Executive of the year? What does that mean?

Cotton, Tatum, Foxwell, Noi, Ili, Armstrong

IMO:
Cotton
Tatum
Harrison
Noi
Ili
Armstrong

Cotton
Tatum
Foxwell
Hickey
Illi
Armstrong
Cotton, Davis, Doolittle, Prather, Goulding
Hurt, PJC, Harrell, Harvey, Kell.
Sobey might squeak in the second team, he's been very good under King. There should be team of the year which is clearly the hawks. Doolittle will probably miss both teams but he’s been superb and deserves his spot imo.

Cotton
Tatum
Harrison
Noi
Ili
Armstrong

Doolittle and White should both be in one of the All-NBL teams, the amount they bring to their teams at both ends is very high level.

The All-NBL teams aren't even worth bothering with now that they're positionless.

surely will hickey should've been nominated for most improved?

MVP: Cotton
COY: Tatum - wouldn't be too upset if King won it though
MIP: Harrison - Armstrong was robbed not being a finalist
6MOY: Noi
DPOY: Ili - no way should Magnay be eligible missing half the season
Next Generation: Armstrong
First Team: Cotton, Hurt, Davis, Cooks, Kell
Second Team: Harvey, Goulding, Prather, Adams, Froling

Matt Weston or GK for executive of the year?

Matt Walsh

Do they seriously have this award though? Or is it more about acknowledging the effort of people behind the scenes?

I can't remember when it started but they've had an Executive of the Year award for a long time, it's basically best GM for the season.

And if anyone was wondering I was being sarcastic about Walsh. NZB started the season 7-3 cut Gillespie to sign Tacko Fall and then went 3-16 after that.

NZ didn't cut Gillespie, he asked to leave for a big Euro contract. Was he looking for new contracts because NZ were keeping Fall around, or were NZ keeping Fall around because they knew Dizzy wanted out? I don't know.

NZB pushed him out by having Tacko Fall around the team. Blind Freddy could see what was going on, Walsh was having Tacko autograph sessions at games before he had even signed with the team.

Again, did NZ have Fall around because Gillispie was looking to get out or were they threatening to replace him? I don't know the answer to that question, Walsh and Gillepsie's agent would.

If there was ever a time to put your house on something, that would be BC winning the MVP.

How can someone put Hurt second team when he's finalist for MVP???
Kell should get first team by virtue of being in top team.
Cotton, Davis, Hurt, Kell

Then out of PJC, Harrison, Harrell, Goulding, Cooks, White.

Pity Bryce won't be in Melbourne, AFL Brownlow style

Actually, put Prather definitely instead of White. And Doolittle a chance too.

Cotton
Tatum
Fox well
Hickey
Ili
Armstrong

"how they knew Dizzy wanted out? I don't know."

He was probably blowing his own horn!

I think Davis has a case if you factor in games missed, but Cotton wins MVP.

King
Foxwell
Noi
Wani (though Ili will probably actually win it)
Toohey (not enough games for Armstrong)

Imo Doolittle and Hickey don't get enough recognition, these two win you games, they are not as flamboyant as the Noi’s or Cooks of the world but they get the W for your team. I’d pick Doolittle ahead of every four in the league including Hurt, Harrell, Cooks etc. again imo.

Any got good drinking game ideas for watching this?

Any got good drinking game ideas for watching this?

Unless the Next Gen award is only to be given to Aussies, I just can't see how Henshall beat out Lopez to make the final 3.

Anyway, drinking game ideas???

I reckon there will be a lot of bs and motherhood statements tonight, to tell LK what he wants to hear and the world what he wants them to hear, so if I go for a swig every time I hear one of these then I’ll be wasted by the end of the night
"Best ever"
“Healthy”
“Stable” or “stability”
“Outstanding”
“Amazing”
“Exceptional”
“Grateful”
“Blessed”

Cotton
Tatum
Harrison
Noi
Ili but Magnay deserved it if he played the full season
Toohey because of his importance to Kings and Taran missed too many games

1st Davis, Cotton, Kell, Prather, Hurt
2nd Jackson-Cartwright, Harvey, Doolittle, Harrell, Froling

I want more than anything else this evening to see some Hall of Famers get inducted as it's been way too long since we got any new additions

Agreed on your Lopez point hoopie

starting with a random musical performance, lol

Anonymightymouse - Matt Walsh has since confirmed he made the decision to get rid of gillespie because he didn't believe with him it was a team able to win the championship.

Armstrong definitely best young player, depends how much weight they give missing a third of the season. I mean he was nominated so would think they wouldn't do that unless he had a chance. Brian killed Tooheys chances, Almansa and Lewis were contributors on good teams along with Olbrich. Henshall seemed to go in and out of Rillies doghouse. But if they go against Armstrong then Lopez gets the award. For such a dysfunctional front office New Zealand always have an excellent young overseas player, every year.
Magnay really shouldn't have been nominated, at least Armstrong played majority of season. Ili probably favourite by reputation but
Wani Swaka Lo Buluk was more disruptive.
Noi definitely gets 6th man purely by the hype machine, and his final month or so saved the Kings.
Tatum should deservedly win COTY, King turned things around similarly to what Tatum did last year, but Hawks should get a major award for coming top and Tatum key reason behind it.
Harrison became best overall local centre, including Magnay, so should get most improved.
As for the big one, referee of the year, the only one that stood out for me was Fernandes with his ability to simply communicate. It's hard because the best ones should really go unnoticed. I mean there's a couple that would struggle in a social game, be a more competitive award if it was for worst ref of the year.

