Those from the South have always rated the Otago Nuggets point guard.
But a lack of opportunities in recent years have limited that reputation around New Zealand.
There was plenty of talk around the country that the Nuggets had blundered in not taking for an import point guard, as all but the Hawke’s Bay Hawks have done.
Now that talk is quietening as the 24-year-old has barely put a foot wrong as an NBL starter.
Indeed he is a player an Australian NBL team would find value in looking at as a development player.
If that opportunity arose Rodger said he would jump at it.
He thinks he is good enough as well.
It would not be a surprise if he was falling on the radar of a wider Tall Blacks squad either.
He will get another chance to further show his ability tomorrow, as the Nuggets face the Auckland Huskies at the Edgar Centre.
‘‘It definitely sounds like [I’m getting more recognised] from what I’ve heard from other people and listening to the commentary,’’ the former Kavanagh College pupil said.
‘‘I’d love to play for the Tall Blacks one day. If that happens it’d be awesome.
‘‘Obviously right now I’m just focused on getting the Nuggets into the playoffs, beating the Huskies this weekend, it’s kind of a must-win game for both of us.’’
Rodger’s value is not fully shown in statistics.
He will not always get the assist, but he will make the play that initiates a sequence which ends in a basket.
He rarely takes a bad option and the speed of his decision-making is key to that.
On top of that he turns the ball over an exceptionally low 1.5 times per game.
He can score in a variety of ways, although will not kill you in any one way.
Defensively he has shown his ability to guard many the league’s best and was sensational on Nelson star Hunter Hale last week.
Ultimately, this Nuggets team is far better when Rodger is making his presence felt on the court.
That Rodger effect can be hard to quantify, although the plus-minus stat goes some way to doing so.
The team has a points differential of +41 this season.
That goes up to +79 when Rodger is on court — a number higher than Isaiah Moss and only three below Sam Timmins.
Rodger felt he had got better as the season had gone on as well.
‘‘It definitely took a while to get totally comfortable with [being the starting point guard], I think the first few games I was pretty nervous with it.
‘‘I haven’t played point guard since 2018 with the [Taranaki] Airs.
‘‘I was in the Philippines playing the three and the four and last year with the Nuggets I was playing the two.
‘‘So I took a while to get used to it, but I think I’m finding my feet as a point guard and getting used to running a team.’’
Tomorrow’s game is a significant one for the Nuggets.
With a tough run-in to the end of the season, this is arguably the easiest game left — not that it will be easy.
The Huskies have last year’s league Most Valuable Player back from the Sydney Kings in Tom Vodanovich.
He and big man Chris Johnson will form a formidable front line for the Huskies.
Meanwhile the Nuggets bring form in, having won three of their last four outings.
Tip-off is at 5pm.
