Cotton's teammate says MVP vote 'will be a tie'

• Davis averaged 26.2 PPG against Top Six teams; Cotton averaged 22.2 PPG.
• Sydney went 3–1 head-to-head; Davis outscored Cotton 23.8 to 16.3 PPG.
• Davis posted a 5.0 assist-to-turnover ratio vs Adelaide; Cotton recorded 2.2.
• Cotton averaged 28.6 PPG vs Bottom Four; Davis averaged 22.6 PPG.

Bryce Cotton's Adelaide 36ers teammate DJ Vasiljevic has had his say on the much-anticipated NBL MVP vote, declaring he thinks "it'll be a tie" between the five-time winner and Sydney Kings star Kendric Davis.

Speaking on SEN podcast Straight Shooter with co-host and former NBL forward and AFL player Josh Jenkins, Vasiljevic said it would be an "interesting" vote but praised both Cotton and Davis - who played at the 36ers last season - for the way they've turned around their respective teams in NBL26.

The winner will be revealed at the NBL Awards at Crown Palladium in Melbourne on Monday night.

"I think it'll be a tie. I think they'll both lift up the trophy at the end of the season," Vasiljevic said.

"If you take KD out of Sydney, I don't think Sydney are that good but if you take Bryce out of Adelaide, I don't think we're good either. They've both got us better.

"We were fifth and sixth, now this year we're first and second, if that doesn't mean they're most valuable, then I don't know what does. I think the both of them will lift the trophy.

"It'll be the first time in 24 years that there's been a dual MVP."

Asked who he would prefer to be heading into the awards night, Vasiljevic said it would be Cotton.

"I think you'd want to be Bryce because he's had a hell of a season, obviously leads the league in points, assists, three-pointers made but I wouldn't doubt Kendric Davis," he said.

"This is where the voting system is a bit chunky because captains and coaches get to vote, but we can't vote for our own player.

"There might be a team like Illawarra, for example, that might hate or despise of KD and they go, 'we're going to vote for Bryce, even though we think KD is the MVP'.

"It's a bit up in the air. Who knows? I'd rather be Bryce because again, it'll be a sixth MVP and who knows in two years time, we might not be calling it a Gazey we might be calling it the Bryce Cotton MVP award.

"It'll be interesting, but I really see it as a dual win for both."

NBL26 Finalists

Andrew Gaze MVP
Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers)
Kendric Davis (Sydney Kings)

Lindsay Gaze Coach of the Year
Brian Goorjian (Sydney Kings)
Josh King (South East Melbourne Phoenix)

Most Improved Player
Flynn Cameron (Adelaide 36ers)
Makuach Maluach (Sydney Kings)
Sam Mennenga (New Zealand Breakers)

Step One Next Generation
Karim Lopez (New Zealand Breakers)
Owen Foxwell (South East Melbourne Phoenix)
Sam Mennenga (New Zealand Breakers)

Sixth Man of the Year
Angus Glover (South East Melbourne Phoenix)
Kouat Noi (Sydney Kings)
Majok Deng (Tasmania JackJumpers)

Defensive Player of the Year
Kristian Doolittle (Perth Wildcats)
John Brown III (South East Melbourne Phoenix)
Will Magnay (Tasmania JackJumpers)