The NBL's awards picture is coming into focus, and it's best we prepare ourselves for a breathless sprint to the finish line.
That's because, while several trophies already feel destined for particular shelves as the 2025-26 regular season winds down, hovering above it all is an MVP race that once felt over, but is now wide open.
It seems to be a genuine coin flip between two guards who have defined the league all season. Bryce Cotton has been the constant, once again piling up elite production while steering the Adelaide 36ers to the top of the ladder (for now). Kendric Davis, meanwhile, has surged, transforming Sydney into the most imposing team in the competition and making a late, forceful case.
Is the Best Defensive Player award already locked away? Spoiler alert: It is. Will we see a back-to-back Best Sixth Man winner? And which direction will voters go when picking from a heap of worthy All-NBL Teams candidates?
Here's how we see the race for every NBL award shaking out; our read on which races already feel decided, and the ones that need a deeper dive to figure out who the winner could be.
Most Valuable Player
Frontrunner(s): Bryce Cotton, Kendric Davis
Going into the final month of the season, the race for the 2026 MVP award feels like a 50-50 proposition.
On one hand, there's Bryce Cotton, who's vying for his sixth Andrew Gaze Trophy and will likely finish the season as the leader in most counting stats. He's currently first in points (25.3 ppg) and assists (7.7 apg), and, going into Round 20, has his Adelaide 36ers at 21-8, sitting in the No. 1 seed with the best record in the league. Among the many impressive elements of another elite Cotton season is how he's shown a development of his game, with his passing game -- a career best 34.5% assist percentage -- taking centre stage in some of his most dominant performances.
And, while there's a good argument this is Cotton's most rounded season as an NBL player, this award isn't locked up; in fact, it's anyone's guess who ends up winning the MVP, thanks to this run home from Kendric Davis.
The Kings have emerged as the best team in the NBL -- a dominant 12.3 net rating -- and Davis is clearly their most impactful player. The team's offseason recruit went through some slight teething from an efficiency standpoint, but was nonetheless effective, and has put together an inspired end-of-season run to give the Kings a real chance at taking the No. 1 seed once the playoffs begin. Davis is averaging 23.8 points and 6.4 assists per contest on the season, where we've seen clear growth of his floor game; no player in the league has more control of how his team operates on the offensive end.
There's still a sliver of the season to play out but, as of today, either Cotton or Davis would be a worthy MVP. Cotton is perhaps a victim of his own capacity because, when comparing his perceived dip toward the back-end of his season with what many are considering an MVP-race-altering leap from Davis, their respective numbers are quite similar; averaging roughly the same counting stats over their last 10 games each. What may be the determinant here is how each candidate's team performs as the season comes to a close; there's a chance that whoever ends up with the No. 1 seed will also be crowning an MVP.
Honourable mention: Nathan Sobey
At the age of 35, Nathan Sobey is in the midst of perhaps his best season as a professional, averaging 22.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, leading the way for a South East Melbourne Phoenix team that's been a top-three seed all season long. Sobey's shot-making has been a standout of his season -- he's averaging a career-high 9.1 three-point attempts a game, making 35.5% of them -- where he's been able to fold in his unique, dynamic scoring into the Phoenix's high-octane, democratic style of play. The counting stats will almost never reach the level of the two American-born point guards who sit above him in this race, but the way Sobey's refined his game, combined with his impact on winning basketball -- No. 6 in the NBL in raw total plus-minus, at +168 -- makes him an easy choice to round out the MVP finalists.
All-NBL First Team
Our selection
Bryce Cotton
Kendric Davis
Nathan Sobey
Kristian Doolittle
John Brown III
The first three names are explained above; unless something catastrophic happens with the voting, that trio will be the finalists for the MVP, earning them places in the First Team.
Our next selection went to Kristian Doolittle, who's played a colossal role in the Wildcats' end-of-season hot stretch, scoring at all three levels and defending multiple positions en route to another winning record in Perth. Over the Wildcats' recent seven-wins-in-eight-games stretch, Doolittle has averaged 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 42% from 3PT, taking over at times at the end of games to make sure his team stays within reach of the four credentialed teams above them.
The final selection goes against the grain of how All-NBL Teams have historically been chosen, but is justifiable on a number of levels. It's John Brown III; someone who's averaging just 10.9 points per game -- good for 42nd in the league -- but will likely be the runaway winner of the Best Defensive Player award and plays a primary role on a Phoenix team that's favoured to reach the Championship Series. Brown III is a defensive minded forward who's a connective piece on the offensive end, but he makes such an impact as both an on-ball and help defender, and as a threat on the offensive glass, that he's likely atop the list of any scout opposing teams bring to the table. Leading the NBL in steals at 2.0 per game is almost secondary to the impact Brown III brings to the table every night; he affects winning basketball as well as anyone else in the league, so a place on the First Team is clearly warranted.
