Cotton, Bryce Cotton: Licence to Thrill

Ladies and gentlemen: Cotton, Bryce Cotton.

What the heck happening in the NBL late in 2024? Three all-time 40-minute scoring records were set and broken in just three weeks and then Cotton dropped more than 40 in four straight games before being shutdown by the Illawarra Hawks.

Seems Melbourne United's Chris Goulding dropping 46 on the Perth Wildcats on November 9, 2024; and Brisbane Bullets guard James Batemon putting up 51 against the Wildcats eight days later on November 17 lit the Cotton fuse.

On December 1, Cotton entered the chat with an on-fire 59 against the New Zealand Breakers.

"It was pretty surreal, and I was very focused," Cotton said after going 18-from-28 from the field, 7-from-15 from three and 16-of-17 from the free throw line.

"That month I was out (with a rib injury) felt like a long time, so it just feels good to get my legs back under me."

Cotton suffered a rib fracture just 2:30 into Perth's road game against the New Zealand Breakers in Round 5 on October 19. He spent a month out and returned against the South East Melbourne Phoenix on November 15. He put up 33 in a 97-84 win and then back-to-back 13-point performances against Brisbane in Rounds 9 and 10. That Round 9 clash was Batemon's explosion, as Cotton went a measly 3-from-16 on the road in Brisbane.

But then it happened. The New Zealand Breakers were in town two days after the Round 10 return clash with the Bullets.

The Breakers, led by MVP candidate Parker Jackson-Cartwright, faced a refreshed and ready 3× NBL champion (2017, 2019, 2020); NBL Cup winner (2021); 2× NBL Grand Final MVP (2017, 2020); 4× NBL Most Valuable Player (2018, 2020, 2021, 2024); 3× NBL Fans MVP (2019, 2021, 2024); 7× All-NBL First Team (2018–2024); and 7× NBL scoring champion (2017, 2019–2024).

It was time for a statement.

James Crawford became Perth's second all-time single-game record holder (57 points) with 21 seconds left on the first of a pair of Cotton free throws. Cotton's 59th point was the most by any player since the NBL reverted to 40-minute games in 2009/10. Cotton finished 18-for-28 from the field, including 7-from-15 from three and 16-from-17 from the free throw line, smashing his previous career-high of 45.

Statement made.

Cotton was on the floor Melbourne United Chris Goulding's 46 and for James Batemon's 51. Goulding's explosion came on 16-from-32 from the field and 9-from-21 from three. The shooter caught fire entering the NBL's FIBA break. It continued with two unconscious performances for the Australian Boomers in the Asia Cup qualifiers (10-from-16 and 7-from-10 behind the arc).

Batemon also caught fire. After 11 rounds, in his first NBL campaign, the guard averages 15.7 points per game. Against Perth in Round 9, he went 19-from-28 from the floor, including 9-from-15 from downtown, to set a modern NBL, 40-minute record just days after Goulding set the record.

Twelve days later, Wildcats' coach John Rillie scouted Batemon out of the rematch against Perth. Rillie sent the length of former NBA player Dylan Windler at the Bullets point guard and held him to just 10 on 4-from-10 from the field.

Cotton followed his 59 with 40 against the Illawarra Hawks and 49 against the Adelaide 36ers in Round 11 and 44 against Cairns in Round 12. But Justin Tatum learned his lesson on Sunday, December 22, 2024, holding Cotton to just 13 points, all scored in the first quarter.

Cotton has his "legs back" but his streak was broken.

But that's the difference between Batemon, Goulding and Cotton. Batemon followed up his 51 with 10 points, and Goulding his 46 with 19. Cotton went on a tear — and is still on it. He's dropped 192 points in four games, shooting 65% from the field and a ridiculous 58% from three, averaging just under 50, all while at the top of the opposing coach staff's scout.

It ranked as one of the greatest scoring streaks in NBL history, putting him in elite company with Al Green and Andrew Gaze.

Cotton joined Gaze and Green as the only players to have scored 40+ points in four straight games in NBL history. Gaze was the most recent to do it in 1991.

Green's streak between April 28 and May 26, 1984, was flat-out ridiculous: 37, 60, 59, 43, a league record 71, and 46. He averaged 52.6 (48 minutes) in a six-game span that will never be broken.

Cotton had a long way to go to match Andrew Gaze's numbers. In a 13-game stretch in 1987, he dropped more than 40 12 times and had 39, the only game he didn't. He scored more than 50 four times, including his career-high 60 against the Newcastle Falcons on July 11. He averaged 46.7ppg.

Yes, it was the 48-minute era, but Gaze's points per minute were off the charts. During that stretch, he was running at 0.97 ppm. A simple adjustment to 40 minutes per game, and Gaze still averaged 38.9. His 60 would have been 50 in an era when the three-point shot was in its infancy. Now, it's a staple.

So, why did Bryce Cotton go off?

Caged Wildcats will walk back and forth in their enclosure, waiting, watching for the next moment they can strike. And that's what Cotton did for a month. He waited. Stalking.

It also allowed him to step back from the game he loves; FOMO sharpens as other players, such as Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Matt Hurt, catch MVP-candidate headlines and for Cotton to visualise his game. There isn't much else to do while waiting for broken bones to heal except refocus.

Cotton is a professional scorer, Goulding is a professional shooter, and Batemon is a modern point guard who just happened to get in the zone.

Therein lies the difference and why Cotton is a 7-time NBL Scoring Champion. Cotton scores the ball from anywhere on the floor.

Seconds after the "59" final buzzer, Cotton said it himself during the on-court interview: "I was very focused."

He's stayed in the zone ever since and has already put the NBL25 MVP conversation to bed.

Bryce Cotton is the best player in the NBL whenever he is on the floor.