There's no better time to make rash predictions than after round one but Melbourne United look near unstoppable this NBL season.
Of the six teams that played twice in the first week, they were the only ones to win both games - a 99-84 dismantling of the Crocodiles in Townsville on Friday night before flying back home to beat Illawarra 93-81 in a professional all-round display on Sunday.
Sydney also stood out suiting up without star import Josh Childress in their 87-63 thrashing of a travel-weary Cairns Taipans outfit on Saturday while the other undefeated team from round one, Perth were their usual efficient self in downing Adelaide, who in turn could not have done more to impress than knocking off the champions New Zealand Breakers, 90-71, in the match which tipped off the season.
But it was United who earned the small sample size favouritism for the crown. Their starting five is stacked with talent and their depth chart is the envy of the league.
Former NBA pro Hakim Warrick is starting matches off the bench. Perhaps it's a short-term option as he joined the club late in the pre-season and needs to build his match fitness but the three-headed monster in the front court that he provides alongside Daniel Kickert and Majok Majok will put give opposing power forwards and centres nightmares all season long.
The experienced Hawks trio of AJ Ogilvy, Oscar Forman and Larry Davidson tried every trick in the book to try to contain Melbourne's bigs on Sunday but Warrick's athleticism at both ends, Majok's rebounding and Kickert's silky outside shooting was too much for them to handle.
Todd Blanchfield could be one of the buys of the season. The former Crocodile had 29 points against his old club and another 15 for good measure against the valiant but outclassed and undermanned Hawks.
If that's not enough to make Melbourne the main contenders for the crown, then Chris Goulding and import Stephen Holt in the back court seals the deal.
Goulding, back from a season in Spain, seems even better at creating his own shot and his step-back jumpers proved near unguardable, especially when he poured in 26 in Sunday's win.
Holt, the joint-MVP from the NBL Blitz, is reminiscent of former Adelaide, Wollongong and Cairns import Darnell Mee from the guard position - the ability to do it all, control the tempo when needed, create for teammates or find his own spots on offence.
The basketballing artists formerly known as Melbourne Tigers had an underwhelming start to life in the NBL last season which never really recovered after coach Chris Anstey stood down after the opening round.
In the off-season the club replaced most of its roster and after winning the pre-season tournament, the early signs are good that the team can repay the faith shown by its mix of long-term diehard fans and recent converts.
Partly due to the unavailability of Hisense Arena in late January during the Australian Open, Melbourne's next five games at home, which gives them a golden chance to put space between themselves and their rivals.
The draw has not been so kind to some of the other teams. It is clear the NBL has not been able to reconcile the need for having matches spread out over five days each week with the huge travel demands that come with having teams at all points of Australian mainland and another across the Tasman Sea.
How about this one! @ChrisGoulding43 can't finish but @hdubb21 cleans up for @MelbUnitedHQ! #HardBall http://t.co/FA6q042ZLv— NBL (@NBL)
October 11, 2015
This season's schedule is littered with examples of teams having one day to travel in between matches before backing up for a second game in three nights.
Townsville, who went 0-2 in the opening round after playing at home last Thursday and in Auckland on the Sunday, have been handed the toughest run by the schedule makers.
They are in Sydney on Thursday then hosting the Reptile Rumble with Cairns on Saturday night. They then have a Melbourne-Perth Wednesday-Friday road trip next week before they're at home to Illawarra to tip off round four then hot-footing it to Sydney to face the Kings two days later.
They then have another Wednesday-Friday double in the fifth round, a home-and-away duel with the Wildcats starting in Perth. That means the Crocs play two games in three nights in each of the first five rounds. That's tough. Piecing together the draw is never an easy task but glaring inconsistencies like this need to be eradicated.
While Melbourne have the dream run, the Crocodiles will be lucky to still be in striking distance of the playoff equation.
