NBL’s best 30 players: Two of the greatest scorers ever and world-class imports
As the NBL’s Summer hit out tips off, MATT LOGUE ranks the top 30 players in the league this season. Who has risen? Who has fallen? Click inside to see who’s made the list.
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From two of the greatest scorers the NBL has seen to imports who wouldn’t look out of place in the NBA, the top 30 player list is stacked with world-class hoops talent.
Code Sports basketball reporter Matt Logue rates and ranks the finest players thus far in NBL25 based on performance and stats.
Matt Logue’s top 30 NBL players
1: Bryce Cotton – Perth Wildcats (26.7pts, 3rbs, 3.6 ast, 49%FG):
Pre-season rank: 1
A no-brainer as the NBL’s No.1 player. Cotton recently produced one of the finest scoring runs in league history to reinforce his status as the best player.
2: Chris Goulding – Melbourne United (18.8pts, 1.8rbs, 1.6ast, 43%FG)
Pre-season rank: 5
Goulding didn’t make Australia’s Olympic team for Paris and he has responded with a historic start to NBL25 to highlight that he still has plenty more to give.
Chris Goulding officially moves into 5th place for most threes made in @NBL history 👌 pic.twitter.com/OxgET5wQIY
— Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) December 23, 2024
3: Xavier Cooks – Sydney Kings (16.3pts, 8.3rbs, 4ast, 57%FG)
Pre-season rank: 2
Consistently brilliant without fanfare, Cooks has had a matchwinning influence again this season.
4: Parker Jackson-Cartwright – New Zealand Breakers (19.7pts, 3.6rbs, 6.7ast, 48%FG)
Pre-season rank: 3
The Breakers have been inconsistent, but this man always delivers to put him in the MVP conversation.
5: Montrezl Harrell – Adelaide 36ers (19.9pts, 8.9rbs, 1.9ast, 54%FG)
Pre-season rank: Not in top 30
Adelaide have been up and down like a yoyo, but you can’t question Harrell’s significant influence since arriving in the NBL.
6: Kendric Davis – Adelaide 36ers (23.4pts, 3.9rbs, 7.2ast, 48%FG)
Pre-season rank: 16
There were doubts if Davis had it in him to excel in the NBL, but he has shattered those suggestions with a sensational season to date.
7: Trey Kell – Illawarra Hawks (18.1pts, 3.6rbs, 3.6ast, 47%FG)
Pre-season rank: 21
Right up there as the signing of the season, Kell has been magnificent for the high-flying Hawks as the perfect backcourt piece alongside Tyler Harvey.
8: Sam Froling – Illawarra Hawks (14.4pts, 6.6rbs, 2.1ast, 54%FG)
Pre-season rank: 14
Froling has been a key part of Illawarra’s table-topping success as one of the fittest big men in the NBL.
Tyler Harvey knocks down his 400th 3 Pointer!! #WeRiseTogetherpic.twitter.com/YEFTgSQSGm
— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) December 22, 2024
9: Tyler Harvey – Illawarra Hawks (17.4pts, 2.9rbs, 3.3ast, 48%FG)
Pre-season rank: Not in top 30
In the words of Jaylen Adams at the Sydney Kings, Harvey is a “certified sniper” who has taken his game to another level under Hawks coach Justin Tatum.
10: Matt Hurt – South East Melbourne Phoenix (20.2pts, 6.9rbs, 1.3ast, 55%FG)
Pre-season rank: 26
Hurt has been a gem of a find for the Phoenix. A genuine MVP candidate who can do a bit of everything and at a high level.
11: Taran Armstrong – Cairns Taipans (18.3pts, 4.6rbs, 4.3asts, 50%FG)
Pre-season rank: 27
Armstrong is only 22, but he produces at a level well beyond his years. A stat-sheet stuffing machine who appears destined to reach the NBA.
Is Taran Armstrong NBA-bound soon? 👀 pic.twitter.com/hwNRb6Uhz9
— NBL (@NBL) December 24, 2024
12: Jack White – Melbourne United (13.7pts, 9.6rbs, 2ast, 50%FG)
Pre-season rank: 12
White is back in the NBL following his NBA stint and he is proving why he previously won a championship with United. A star.
13: Jaylen Adams – Sydney Kings (15.7pts, 4.1rbs, 6.5ast, 39%FG)
Pre-season rank: 7
A back injury has made life difficult for Adams, but when fit he has proved he belongs among the league’s premier players.
14: Rob Edwards – Cairns Taipans (19.7pts, 4.4rbs, 2.4ast, 42%FG)
Pre-season rank: 23
Cairns may be last on the ladder, but you can’t deny that Edwards is one of the NBL’s best players.