Who else is in the mix for All-NBL selection?
Parker Jackson-Cartwright
Jack McVeigh
JaVale McGee
Bryce Hamilton
Sam Mennenga
Jo Lual Acuil Jr.
Isaac Humphries
Zylan Cheatham
Xavier Cooks
Jesse Edwards
Tyson Walker
There's no exact science to picking All-NBL Teams, and this next tier of players is proof of that. Selecting an All-NBL Second Team is a nightmare. None of these options are theoretically 'wrong'; who one chooses is simply an indication of what they value when picking for an award with a fluid criterion.
If one is opting for pure production, where winning is basically completely secondary, then the likes of Jack McVeigh and JaVale McGee enter the conversation. McVeigh is averaging career-highs across the board -- 21.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game -- for a Cairns Taipans team in the bottom two, while McGee has been a double-double machine for an Illawarra Hawks team that will finish the season with a losing record.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Bryce Hamilton, and Sam Mennenga are also players who average high production while on teams with records below 0.500. Jackson Cartwright is top-10 in the league in points and top-three in assists, while Hamilton was coming into his own as one of the league's best scorers and closers before an ACL injury ruled him out of the remainder of the season.
Then, you have the bucket of players who are largely connective because of the mega-productive guards they play alongside, but are still stars in their own right whose numbers aren't entirely indicative of their vital impact to winning. Isaac Humphries and Zylan Cheatham are primary pieces, on both ends, for a 36ers team sitting atop the ladder, and have put up their fair share of dominant individual performances over the season. The same can be said of Xavier Cooks, who, despite the low counting stats, is a key cog in how the Kings operate and is vital to their defensive identity. Jesse Edwards and Tyson Walker, to some extent, fit in this category too; both can be stars on any given night, but Melbourne United's democratic approach doesn't allow for one individual to consistently put forward high production games.
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. is an example of a someone who's top-10 in scoring -- averaging 16.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game -- for a winning Wildcats team, so there's every chance that production is enough for him to earn an All-NBL spot.
Most Improved Player
Frontrunner: Flynn Cameron
It's been an incredibly impressive rise for Flynn Cameron. He went from a little-used backup in Melbourne to one of the primary offensive options for a 36ers team that currently sits atop the NBL ladder.
When Cameron signed with the 36ers, the understanding was that there was going to be plenty of playing opportunity, but the Kiwi guard has exceeded expectations with the skillset -- and ensuing production -- he's brought to the table. He's averaging 12.6 points per game -- up from 5.3 a contest last season -- while shooting it at an impressive 41.8% from 3PT, on 4.9 attempts a game. The consistent shot-making, particularly from downtown, has been thoroughly enjoyable to watch, and his ever-developing downhill game gives credence to the assumption he'll turn into a legitimate star sooner than later. The increase in minutes was always going to lead to more production, but the speed in which Cameron has established himself as a starter-level talent who can impact winning is what gives him the edge for this award.
Legitimately in the conversation: Sam Mennenga, Owen Foxwell
This award isn't clear-cut, though, because there are two other contenders who also have very compelling cases.
The first is Sam Mennenga, the New Zealand Breakers big-man who had the type of season that could see him earn All-NBL votes; that's how impressive it was. Mennenga averaged 17.2 points and 6.8 rebounds a game -- up from 11.9 points and 5.4 rebounds a contest -- over the 2025-26 NBL season, and put together some incredible individual performances along the way. The Kiwi's back-to-the-basket game took an obvious leap, as did his ability to put the ball on the floor and finish over defenders. He played 26 of 33 possible games, after suffering a broken wrist toward the back-end of the season.
Owen Foxwell is another candidate worth serious consideration, going from a backup guard to the full-time starting point guard for a Phoenix team that is favoured to go deep into the postseason.
Honourable mentions: Josh Bannan. Jordan Hunter
Best Defensive Player
Frontrunner: John Brown III
Outside of Brown III, there really isn't another serious contender for this award. The Phoenix import really has been that good; what he brings from a physicality perspective personifies the identity of his team, where he's played a key role in locking up some of the league's elite forwards, while stifling opposing ball handlers with his lightning quick hands. It's not hyperbole to say that Brown III is at the top of scouting reports of opposing teams when they face the Phoenix, because they know their bigs are in for a tough night, and bringing him up into ball screens is basically asking for a turnover. The Phoenix have been a top-three defence all season long, and the play of Brown III is a primary reason for that.
