Breakers Dominate NBL Award Nominations

Mody Maor is a finalist for the NBL Coach of the Year Award following his incredible transformation of the Sky Sport Breakers from wooden spooners to finalists in just one season.

Others to receive recognition include Will McDowell-White as a Most Improved Player Finalist.

Dererk Pardon is a finalist for the Best Defensive Player while, unsurprisingly, Barry Brown Junior is hot favourite to take out the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Bryce Cotton, Xavier Cooks and Mitch Creek have been named as finalists for the NBL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
 
Cotton’s sustained excellence continued this season and he will be looking to add a fourth MVP award to his growing list of accolades. The Perth Wildcats’ superstar is leading the NBL in scoring at 23.9 points per game, a career high. If he wins, he will join only Andrew Gaze as players to have won four MVPs. 
 
The Sydney Kings’ championship defence has been powered by Cooks, who has emerged as one of Australia’s premier players. The 27-year-old averages 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists while constantly making game changing plays on the defensive end.
  
A headache for rival clubs, Creek is enjoying a career-best campaign with the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Always providing energy and intensity, Creek is averaging 23.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. 
  
Lindsay Gaze Coach of the Year
Chase Buford (Sydney Kings)
Adam Forde (Cairns Taipans)
Mody Maor (New Zealand Breakers)
 
Most Improved Player
Sean Macdonald (Tasmania JackJumpers)
Keanu Pinder (Cairns Taipans)
William McDowell-White (New Zealand Breakers)
 
Best Sixth Man Presented by Marsh
Barry Brown Jr (New Zealand Breakers)
Rashard Kelly (Tasmania JackJumpers)
Tyler Johnson (Brisbane Bullets)
 
Damian Martin Trophy for the Best Defensive Player
Antonius Cleveland (Adelaide 36ers)
Shea Ili (Melbourne United)
Dererk Pardon (New Zealand Breakers)
 
Next Generation Award Presented by Champion
Sam Froling (Illawarra Hawks)
Luke Travers (Perth Wildcats)
Sam Waardenburg (Cairns Taipans)

The All-NBL First Team, All-NBL Second Team, Executive of the Year, Referee of the Year presented by Europcar, Gametime by Kmart Award and Fans’ MVP presented by Chemist Warehouse will also be announced on the night.
 
A panel of experts including Andrew Gaze, Greg Hire, Matt Logue, Jo Healy, Casey Frank, John Casey and Olgun Uluc, selected the nominees for each of the MVP, Best Sixth Man, Best Defensive Player and Most Improved Player. 
  
Coaches and captains from each of the 10 teams then voted on the nominations with no votes allowed for a player from their own team.
 
The winner of The Andrew Gaze MVP Award, along with all other awards for the 2022/23 season, will be announced on Tuesday, February 7, live on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel from 8.30pm AEDT.