Chemist Warehouse Fans MVP - Round 7, NBL24

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Who will join Jerome Randle, Mitch Creek, Bryce Cotton, Scott Machado and Kai Sotto in the annals of NBL history?

The way you vote on the Chemist Warehouse Fans MVP award has changed. Now, NBL Media will present the top players of the round and you can make your votes count every week.

The nominees are determined by the top average SuperCoach NBL scorers from the round, and in the event of a tied average score, the player who played more games over the weekend will get the nod ahead of their counterpart.

Who will join Jerome Randle, Mitch Creek, Bryce Cotton, Scott Machado and Kai Sotto in the annals of NBL history? You decide.

Vote below, and check out each nominee's claim to earning your votes.

Can't see the voting form below? Click here to register your vote

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr – 26PTS, 11REB, 2BLK | 48 SuperCoach points
In the lead-up to Sunday’s Throwdown, former NBL MVP Derek Rucker stated he believed the frontcourt pair of Alan Williams and Mitch Creek would be too much for Jo Lual-Acuil Jr to handle without Luke Travers in the lineup. Lual-Acuil Jr thought differently.

Lual-Acuil Jr was an imperious presence in the paint for Melbourne and was ably supported by a combination of Kyle Bowen, Ariel Hukporti and injury replacement Rob Loe, and with Alan Williams in foul trouble late – Lual-Acuil Jr took the game at him.

If it weren’t for a worrying handful of missed free throws, he would have finished the game with a well-deserved 30-point double-double, and his impact across all phases of the game saw NBL SuperCoach judge him to be the weekend’s top performer.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JLA is going to ???? on both ends ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo Freebies | 10 Peach and 10 Play ? <a href="https://t.co/wmI8pHXIWY">pic.twitter.com/wmI8pHXIWY</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1723544188287934553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bryce Cotton – 37PTS, 3REB, 2AST | 43 SuperCoach points
It may have taken a few weeks for him to warm up, but Bryce is back doing Bryce things.

The Wildcats have now won three straight games after being in the media pressure cooker across the first five weeks of the season, and the elevation in Cotton’s game has been a major part of how they’ve got the job done in the last two weeks – including Friday’s 18-point defeat of New Zealand.

His 37 points is the most of any player in one game this season, and he chipped in in other areas of the game with a trio of rebounds, pair of assists and solitary steal.

Bryce is back, and he’s earned his second straight nomination for the Chemist Warehouse Fans MVP.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">3??2?? points and counting ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo | SkySport in NZ ? <a href="https://t.co/LYHWPg6KxM">pic.twitter.com/LYHWPg6KxM</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1722947168598974905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Milton Doyle – 13PTS, 8AST, 4STL | 38 SuperCoach points
Tasmania’s leading MVP candidate was active in all phases of play in Tasmania’s Round 7 win over Adelaide, and supplemented his near double-double in points and assists with a round-high quartet of steals.

Doyle went quiet through a couple of weeks earlier this season, but has since notably upped his aggression on the offensive end, and although 13 points may have seen him end the game as one of four JackJumpers with double-digit points his eight assists helped elevate the players around him in a gritty and hard-fought victory.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Milton Doyle had his defender lost with the "double inside-outside" dribble ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/XNlpFopPpX">pic.twitter.com/XNlpFopPpX</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1723276240285519977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sam Froling – 18PTS, 10REB, 1BLK | 37 SuperCoach points
For all the dire rhetoric surrounding the Hawks once again finding themselves rooted to the bottom of the ladder, one bright spot for the organisation is the ability to have one player consistently end the round among the competition’s best – now they just have to tie it all together.

Sam Froling was something of a lone ranger in the Hawks’ defeat to Cairns, in a game where the likes of Gary Clark and Tyler Harvey struggled to make the most of their offensive opportunities.