Damn - I forgot "growth" and “partner”

'thank'

Shaka Lo Buluk more disruptive? Ili was a much bigger irritant, to refs and fans as well as to other players.

Brisbane CEO executive of the year, Cotton fans MVP

Harrison most improved

Happy with Harrison - more dominant in his position than the other two

good on you Deng

interesting choice of a joke by Tatum

Always real whacky entertainment at the Gazies, haha.. do you think it's Kestelmans wife's pet project?

Quite possibly Dorito!

Anyone know what's going on with Cooks?

Was a late out last game due to "personal reasons" and not with his team at the awards night.

What's with some of the players rocking up in t-shirts?
It’s a bad look

Is this supposed to be a talkfest occasionally interrupted by awards, or awards occasionally interrupted by talk?

Yeah Trez just said he didn't know it was black tie till yesterday. Bush league stuff.

this Lance Stephenson talk is getting old pretty quick

The NBL should introduce a minimum number of games to allow nomination for an award

Like, it's completely ridiculous that Magnay gets nominated for DPOY after playing 13 games. Similarly when Ili was nominated after playing 14.

But at the same time, someone who's nominated should genuinely be considered for the award.

Like, what's the point of nominating Taran Armstrong (19 games) if you'll just go ahead and give the award to a guy who played at a vastly interior level, but played more games?

please stop with the talk show

when was the last time Mayberry didn't win Ref of the year

Another year, and people continue to think the players named in the lead up to the awards are the nominees rather than the leading votegetters. Wish the NBL would actually explain this.

With all the talking- I do find it odd that the actual award winners dont get 30 seconds to say a few words

All nbl 2nd team- prather, goulding, froling, harrell, cooks

1st team- Cotton, Davis, Hurt, Kell, Harvey

time for another 20 minute break for talking

Trez 2nd team (and in the building) and Kendric accepted the award for him. WTF?

36ers again showing what an unprofessional club they are allowing this to happen.

agreed Bullets, that was very strange

good on the bloke for winning 100k, picked the score because of the time!

Prather should've made 1st team

But they always reward those from successful teams, hence Kell and Harvey ahead of him.

Trez like a petulant child when they don't get their own way. Flexing when he is winning. Head up his arse when things don't go his way.

I would hate to see the Sixers win because of his entitled attitude.

Ili DPOY, Tatum COTY

Ili the 9th player to win multiple DPOYs

Tatum the deserving COY, but either Vickerman or King would've been deserving too. Plenty of good options

and just like that Bryce is a 5x MVP

How awkward is Mark Arena?

He was like a deer in headlights during an interview with local news.

all things considered that ran better than last year, and deserving winners for every award.

Night all

5 MVPs in 8 completed seasons is a heck of a record

Although, Gaze won 7 out of 8 in the 90s including 5 in a row

Any got good drinking game ideas for watching this?

Would have been nice if they used and original Aussie band band instead of a cover band playing corny covers, just a personal preference.

sam froling even hopping on the sax

Tonight I'm reflecting that this has been a great season for Melbourne's NBL teams

United's best player, and main scoring option, is a 36 year old.

In a league full of quality big men like Harrell, Froling, Magnay, Humphries, Harrison, Tacko Fall, United's starting centre is a 33 year old who came out of retirement and was never a starter in his NBL career.

Ili and Loe are 32 and 33 and playing the best basketball of their careers. CG is 36 but hasn't skipped a beat, and continues giving opposition coaches headaches nightly.

I didn't expect United to finish top 2 but they have, and that gives them a serious chance

Meanwhile Josh King has been the breath of fresh air SEM needed. They are a better functioning basketball team now than any other time in their first 6 seasons.

Looking forward to the play-in, then semi-finals after a loooong break

I think 2/3s of season as a cutoff, or basically 20 games. That way if someone does a bad hammy and misses 3-4 weeks they've got leeway of a couple of other missed games. So Armstrong just on the borderline, but Magnay off by a lot.
They really did reward the Hawks with 3 players in top 10.
As for Melbournes success, a lot of experienced pro's that have had at least a couple of years together, and great supporting imports this year. Like the old days before teams were always changing because of free agency.
And was there any real doubt Cotton wasn't getting MVP.

I think Cooks was lucky - there were players with better performances. But, given he's a poster boy for the NBL and is in its biggest city ...

Cats fans I would not think would swap Doolittle for Cooks, Cooks while still being a good player is limited, just compare how McVeigh and Cooks have gone in the US tells you a lot.

Cooks is limited but can be pretty elite within those limits.
I wouldn't swap Doolittle for Cooks - you're correct about that - but mostly because Cooks seems to just drift in & out of games. If he kept up his focus & effort for full games he'd be hard to beat for MVP IMO.

Cooks, Doolittle and White played similar roles for successful teams. Any of them would've been deserving of All-NBL 2nd

Yes Phantom it's worth reflecting on that 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were 3 of the 4 semi final teams last season, and they were 3 of the most stable teams with roster a and coach continuity. If it weren't for Magnay and Macdonald missing most of the season, JJ's would've likely joined them, and you would've had a top 4 being last year's 4 semi finalists, and the 4 most stable rosters.

Did everyone just gloss over the "diddy list" thing Tatum said?

https://youtu.be/Ln8RL1gMjMc?si=KldjjlDvtMfkiP_9&t=50

The presenters were not great and some of the interviews were boring.

Major prize winners not making a speech.

Andrew Gaze was not great doing the MVP speech.

Lots of room for improvement.