Honourable mention: Bul Kuol, Will Magnay, Jesse Edwards, Xavier Cooks
Sydney's Bul Kuol would have challenged for this award as the person who was guiding the Kings' mid-season identity solidification, but an ACL injury meant he won't have played enough games to be seriously considered to win it. The same can be said for Will Magnay, whose defensive impact made the JackJumpers a dark horse before he suffered an injury at HoopsFest that would rule him out for the remainder of the season. An underrated aspect of the Kings' season has been what Xavier Cooks has brought to the table defensively, both as a help and plug defender, as well as someone who can guard one-through-five when Brian Goorjian opts to switch everything; the one-time MVP is a key reason why the Kings currently have the league's best defence.
Best Sixth Man
Frontrunner: Kouat Noi
We've done our very best to ignore Noi's insistent - and often hilarious -- public campaign for this award, because judging it on merit still has him as the more-than-likely frontrunner. Of all the players eligible for this award, Noi is the leading scorer at 11.8 points per game, but it's some of the other boxes he ticks that make him a worthy winner of a Best Sixth Man trophy. There's a heightened energy and force the Kings play with on the offensive end when Noi hits the floor, and his approach to shot selection -- particularly from three-point range, where he's high volume and has been reasonably efficient -- often stretches out leads and forces timeouts. Noi has the air of a streaky shooter who's actually a consistent scorer; he'd be a worthy candidate to go back-to-back as the NBL's Best Sixth Man.
Legitimately in the conversation: Angus Glover
Glover has come off the bench for every game over the 2025-26 campaign but is still having perhaps his best season as an NBL player. He's averaging 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, for a Phoenix team that's been in the upper quadrant of the ladder all season long. Glover's shooting exploits are what stand out most; whether it's hitting shots in the clutch, stringing together multiple threes to put daggers into opposing teams, or simply widening the floor with his deep, deep range, the 27-year-old's value is undeniable. Where Glover may present a slight advantage in this Best Sixth Man race is how he's improved on the defensive end, so he's not just bringing one dimensional scoring to the table; there's a rounded game Josh King can tap into off his bench.
Honourable mention: Majok Deng, Tanner Krebs, Dejan Vasiljevic
Next Generation Award
Frontrunner: Sam Mennenga
The case for both Mennenga and Foxwell as candidates for this award are in the Most Improved section above. In this instance, the 24-year-old Mennenga's output over the season has been more substantial of the pair, so he gets the nod.
Legitimately in the conversation: Owen Foxwell, Karim Lopez
Where things could get interesting is how the voters treat the award. We saw an interesting case last season, where Taran Armstrong's immense counting stats ultimately meant nothing, because coaches and captains opted to vote for Alex Toohey, sticking with the 'spirit' of the award, as opposed to the high-production guy who's technically eligible; remember, this is effectively a 24-years-old-or-younger award, not a Rookie of the Year trophy.
That's why Lopez is a consideration. The 18-year-old Next Star is averaging 11.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and is the only player in the league averaging at least one steal and one block a contest. Lopez has had some impressive individual performances, capped off by a 32-point effort against United in Round 19, and has clearly taken a leap in his three-point shooting and off-the-dribble scoring. If this award went to the best, most productive player under 24, then Lopez is on the outside looking in; however, if voters give more credit to the younger, newer professionals, then the Mexican has a real shot at winning.
Honourable mention: Jacob Holt, Ben Henshall, Elijah Pepper
Coach of the Year
Frontrunner: Josh King
This award feels like a two-man race, but it's the Phoenix's Josh King who gets the nod in our selections.
The Coach of the Year award often goes to the person who most exceeds expectations, and King has guided this Phoenix team -- one that most didn't even consider as a play-in contender -- to being a consensus top two or three team in the league. For the most part, the Phoenix have been guided by King's unique defensive identity, which they've done an impressive job leveraging into being the NBL's No. 1 offence entering Round 20. What's most impressive about how King has approached the job is how clearly we can see his fingerprints on this Phoenix team; from their style of play, the empowerment of players -- some of Sobey's MVP form this season can be attributed to his head coach's guidance, for example -- and implementation of standards across the roster.
Legitimately in the conversation: Brian Goorjian
After a slow start, the Sydney Kings rounded out into the best, most complete team in the NBL, and it's thanks in large part to Brian Goorjian's ability to persist and adjust through countless injuries. The six-time champion instilled a defensive identity into a team that, considering its personnel, always had the potential to be a unique athletic proposition for any opposing coach to scheme against. There's been an empowerment of the likes of Bul Kuol and Makuach Maluach to guide the defence from the front, but what Goorjian has done for Kendric Davis' game has been most impressive. Davis is once again an MVP candidate, but his improvement has a floor general -- as opposed to just a high-level scoring guard -- over the course of the season has been revelatory, and Goorjian has played a significant role in that growth.
King overcoming his team's little-to-no expectation of success probably gives him the edge, but Goorjian's ability to guide this team through substantial adversity -- largely injury-related -- gives him a real shot at walking away with his seventh Coach of the Year award.