NBL22 Awards Watch - Volume 5

Written for NBL.com.au by Peter Hooley

NBL22 is well and truly ramping up for a big finish, but with half the season in the books, let’s see which players are in line for the major awards.

Most Valuable Player

Melbourne United are sitting at the top of the ladder after Round 11 and a lot of that is on the back of some huge performances from Jo Lual-Acuil. The big man in the middle has been a dominant force on both ends of the floor throughout the first half of the season and looks primed to take yet another step forward over the next few weeks.

Averaging 16.5ppg and just under 10 rebounds, Lual-Acuil has put the league on notice as one of, if not the best, big man in the NBL.

With the departure of Jock Landale, Dean Vickerman turned to last season's Best Sixth Man to be United’s starting center, and he’s looked every bit of the superstar that everyone saw flashes of previously. Not only is he putting up big numbers on the scoreboard, but he’s averaging 2.7 blocks per game as well to show that he can dominate at either end of the floor.

This NBL season is primed to be one of the closest and toughest that we have seen in some time and if Melbourne United want to go back-to-back, they’re going to need Lual-Acuil to continue this form night in and night out.

1. Bryce Cotton
2. Mitch Creek
3. Jo Lual-Acuil
4. Jaylen Adams
5. Xavier Cooks

Best Defensive Player

When it comes to being the best defensive player in any sport of any league, it so often comes down to defensive stats that lead the way. However, that’s not always the best way to look at who truly is the best defensive player. The man who has this award named after him, Damian Martin, would attest to this as well.

Xavier Cooks might be best known for his athleticism and scoring ability, but the Sydney Kings big man has taken a huge leap forward as one of the premier defenders in the league.

Yes, he will fill up the stat sheet with blocks and steals on any given night but even the nights where those stats are down, he still finds a way to have a massive impact on that end of the floor.

Cooks’ length off the ball combined with his ability to read the entire floor is just another way he makes scoring tough for an opposition team. Make no mistake, he can also lock up on the perimeter as well, having shown that he can defend any position at a high rate. 

The Sydney Kings are rolling and have a some of the toughest offensive players in the league. Now combine that with what Cooks is bringing on the defensive end, and there’s a recipe for success for Chase Buford.

1. Tahjere McCall
2. Matthew Dellavedova
3. Xavier Cooks
4. Antonius Cleveland
5. Zhou Qi

Most Improved Player

Sometimes all a player needs is the right situation where he feels comfortable to breakout and have an impact. That is what we are seeing this season with Keanu Pinder for the Cairns Taipans.

Pinder had his struggles during his time with the Adelaide 36ers, but was thrown into the perfect opportunity under Adam Forde in far north Queensland. The high energy style of play that Forde has put in place for the Taipans, means Pinder can use his athleticism where it is needed most. Whether that is drop off dunks or protecting the rim, he is slowly becoming a key piece off the bench for Forde.

Averaging nine points and just over six rebounds a game, Pinder still has room to grow and the Taipans know that. Coach Forde may just be the best thing for a guy like Pinder. To find the balance between allowing him to play free but still holding him accountable for mistakes that he needs to learn and grow from, Pinder can settle in for some prominent minutes in the rest of the season.

1. Yanni Wetzell
2. Jo Lual-Acuil
3. Cam Bairstow
4. Xavier Cooks
5. Keanu Pinder

Best Sixth Man

With the departure of Jeremiah Martin, what was once a two horse race, has opened right up in NBL22.

As the South East Melbourne Phoenix start to string some wins together, it begins to get lost in the story of just how consistent their captain has been off the bench. Kyle Adnam thrives in his role as one of the best scorers off the bench and has been doing so for numerous years now.

Adnam has never been shy of the moment and has continued to take strides forward in improving himself on the defensive end. Averaging just over 11ppg and three assists, Adam is the perfect spark to help take the scoring pressure off guys like Mitch Creek and Xavier Munford. Adding to that, it’s clear that both his on and off court leadership has been well received, being named as captain of the club at the beginning of NBL22. With all the new faces in the league, it’s sometimes easy to forget that someone like Adnam, who was in the conversation for this award last season, is having another highly productive year.

1. Kyle Adnam
2. Xavier Rathan-Mayes
3. Todd Blanchfield
4. Jason Cadee
5. Angus Glover

Rookie of the Year

Speaking of two-horse races, the rookie of the year race is starting to heat up! What was once Luke Travers’ award to lose, has now become an exciting thing to watch for the end of the season. Enter Bul Kuol. Another young player who is just thriving in the environment around him, Kuol got some opportunity through injuries to other key players, and he took it and never looked back.

Coach Adam Forde praises his energy and effort on the defensive end, but now we are starting to see Kuol’s confidence on the offensive end. Highlighted by his 26 point outburst against Brisbane, where he made eight three pointers, Kuol is starting to put a little pressure on Travers for the rookie of the year.

Not to be outdone however, Travers responded to that career best game from Kuol the very next day, putting up 24 points with four made threes of his own. That is uncharacteristic of Travers, yes, but coach Scott Morrison says that is exactly how he wants him to play. Whether he shoots it or drives it, just do it without hesitating and good things will happen. And if those good things keep happening, we might just see Travers continue to climb up the NBA draft boards each week.

1. Luke Travers
2. Bul Kuol
3. Kai Sotto
4. Mason Peatling
5. Izayah Le’afa

Coach of the Year

Anytime you take over the most successful sporting organization in Australia, the questions will start to fly. Especially when that organization has an unbelievable streak going of finals appearances, yet here we are. Scott Morrison, who arrived late to join the club/team, has found a way to have this Wildcats outfit sitting second on the ladder after a tough few weeks off the court for the men in red. Having had to pack their bags some weeks ago with no certainty of when they’d return home, Morrison and co have began to tick off some big wins on their extended road trip.

Granted it always will help any new coach when you inherit one of the greatest to ever do it, in Bryce Cotton, but Morrison has many other weapons at his disposal. With the news of the Wildcats to potentially have a lot of home games in a row to end the season, don’t be surprised if we see a reenergized group over the next couple of rounds. That could spell danger for the rest of the league, who will now know how important it will be to try and give Perth some losses before they head back to the Red Army.

1. Dean Vickerman
2. Scott Morrison
3. Scott Roth
4. Simon Mitchell
5. Chase Buford