Andrew Gaze on the NBL stars who can prevent Bryce Cotton from winning a sixth MVP trophy, Hawks tackle tension to rise
Eyeing a sixth NBL MVP trophy, Bryce Cotton is in devastating form. But there’s a long way to go in the season and a number of big names are making their case to preserve a record held by the league’s greatest player.
The GOAT Andrew Gaze says Bryce Cotton would probably be the NBL MVP for a sixth time if the season ended tomorrow.
But that’s not to say there aren’t a gaggle of stars nipping at the Adelaide 36er’s heels.
Gaze, who won a record seven MVP trophies across his glittering career, believes Cotton’s dominance in leading Adelaide to the upper echelons of the league kept him at the top of the tree, right now.
“I think he would be (MVP),” Gaze told Code Sports.
“With how well Adelaide are going and how well he’s playing, he did have that one downer against Sydney but, outside of that, he’s been very consistent and he’s dealing with enormous attention in the games.
“To Mike Wells’ credit, I think that he’s really put him in a place and given him an opportunity to succeed.
“Now, people say, ‘well, that’s not all that hard (with Bryce)’. Well, I think it’s a lot harder than people think when you consider the attention and the detail opposition teams are putting into him every game.
“It’s been a real, somewhat seamless and perfect fit.”
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So, who does Gazey think is King Cotton’s closest rival in the race?
“Well, it has to be JaVale McGee and I think Sobes (Nathan Sobey) has been outstanding, just because of South East Melbourne’s record and the way he’s been playing,” Gaze said.
The Hawks’ giant three-time NBA champion McGee put up MVP-level numbers from the get-go but that didn’t translate to wins.
The 37-year-old monster, though, has constantly learned and made adjustments to the officiating and style of play in the NBL, the Hawks have righted the ship.
“JaVale sticks out because of the way he can dominate a game,” Gaze said.
“Early on in the season, he was in deep drops (defending close to the basket) and guards were coming out and having their way with the Hawks.
“They’ve started to switch a bit and he’s now coming out a lot higher to put more pressure on the guards and he’s a lot more proactive in on-ball screens.
“They seem like somewhat minor things, but they do take a while to adjust to for players when they come to the league and he’s done it on the fly and now Justin Tatum and the Hawks are figuring out how to use him best.
“Against Perth, particularly down the stretch, if he doesn’t do what he did, they don’t win that game, and then, what you saw against Melbourne United, he had arguably the best performance of the season against the best team in the league and against a player in Jessie Edward who I thought was a perfect match up.
“Now, Edwards got into foul trouble and United shot incredibly poorly but Javale was unstoppable.”
Outside of Cotton, McGee and Sobey, who is putting up career-high number on the third-placed Phoenix, Gaze said there were a number of stars on the next tier putting their hands up.
“Casey Prather has had an outstanding season and it’s only because Brisbane’s record is not great that he’s not quite there and there are others like Kendric Davis in Sydney and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr in Perth who, if they find more consistency and continue to play that way, can be a threat.”
Melbourne United are an intriguing case study in team basketball. Top-of-the-table after a 9-0 start to the season, a rotating cast of stars has stood up on any given night in a collective effort that means no one player stands out as a genuine MVP candidate.
But, after he torched South East Melbourne for 24 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in a Throwdown thumping, first-year import guard Tyson Walker has emerged as the man most likely on the best team in the competition.
HAWKS POISED TO STRIKE AFTER EARLY SEASON TENSION
The club was frustrated its dirty laundry had been aired.
But Hawks’ management should be proud of the way they handled a difficult situation that threatened to derail the champs’ campaign.
Calm heads were able to tackle the issue head on and bring the two big personalities together. They buried the hatchet and agreed to move forward together.
What’s followed has been a three-game stretch of championship basketball from the titleholders – and a noticeable team harmony that had previously been missing.
First, they bounced back hard to push top-three team Adelaide to within one basket on their home floor. Then, the pair combined to pull off one of the upsets of the season.
The Hawks were 2-6 at the bottom-of-the-table when they shocked top-placed Melbourne United.
Hickey then crafted a career masterpiece, pouring in 19 points to go with 12 rebounds, 12 assists and three blocks to produce the first NBL triple-double of the season.
That effort against Cairns helped the rejuvenated Hawks make it two wins on the trot – doubling their win total from their previous eight starts and lifting them to within striking distance of the top six.
