With the NBL26 season reaching its midway point and the FIBA break upon us, it’s the perfect time to reassess the landscape of the league’s top individual honour – the NBL MVP. In a competition stacked with elite, superstar-calibre talent, the race has remained fluid, and once again there are notable shifts inside the top five of our Power Rankings.
Has five-time MVP Bryce Cotton finally been challenged for the No. 1 spot?
Who’s surging at the right time, and who has slipped from contention?
This is the Mid-Season Edition of the NBL MVP Power Rankings. Let’s dive in.
5 | JACK McVEIGH | FORWARD | CAIRNS TAIPANS | PREVIOUS RANK: UNRANKED
Jack McVeigh has been outstanding despite the Cairns Taipans’ difficult start to the season. As the team heads into the FIBA break, McVeigh has taken ownership of their turnaround attempt, delivering elite production and carrying a major offensive load. Over his past two outings alone, he’s poured in a combined 74 points – first in the overtime loss to the Adelaide 36ers and then in a tight battle with the New Zealand Breakers.
McVeigh is averaging 20.2 points per game, the sixth-highest mark in the league, while also posting career highs in rebounds (6.8) and assists (5.1). His efficiency has been equally impressive, shooting 51% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc.
In his most recent performance, he played the full 40 minutes and shouldered the bulk of the Taipans’ offence. If he maintains this level of play – and his minutes – Cairns could shock a few teams in the back half of the season once his supporting cast finds its rhythm. Touted as one of the league’s premier talents entering NBL26, questions emerged during his early-season dip prior to injury. Now, it’s clear he has rediscovered his best form.
Jack McVeigh has been great despite the Taipans’ tough start to the season. (Photo by Emily Barker/Getty Images)
Jack McVeigh has been great despite the Taipans’ tough start to the season. (Photo by Emily Barker/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
4 | NATHAN SOBEY | GUARD | SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX | PREVIOUS RANK: 3
Nathan Sobey continues to operate as the heartbeat of the South East Melbourne Phoenix – the league’s third-best team – and remains one of the driving forces behind their strong first half of the season. In his tenth NBL campaign, Sobey has seamlessly blended high-level scoring with a renewed defensive commitment under Josh King, reinventing aspects of his game while embracing his role as the veteran leader of a contender.
Sobey is averaging 21 points, 3.2 rebounds and four assists per game, along with a career-high 1.7 steals. His offensive workload is significant, leading the Phoenix in scoring by nearly nine points per game. He has also been efficient, shooting 42% from the field and 36% from deep, while holding a +5.5 plus/minus on the season.
Although he slips one spot from the previous edition of these rankings, his production remains firmly at an MVP level. If the Phoenix are to mount a deep playoff run, Sobey’s leadership and consistency will be central to their success. This is unquestionably the best version of Nathan Sobey we’ve seen.
If the Phoenix are to mount a deep playoff run, Sobey will be key. (Photo by Emily Barker/Getty Images)
If the Phoenix are to mount a deep playoff run, Sobey will be key. (Photo by Emily Barker/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
3 | KENDRIC DAVIS | GUARD | SYDNEY KINGS | PREVIOUS RANK: UNRANKED
Kendric Davis has quietly put together an elite first half of the season, even if his production hasn’t matched last year’s eye-popping numbers. While his raw statistics are slightly down, Davis is playing winning basketball on a Kings team that is positioning itself for a strong playoff run – and his impact goes far beyond the box score.
This season, Davis is averaging 22.4 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. His shooting numbers have dipped – 42% from the field and 28% from three – compared to last season, when he put up 25.6 points on 48% shooting and 37% from deep while leading the league with 7.8 assists. But context matters: he’s adjusting to a new system, new personnel, and a more balanced, team-first role this year.
Despite the statistical regression, Davis remains one of the league’s most dangerous guards and a true engine of the Kings’ offence. Sydney enters the FIBA break at 7-6, and with Davis settling into his role, they are expected to be one of the premier teams in the second half of the season.
Davis is one of the league’s most dangerous guards. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Davis is one of the league’s most dangerous guards. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
2 | JAVALE McGEE | CENTRE | ILLAWARRA HAWKS | PREVIOUS RANK: 4
JaVale McGee has emerged as a legitimate MVP challenger to the man holding the No. 1 spot. Despite facing adversity throughout the season – including heavy defensive attention and the responsibility of anchoring an inconsistent roster – McGee has excelled in every facet of the game.
He is averaging 21.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 2 blocks per game, producing a stat line that keeps him firmly in the MVP conversation even with Illawarra sitting at 4-9 and second-last on the ladder. His efficiency has been outstanding as well, shooting 59% from the field. Perhaps the biggest surprise has been his perimeter accuracy: McGee is hitting 38% from three, and while it’s only on 13 attempts, the willingness and ability to stretch the floor adds an unexpected layer to the Hawks’ offence.
As the Hawks begin to get healthy and build continuity, McGee’s impact should only increase. With more options around him, opposition defences will have multiple threats to account for, freeing him to be even more dominant.
If Illawarra can mount a strong second-half surge, McGee shapes as the most credible threat to the five-time MVP sitting atop the rankings.
JaVale McGee is a big threat to Bryce Cotton. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
JaVale McGee is a big threat to Bryce Cotton. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
1 | BRYCE COTTON | GUARD | ADELAIDE 36ERS | PREVIOUS RANK: 1
It’s as simple as this: there is no scenario right now where Bryce Cotton isn’t the No. 1 player in the NBL MVP Power Rankings. The Adelaide 36ers enter the FIBA break at 11-3 and Cotton has been the undisputed engine behind their success. Many believed it would be difficult – if not impossible – for him to match the historic scoring heights of last season, yet he continues to defy expectations.
After averaging 28.1 points per game in NBL25, Cotton has barely taken a step back, sitting at 27.1 points per game this season. The biggest shift has been his expanded role. For the first time in his NBL career, he has taken full ownership of the point guard duties, lifting his assists from 4.7 per game last year to seven per game – the third-highest mark in the league.
He’s doing this with elite efficiency: 44% from the field, 41% from three and 88% from the line. Cotton also leads the league in steals at 2.3 per game, showcasing his two-way impact. His importance to Adelaide is further underlined by his +7.1 plus/minus – the eighth-best mark in the NBL – while logging a massive 37 minutes per night.
If the 36ers continue to win and Cotton maintains anything close to this level of production, a sixth NBL MVP feels inevitable – bringing him within one of Andrew Gaze’s record seven.
Bryce Cotton is the favourite to win MVP. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
Bryce Cotton is the favourite to win MVP. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images