a piece earlier this summer, is how Zikarsky doesn’t get his teammates enough separation with his screen setting. His physicality in that area of the game needs to improve and it did not get off to a good start, opponents worked through his screens easily and he was pushed into disadvantageous positions on a couple of handoffs as well. It is a pre-season game after all, so expecting the most physical screens possible would be unfair but regardless it needs to be better going forward, much better. 

All in all, Zikarsky opened his NBL Blitz campaign with a tough match-up against Magnay and the reigning champions and he more than held his own. There is notable room for improvement, but almost everyone has notable room for improvement after the first game of the preseason. Zikarsky’s positive impact in a tough matchup should be viewed with a glass-half-full outlook of what he might be capable of this season.

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