The NBL27 season has officially kicked off, with the opening round giving fans an early insight into what their teams have to offer.

From Cole Anthony's fantastic NBL debut to explosive performances from Dash Daniels and Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

There is still plenty to look forward to, and many questions to be answered with new signings, injuries, and returning stars to change what the 2027 season will look like.

Here are the key takeaways from every team around Round 1.

Melbourne United vs Adelaide 36ers: 95-97

Melbourne United: Loss

Melbourne United fell short against the Adelaide 36ers, narrowly missing the win by just two points despite a great NBL debut for former NBA guard Cole Anthony.

Anthony came off the bench with a huge shift, scoring 30 points in a limited role. The return of former NBA star Joe Ingles was a great inclusion for the Melbourne side; Ingles had 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

The three major inclusions of Ingles, Anthony and Sam Waardenburg all started on the bench, and United managed player workloads. United had various opportunities to finish the game late and could not deliver; adding to the pressure, Waardenburg's injury in the final quarter added an extra layer.

The Melbourne side must now manage its three NBA-level players throughout the season whilst keeping their squad healthy and building chemistry.

Adelaide 36ers: Win

Adelaide showed pure resilience after securing a two-point victory against United despite entering the game without Isaac Humphries and John Jenkins III. The Adelaide side went on to lose Nick Rakocevic and Flynn Cameron during the contest with injuries.

Adelaide's main man, Bryce Cotton, continued to show why he was the MVP in NBL26. Cotton led from the front with 29 points and seven assists; the combination with Zylan Cheatham proved to be lethal.

Once the 36ers have a full, strong squad, they have every reason to challenge deep into the season.

Perth Wildcats vs South East Melbourne Phoenix: 79-100

Perth Wildcats: Loss

Perth's loss to the Phoenix exposed one significant weakness, their absence of the club's new point guard, Brandon Knight. The club was left without the former NBA player for their first round of the NBL, and it was evident. Knight is also set to miss Rounds 2 and 3 of the NBL as he is yet to arrive in Australia.

Kristian Doolittle was a great force for the Wildcats with 25 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. also put up a solid performance for Perth with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Perth saw a glimpse of a victory after the side was down 15 points and pulled it back to just three points entering the fourth quarter. However, the Melbourne side were just too strong in the fourth. The arrival of Brandon Knight could be significant and may turn around their season with structure and experience, but when will his arrival be set?

South East Melbourne Phoenix: Win

The Phoenix had a dominant performance against the Perth Wildcats, with Dash Daniels having an outstanding game. The 18-year-old finished the game with 24 points and 12 rebounds, as the young star looks to have a fantastic season.

Tanner Krebs was a great addition to the Phoenix's win over the Wildcats. In his debut game with the club, Krebs scored 25 points and five three-pointers.

The most impressive part for the Phoenix is that the side was without Nathan Sobey, one of the league's premier players last season. Sobey has yet to return due to back issues, meaning head coach Josh King will have yet another option to integrate a major scorer and playmaker.

New Zealand Breakers vs Illawarra Hawks: 95-81

New Zealand Breakers: Win

Under new coach Gordon Herbert, the Breakers could not have asked for a better start in their NBL27 season.

Sam Mennenga led the team strongly with 27 points and eight rebounds, with a huge 21 points in the first half.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright made a huge impact with 23 points and 13 assists towards the Breakers' win, while Dejan Vasilijevic finished the game with 24 points, including six three-pointers. The Breakers' three key offensive players immediately clicked, leaving Herbert plenty of positive signs to work with.

The question will be: can the Breakers maintain their high level once teams begin to adjust to them?

Illawarra Hawks: Loss

Illawarra had an underwhelming performance against the New Zealand Breakers, shooting just 7-of-31 from three-point range.

William ‘Davo' Hickey was a positive result from the game, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists. However, the Hawks needed more from their key imports.

Milton Doyle had an average club debut, scoring just 10 points on 2-of-12 shooting, with import Darius Days playing only seven minutes and picking up four fouls. The Hawks are preparing to part ways with the import after his disappointing season starter, leaving a hole for the Hawks.

Sydney Kings vs Cairns Taipans: 111-90

Sydney Kings: Win

Coming off their NBL26 championship, the Sydney Kings did not disappoint. Kendric Davis picked up where he left off with 26 points, five rebounds, and six assists.

Xavier Cooks was also significant in their win as he finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. Torrey Craig was also evident in their win, finishing with 13 points.

The Kings' preparation heading into the NBL27 season had been disrupted by the late arrival of Craig and Davis, making their season opener performance even more promising.

With key players departing the club, Sydney will need to find more attacking contributors in their squad to maintain their champion status. Round 1 demonstrated that Cooks may be one of those players to take on a larger role for the club.

Cairns Taipans: Loss

Coming up against the defending champions is no easy test for any team; the Cairns Taipans learnt that the hard way.

However, the Taipans drew some positives from the loss, with Keanu Pinder having an immediate impact in his return to the club. Finishing the game with 27 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 11-of-17 shooting,

Jack McVeigh, in his second season with the club, had a quiet return with just seven points on 3-of-7 shooting.

The Taipans are yet to add Luke Paul and Jaylin Galloway, giving Cairns fans promise looking into their NBL27 season.

Tasmania JackJumpers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix: 96-91

Tasmania JackJumpers: Win

The JackJumpers put on an impressive performance in front of a home crowd against a red-hot S.E. Melbourne side.

The JackJumpers came from being down 16 points at half-time to seal the victory in the second half. David Johnson led the comeback with 26 points, six rebounds and six assists, whilst Taran Armstrong added 19 points.

Coming out of the first half, the JackJumpers scored 36 points in the third quarter to completely change the momentum of the contest.

Whilst just narrowly beating the Melbourne side, there were definite issues in their first half that the Tasmanian side needs to clean up. However, the resilience of the side proved to be their secret weapon.

South East Melbourne Phoenix: Loss

The Phoenix started their NBL27 strong with a win over the Perth Wildcats but couldn't finish the first round with another victory.

Yet again, Angus Glover was a great force for the Phoenix, leading with 21 points, including five three-pointers.

After a dominant first half, the Phoenix were left stunned after the third quarter as Tasmania found their way back into the contest. The loss does not take away from their first game of the round but does highlight the significance of Nathan Sobey. Melbourne will be eagerly waiting for his return.

Brisbane Bullets vs New Zealand Breakers: 88-85

Brisbane Bullets: Win

The Brisbane Bullets had an inspiring performance against the victorious New Zealand Breakers to seal their season-opener victory.

New signing Arnas Velička looked comfortable and ready for the season ahead. He finished his NBL debut with 23 points, 14 assists and five rebounds; his 14 assists set a new record for an NBL debut.

Another star for the Bullets was Tyrell Harrison, finishing with 22 points and seven rebounds. The lethal combination of Harrison and Velička may prove to stump many teams in the NBL this season.

New Zealand Breakers: Loss

After a stellar season-opener win against the Illawarra Hawks, the Breakers seem to crack under the pressure.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright had yet another dominant performance for the New Zealand side, finishing the game with 26 points and seven assists.

The Breakers exposed a significant weakness in their loss against Brisbane, with the Bullets collecting 15 offensive rebounds and were able to create second-chance opportunities. The Breakers now need to review their defensive consistency just as much as their offensive firepower if they want to look at having a successful NBL27 season.