“It’s been really good response from my team, especially (after) losing to New Zealand by 40-plus points at home,” coach Justin Tatum said.
“I have enough guys who won championships in this in this locker room in all types of levels.
“So, the professionalism in my locker room is unbelievable and the way these guys compete and push for each and cheer for each other is something that we’re going to build off of.”
THUMBS UP
WHAT SLUMP?
When you begin the season 9-0 and have the reigning two-time defensive player of the year on the cusp of a return from injury, you don’t hit the panic button after a couple of losses. But Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman could have been forgiven for being a little nervous heading into Saturday night’s blockbuster Throwdown against red hot South East Melbourne. His team showed why he shouldn’t have been. After a tight back-and-forth first half, United went to another level and the Phoenix were found wanting. United has a full week now, to prepare for Brisbane next Sunday and, while Vickerman said Ili wasn’t a certainty, he was tracking toward a return from a hamstring injury. “He was pretty close (to playing the Phoenix but) he needs a really good full week of practice. If he’s still not ready at the end of the week, we’ll roll without him.”
MAN’S MAN BRISSY’S SILVER BULLET
For all their struggles – Code Sports revealed last week the numbers were brutal – Brisbane has been able to find ways to just keep their season afloat. Casey Prather and Tyrell Harrison have rightfully won plaudits for their play but the absence of captain and hard man Mitch Norton has been a huge issue for the Bullets. The 32-year-old veteran is one of the most respected players in the NBL and it was no coincidence his presence on the defensive end helped the Bullets hold the JackJumpers to 80 points, the fewest they’ve conceded this season. His presence is a comfort blanket for coach Stu Lash, too: “He knows I sleep better when he’s on the floor … I haven’t been sleeping very well. This guy’s a champion, a captain, he’s a man’s man and we’re very happy that he’s back.”
MO OPPORTUNITY FOR FORMER NBA DRAFT PICK
It didn’t lead to a win, but it was heartening to see former NBL Next Star and NBA draft pick Mojave King pour in a career high 32 points against Illawarra. Well-travelled King was a Next Star in Cairns, then Adelaide before he spent a season with the G League Ignite and was selected by the LA Lakers with the 47th pick in 2023 NBA draft. Traded to Indiana, then Houston, he never played an NBA game. After 17 games in New Zealand last season, the 23-year-old didn’t have a contract going into NBL26, but a call from Cairns coach Adam Forde to help cover a raft of injuries at the Taipans has given him another opportunity. “I was just training, staying in shape, trying to stay ready for whenever the call came. From the first phone call that I had with Fordey it sounded like everything I was looking for. I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.”
THUMBS DOWN
TASSIE’S ISLAND IS UNDER FIRE
Right now, Tasmania can’t ‘Defend the Island’. The mantra that has served arguably Australia’s most successful expansion franchise has been lip service so far this season after four straight home defeats plummeted their record to 1-5 on the Apple Isle. The Silverdome curse hasn’t helped either, with defeats to Cairns and South East Melbourne making it five straight losses in their home away from home, where they’ve managed just two wins in 10 visits to the Launceston venue. One rival executive told Code Sports he’d seriously consider abandoning home games at the venue. But it’s not as simple as that. A big reason why the JackJumpers are Tassie’s team is the work they do in the community and the massive fanbase in the north has ensured every game they’ve ever played at the Silverdome has been a sellout. With work set to commence on a $12 million redevelopment that will increase the venue’s capacity from 3250 to 4000, the Jackies have to find a way to turn it into a fortress.
PRESSURE GETTING TO FUMBLING PHOENIX
South East Melbourne are rightfully in the conversation of title contention. But after 41 turnovers across two games this round, coach Josh King acknowledged their past two outings showed they still have a ways to go to be in the top echelon of the league. Prior to the round, the Phoenix were the second-safest team in the NBL, turning it over just 9.3 times per game. But they more than doubled that number against Tasmania and Melbourne United. The Phoenix did their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against the Jackies, handing it back four times in a horror last minute as a seven-point lead was cut to a one-point escape at the final buzzer. Then, against United, they coughed it up 22 times in a Throwdown fizzer. “I wish I had the answer for you. It’s been the second game in a row,” coach Josh King said of his team’s sudden lack of composure. “That’s something we have to fix.”
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Originally published as Andrew Gaze on the NBL stars who can prevent Bryce Cotton from winning a sixth MVP trophy, Hawks tackle tension to rise
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