Teenage basketball sensation Rocco Zikarsky might have seen more of the bench than the court but he is being forced to earn his place among the elite, according to three-time NBL champion Mitch Norton.

Across the Brisbane Bullets’ opening six games this season, the 18-year-old NBA prospect has averaged just under 11 minutes per outing, including only seven in Saturday’s loss to the JackJumpers.

Zikarsky has already made his Australia debut, but his limited action in the Bullets’ lacklustre season has confused many fans, given the X-factor he brings as one of the competition’s tallest players, at 220 centimetres.

However, Norton pointed to the form of fellow centre Tyrell Harrison as the main reason for Zikarsky’s lack of game time.

Harrison has averaged 12.7 points and 8.8 rebounds this season, and if his younger teammate were to earn minutes, he would need to take them from Harrison through performance, not potential.

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Speaking to this masthead from Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Primary School as part of the Blitz school program, Boomers veteran Norton said Zikarsky was “obviously super-talented”.

“But we also have Tyrell, who I believe is one of the best centres in the NBL,” he said.

“It is tough for Roc to find minutes, but he’s doing a great job at training and winning at training, and that’s only going to translate to the games. We all know what he’s capable of, and he does as well, so it will only be a matter of time before it clicks.