His 18 points were enough to see him be the second highest scorer on his team – behind Clark – and he was the only Hawk to shoot at least 40 per cent for the game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sam Froling drains the 3?? at the ?<a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Illawarrahawks</a> lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/CairnsTaipans?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cairnstaipans</a> 38-33 at the half ?<br><br>Catch the second half live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/jTYfJiRNBL">pic.twitter.com/jTYfJiRNBL</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1723241437960024249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Anthony Lamb – 25PTS, 6REB, 2STL | 37 SuperCoach points
Anthony Lamb just continues to elevate his game at the Breakers – and for a side that’s in the midst of a dire run of injuries and form, his signing as an injury replacement for Justinian Jessup is looking more inspired with each passing week.

The Breakers suffered an 18-point defeat to the Wildcats in a game where only Lamb and Parker Jackson-Cartwright ended the game with more than five made field goals – but it was Lamb who starred with his more holistic contribution to New Zealand’s efforts.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A consistent bucket ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNBREAKABLE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNBREAKABLE</a> <a href="https://t.co/UrlB1zKJNr">pic.twitter.com/UrlB1zKJNr</a></p>— BNZ Breakers (@NZBreakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers/status/1723153665094226186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jordon Crawford – 17PTS, 6REB, 3STL | 34 Supercoach points
Jordon Crawford’s game in Tasmania’s 10-point win over Adelaide was the definition of effort, and the pocket rocket guard not only topped the scoring for his team, but continues to find ways to get involved on the defensive end of the floor.

His three steals were only eclipsed by teammate and fellow Chemist Warehouse Fans MVP nominee Milton Doyle, and he grabbed more rebounds than any other JackJumper for the game aside from starting center Marcus Lee.

He also added three assists – a marker that was again only eclipsed by Doyle – and his a solid three of his five three-point attempts.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JCraw beats the clock and the D. Watch line on ESPN via Kayo & Foxtel <a href="https://t.co/egLT8cd3OB">pic.twitter.com/egLT8cd3OB</a></p>— Tasmania JackJumpers ? (@JackJumpers) <a href="https://twitter.com/JackJumpers/status/1723281240856662503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nathan Sobey – 17PTS, 5AST, 3STL | 34 SuperCoach points
The NBL24 resurgence of Nathan Sobey continued with another strong, all-action performance against the Sydney Kings on Sunday, but his interior dominance helped push his side to an unlikely lead at Qudos Bank Arena and almost pulled them over the line.

Although his three-point shooting left a bit to be desired, Sobey hit six of eight two-point attempts, and he remained active on the defensive end with two steals.

On a recent episode of The Huddle Sobey discussed how spending time at point guard in the last two seasons has helped developed his overall game, and if his shot isn’t falling he’s more than happy to turn provider as evidenced by his five assists.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nathan Sobey starts the final quarter with a bang ?<br><br>Can he will the Bullets back in front in this one? ?<br><br>Catch the final quarter live on ESPN via Kayo Freebies | 10 Peach and 10 Play ? <a href="https://t.co/aeRp9xUjYP">pic.twitter.com/aeRp9xUjYP</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1723590457215598827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jaylen Adams – 24PTS, 4AST, 1BLK | 32 SuperCoach points
The Sydney Kings won their game over Brisbane by taking full advantage of the Bullets’ down periods in the game, and Jaylen Adams was at his MVP-level best.

He top-scored for the game with 24 points, and helped facilitate DJ Hogg’s dominance in the final few minutes that saw the Kings end the game on a 15-0 run.

His shooting game on strong splits as well, but Adams surprisingly attempted a solitary three-pointer for the entire game. Adams’ role in Mahmoud Abdelfattah’s offence looks to be an x-factor interior slasher, and he filled it to perfection against the Bullets.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oh my JA ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL24?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL24</a> live on ESPN via Kayo Sports<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetItReign?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetItReign</a> <a href="https://t.co/Gzyn1Grj4i">pic.twitter.com/Gzyn1Grj4i</a></p>— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1723576290337599680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>