1 - Ball or nothing
Ok. Let's get one thing very clear.
LaMelo Ball is good. Really, really, REALLY good.
His rapid development over the first nine rounds of the National Basketball League has seen him skyrocket to be among the early favourites for the No. 1 pick at next year's NBA Draft.
Heavy weighed the expectations on the 18-year-old and despite an avalanche of outside noise and the struggles of Illawarra to produce wins, somehow he's starting to exceed them.
In particular, his past month has shown the full gamut of his enormous potential.
It's no coincidence that his playmaking has blossomed as he's gotten more confident and comfortable with the physicality of the league.
In addition, the Hawks have been forced to hand over the keys, making him both the ignition system and engine room of Illawarra's offence.
And while his 32-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound masterpiece in the exhilarating overtime win over Cairns on Monday night has rightfully gotten some serious acclaim (and also some petty and unwarranted criticism, but we'll ignore it), it's also the culmination of a tremendous growth curve.
Since becoming the full-time custodian of the Hawks, Ball has splashed more than 37 percent of his attempts from international waters. This was after starting his NBL career at an anemic 15.6 percent over the first half-dozen contests.
But it's been at the other end of the floor that has shown just as much development and improvement.
He's not making any All-Defensive teams just yet but the effort he puts forth has been a delight to watch after his early ball-watching attempts raised serious questions about his intent.
Witness the sequence before his game-tying triple to force overtime against Cairns on Monday night.
The Hawks are still struggling; they're yet to defeat anyone not named Cairns but that's certainly not Ball's fault.
2 - Statement games
Were it not for Melbourne United's blockbuster against ladder leaders Sydney this Sunday, the round opener of Cairns hosting United would be the match of the round.
Winners of six straight, the white-hot United heads to Cairns to take on a Taipans outfit that would be sitting in the top-4 if it had managed to not drop all three of its games to Illawarra thus far.
Melbourne has settled into a nice rhythm and not even an uncharacteristic poor performance from Shawn Long against Brisbane seemed to slow them down.
Frustrated into a 2-11 shooting nightmare, Long was admirably covered for by substitutes Jo Lual-Acuil and Tohi Smith-Milner, who enjoyed career nights while at the same time showing off United's more than solid depth.
That depth will again be required, with Shea Ili not making the trip north due to a minor calf complaint.
In better news for the 2018 title-holders, star Casey Prather has been cleared to return to the court after recovering from his back issues.
It's a welcome boost for United. They'll need it, especially against the Kings.
3 - Never enough Cooks
Speaking of the Kings ...
Already the early title favourites, Sydney set off another round of klaxons by signing Australian Boomers swingman Xavier Cooks to a multi-year contract.
Having been released from his contract with SIG Strasbourg of the French LNB Pro A league, Cooks joins a Sydney outfit that has largely swept all before it through the first eight rounds of the 2019-20 campaign.
The Kings play host to Melbourne United on Sunday afternoon and if the visitors can overcome the Taipans on Friday night, it will be a top-of-the-table clash at Qudos Bank Arena.
Cooks is expected to be available for the blockbuster, adding some versatile depth against the only team that has handed Sydney a defeat this season.
The rangy 203-centimetre combo guard-forward was an initial selection for Australia at this year's World Cup before withdrawing after injuring his knee during Boomers training camp.
4 - On the road again
Having lost four of its past five, it's definitely official - the SE Melbourne Phoenix are in a slump.
To compound the issue, the league newcomers head away from Australia's hoops capital (ignore whatever delusions Sydneysiders might have), starting with a trip to Brisbane on Saturday night.
At stake is a top-four spot, with the Bullets posied to leap-frog the Phoenix if they can maintain their solid home record, having lost just once so far in the friendly confines of The Armoury.
SE Melbourne's once free-wheeling attack has been bogged down in recent weeks but the Bullets will have their work cut out trying to contain Mitch Creek and John Roberson.
Of particular concern for Brisbane has been its porous defence over the past few weeks; the Bullets had previously been quite stingy at the defensive end but have leaked points lately, something that coach Andrej Lemanis would no doubt be keenly aware of.
It's also Phoenix guard Ben Magden's 150th NBL game; the 2013 Rookie of the Year has enjoyed a fine professional career, having performed consistently well at a high level both here and overseas.
5 - Tale as old as time
We not only get Sunday's United/Kings blockbuster to close the round, we also get the latest chapter in the league's oldest rivalry.
The Perth Wildcats play host to the Adelaide 36ers, with both teams suffering brutal defeats last round - but for entirely different reasons.
Adelaide lost a road heartbreaker at the buzzer to Brisbane on a Lamar Patterson put-back; but could at least hold their heads high at the aggressive effort put forth, particularly from Anthony Drmic.
The 36ers also managed to bounce back in impressive fashion, dropping a league-high 117 points on the rudderless and increasingly hapless New Zealand Breakers two days hence.
But what to make of the Wildcats?
In scarcely believable scenes of offensive profligacy, Perth somehow went scoreless over seven consecutive possessions down the stretch against the Taipans to sink without a trace to a 91-84 defeat in front of a raucous Cairns crowd.
The Wildcats led by 12 points early in the fourth quarter before being swept away in a tsunami of Taipans triples as the hosts went on an incredible 18-0 run.
It's a performance neither the players or coach Trevor Gleeson will be keen to replicate; but Adelaide (and the rest of the league) would have quietly noted how effective the Taipans' fourth-quarter zone was against the shell-shocked Wildcats.