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We'll pick a Player of the Week and four other selections to round out the Team of the Week, paying attention to the following criteria:
Other players will also receive a shout out as honourable mentions at the bottom of the piece.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Derby needed to end the regular season with a win and hope Reading came unstuck in their last game to sneak into second place, and that came to pass following the Trailblazers' hard-fought 89-83 victory in Birmingham.
Scrapping for a playoff spot themselves, CoB had plenty to play for, and a standout performance from Mo Walker was just what the visitors needed to get themselves a valuable two points.
28 points off the bench were a game-high, and nine boards tied a team-high with Jonas Dieterich. Shooting at 55% (10/18 FGs), Walker also hit three of six attempts from long range, going a perfect 5/5 from the foul line as well.
Providing that level of production in just 28:07 of action was a real boost for Derby, and one that used to good effect as they ended the regular season on a high.
Snapping their seven game losing streak at just the right time, Bristol snuck into the playoffs following a 95-85 home win against Newcastle Knights.
Daniel Edozie snagged the league's rebound title, pulling down 11.7RPG across the campaign, and his 14 against the Knights were a game-high.
22 points also led all players except Newcastle's Logan Rooney (24pts), and the forward also dished a game-high seven assists, with the former Team England man providing the standout performance in the 10-point win.
Bradford's weekend would ultimately see them finish in the bottom two, but they gave themselves hope on Saturday with a stunning 96-91 victory over champions Hemel Storm.
Justin Williams was front and centre of the performance, with a D1M weekend-high 38 points, to constantly push his side forward.
Though Hemel had nothing to play for, Storm still utilised 25 minute plus outings from Sam Newman, Matt Ellis and Tra' Michael Moton, taking nothing away from Williams', and Bradford's, performance.
Another player getting a nod to this week's five for a strong performance against top-tier opposition, London's Justin Robinson was the main man in helping the Cavs overthrow Reading Rockets on Saturday evening.
Despite their lofty perch, Reading had plenty to play for, needing a win to stay ahead of Derby in the battle for second and third. Robinson refused to let that plan play out, and his well-rounded 20-point, seven-rebound, six-assist outing made him the pick of the bunch in the upset.
With the hosts leading 61-60 heading into the fourth, Robinson provided eight of his points in the final frame, despite playing just 4:15 of it. Making a big impact at just the right time, the Cavs now head into the post-season with the #7 seed, and a point to prove.
D1M efficiency leader Adrian Scarborough rounds out the last five of the regular season, making a big statement in his debut NBL campaign.
The American signed off with another typical performance in MK's 82-75 victory against Essex. Hitting 61% of his shots (11/18 FGs) for 27 points, Scarborough also pulled down 11 rebounds for the double-double, and coughed up just a single turnover despite 36:12 minutes on court.
Scarborough, and others, certainly benefited from Jordan Spencer's 16 assist afternoon, but Scarborough is one of D1M's elite inside players for a reason, and he looks set to make his mark in the playoffs.
With eight games across the final weekend of the regular season, D1M still had some twists and turns to keep fans on their toes.
Derby stormed past Reading for second spot following a surprise win for London Cavaliers against the Rockets, whilst champs Hemel were also stunned by Bradford.
The Cavs victory against Reading formed part of a two-win double-header that would push coach Banks' side right up to seventh in the battle for the final post-season spots, whilst Bristol's change of fortunes allowed the Hurricanes to just creep into the eight.
It meant disappointment for City of Birmingham though, who started the weekend in the playoff spots but ended it on the outside looking in, following their home loss against Derby.
With upsets, late momentum and a stacked field, you wouldn't want to miss any of this year's post-season!
With the regular season now complete, the race for individual awards has also been decided.
Worthing's Elijah Maynard is this season's scoring king, with his 22.8PPG taking him to the top of the pile. Adrian Scarborough is the efficiency leader, and Bristol's Daniel Edozie (11.7RPG) taking the title on the glass.
Hemel's Sam Newman (8.4APG) is the assist winner, Ronald Blain (2.3SPG) gets a nod for his defence in Newcastle, and CoB's Luke Okosieme (3.0BPG) had a historic season for blocks.
Most, if not all, of the above players are likely to be popular candidates in the full D1M End of Season awards, which are set to be announced the day before this year's NBL Playoff Finals, Friday 25 April 2025.
With Player of the Year, Team of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and more up for grabs, it's sure to be a hotly-contested race for each award.
Emmanuel Kanwei (ESS) - 24P/7R/2B/30EFF
Jordan Spencer (MKB) - 10P/3R/16A/23EFF
Michael Joiner (LOU) - 26P/3A/2S/27EFF
Zack Powell (CoB) - 24P/9R/8A/3S/28EFF
Landon Taliaferro (NOT) - 21P/8R/3A/28EFF
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Main image credit - Nick Higgins
