Smart money is definitely on Abercrombie

Ervin should poll alright.

Just depends on how the team does.

But if they do decent, then he is right in contentio IMO.

Brings back fond memories of backing Ervin at $26 in 2010/11. :)

I agree on the Abercrombie call. He was playing amazing Basketball in the finals up until his injury, and at both ends of the floor. In the offseason he has put another 3-5kg of muscle in the gym and now we just gotta hope his ankle is right.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/7737034/Abercrombies-ailing-left-ankle-ready-to-go/

Personally, I don't think Abo will win it.

Amazing player and skillful enough to win it.

But the scoring load will be pretty shared in NZ .

You have Jackson, Pledger, Bruton, Corletto, Webster, Hudson who could score 20 on any given night.

I think with his much improved 3point % that he will be more of a go to guy than he perhaps was earier last season offensively along with Pledger being much more of a target inside the paint.

I'm not really sure Corletto, Webster or Hudson deserve a mention on the topic. I see your point, MACDUB but with a scorer (Wilkinson) leaving and being replaced by a hustle guy who gets on the glass (Hudson), even more onus is on Abercrombie to put up numbers.

Also, a guy like Jackson will never get MVP because he is a distributor really. A good game for Jackson is where he racks up the assists and gives all the points away to an Abercrombie or Pledger. As we all know, the NBL loves to give awards to scorers so in reality, a good Jackson game will help (not hinder) Abercrombie.

Macdub mentioned them because they will be expected to carry the scoring load, taking shots away from Abercrombie

Yeah as I said, I get it. But think about the talent level of the league atm. As Russell Hinder said, it's a shitload (I think he said around a dozen or more) of teams talent-wise put into eight teams, meaning every team has multiple guys who take shots off one another.

Lisch: Will be asked to shoot more I guess, but I don't like him to go back to back. In saying that, Redhage is up for a big year and will take more shots, as well as Wagstaff.
Wilson: Too much talent around him this season. Was up to him to score the ball, but now with Trigger, the two college guys and Hill actually able to make a jumpshot, Wilson's shots will go down dramatically from 2011/12.
Cedric: Nope, as above.
Trigger: Nope, can't rebound and has a lot better crew to back him up than last season.
Gibson and Johnson: No, numbers will be spread too evenly in the team. If Schenscher gets injured, then Johnson is in contention.
Redhage: Doesn't rebound enough, but will score. Nope.
Deleon: Smoky. Tipped him to win MVP a few weeks ago, but on second thought, maybe not. I still believe Gordie will let Deleon go to work, a bit like he did with Ervin a few years ago.
The rest: Nah. Maybe Seth Scott if he gets the 'creative license' renewed until the end of the season. He looks the goods, but unknown so consistency is the issue.

When you look at all the rosters, there really is no guy who will average 25 shots per game, apart from maybe Seth Scott. So Taking into account defense, efficiency and his tendency to stuff the stat sheet, can't go past Abercrombie.

Ervin has been added to the market @ 7.00.

Wilson, Jackson and Deleon shouldn't have too many problems keeping up with Ervin unlike the PG's of the year before

I think you can go past Abercrombie. Jackson was close last year and won't have Wilkinson stealing attention like last season.

Deleon didn't show much in the pre-season so might not hit the heights of his last season.

Redhage might not win over refs with some of his behaviour, but I'd be backing him. His efficiency in the pre-season was impressive, as usual.

Ervin might be a chance again too.