15: Will Magnay – Tasmania JackJumpers (13.8pts, 7.1rbs, 2.4ast, 63%FG)
Pre-season rank: 20
Magnay faces a battle to play again this season with a fractured toe, but when on the court he has been a game-changer.
Oh my Days!! 😤😤
— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) December 6, 2024
📺 Watch live on ESPN #WeRiseTogetherpic.twitter.com/S7dzR2wYOR
16: Darius Days – Illawarra Hawks (11.4pts, 7.7rbs, 0.8ast, 50%FG)
Pre-season rank: 19
Another key piece for Justin Tatum’s in-form Hawks who has helped the men from Wollongong lead the league.
17: Casey Prather- Brisbane Bullets (20.1pts, 5.1rbs, 2.4ast, 51%FG)
Pre-season rank: Not included in top 30
Prather has forced his way into the top 30 after turning back the clock to produce career-best numbers for the Bullets.
18: Derrick Walton Jr – South East Melbourne Phoenix (11.1pts, 2.5rbs, 4.5ast, 42%FG)
Pre-season rank: 4
Injury and Illness have held Walton Jr back, but he is starting to find his groove and it spells danger for the rest of the NBL.
19: Nathan Sobey – South East Melbourne Phoenix (15.2pts, 4rbs, 4.6ast, 37%FG)
Pre-season rank: 11
Sobey has impressed in his maiden season with the Phoenix and appears to be getting better.
20: Matthew Dellavedova – Melbourne United (10.7pts, 2.7rbs, 7.1ast, 46%FG)
Pre-season rank: 8
Dellavedova hasn’t consistently produced his finest this season, but he remains one of the best and with a desire to achieve that is hard to topple.
21: Dejan Vasiljevic – Adelaide 36ers (18.3pts, 4.1rbs, 2.1ast, 38%FG)
Pre-season rank: 9
The noted sharpshooter hasn’t been at his best this season as he also battles with injury, but right him off at your peril.
22: Kristian Doolittle – Perth Wildcats (12.8pts, 7.5rbs, 3.2ast, 46%FG)
Pre-season rank: 25
When Doolittle is fit he is among Perth’s leading players and a guy the Wildcats need to reach the top six.
23: Tyrell Harrison – Brisbane Bullets (14.8pts, 9.1rbs, 1.2asts, 66%FG)
Pre-season rank: 30
Harrison has announced himself as Brisbane’s best big man, averaging almost double figures in points and rebounds and shooting strongly from the field.
24: Shea Ili – Melbourne United (10.3pts, 3.5rbs, 5.1ast, 44%FG)
Pre-season rank: 10
A defensive dynamo and the solid piece every side needs to win a championship
25: Jordan Hunter – South East Melbourne Phoenix (11.3pts, 6.8rbs, 0.6asts, 66%FG)
Pre-season rank: 29
Hunter has found the perfect new home at the Phoenix as a vital front-court piece.
26: Milton Doyle – Tasmania JackJumpers (15.1pts, 5.2rbs, 3.6ast, 36%FG)
Pre-season rank: 6
Another player who has been down on form based on previous seasons, but the winning muscle memory remains.
27: Keanu Pinder – Perth Wildcats (14.3pts, 5.5rbs, 1.2ast, 51%FG)
Pre-season rank: 17
Pinder is a formidable force in the paint with his scoring and rebounding. Perth need him to fire to have any chance of winning this season.
28: Kouat Noi – Sydney Kings (11.3pts, 2rbs, 0.6asts, 45%FG)
Pre-season rank: Not included in top 30
The pride South Sudanese star has put himself in the conversation to be crowned the NBL’s Sixth Man of the Year following a stellar season to date under Kings coach Brian Goorjian.
IF YOU DON’T NOI, NOW YOU NOI 🤫
— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) December 20, 2024
King #237 @KouatN with 17 first-half points against the Breakers!
Keep watching our game with New Zealand live on ESPN.#TakeTheThronepic.twitter.com/QiB93qboCB
29: Josh Bannan – Brisbane Bullets (11.1pts, 8.2rbs, 2.1asts, 37%FG)
Pre-season rank: 24
A guy who can deliver in multiple ways and a key player for the rising Bullets.
30: Cam Oliver – Sydney Kings (12.8pts, 6.7rbs, 1.4asts, 47%FG)
Pre-season rank: 15
Oliver’s energy and effort has been questioned, but when he fires he is among the NBL’s leading players. The Kings need more from him.
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