25
Oct
The Race
McGee vs Cotton: NBL26 Performances Tracker
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Illawarra Hawks import JaVale McGee and Adelaide 36ers star Bryce Cotton. Photos: Getty Images
Highlights
Bryce Cotton and JaVale McGee headline NBL26 MVP race after explosive opening-round performances.
- Case Closed: McGee already the best player in the league
- Bryce Cotton's drive for five makes history
- Blue instead of Red but same MVP Bryce Cotton
JaVale McGee proved his NBA pedigree as he willed the on-the-ropes Illawarra Hawks to a gutsy road win against the Perth Wildcats 85-84 in Round 6 of NBL26. He scored seven of the Hawks last 10 points but is it enough to out-duel five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton after six games each this season.
- Bryce Cotton has been the more impactful and complete player:
- League-leading 30.7 PPG
- Efficient shooting from everywhere (52/45/93 splits)
- Strong playmaking (6.0 assists)
- Minimal fouls and turnovers
- JaVale McGee has been a defensive and rebounding powerhouse, dominating inside and finishing at elite efficiency, but his limited shooting range and free-throw issues cap his total value.
Bryce Cotton – clear edge after six rounds. He’s not just scoring at an MVP level — he’s doing it efficiently, consistently, and carrying Adelaide’s offense while still creating for others.
basketball.com.au is in it for the long haul. We'll track both players By The Numbers across the rest of the season.
NBL26 Performance Tracker – Bryce Cotton vs JaVale McGee
- Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers 5-1)
GP: 6 I MIN: 35.9 I PPG: 30.7 I FGM: 10.0 I FGA: 19.2 I FG%: 52.2 I 3PM: 3.7 I 3PA: 8.2 I 3P%: 45.5 I FTM: 7.0 I FTA: 7.5 I FT%: 93.3 I OR: 1.0 I DR: 2.0 I REB: 3.0 I AST: 6.0 I TO: 2.5 I STL: 2.3 I BLK: 0.0 I PF: 1.2 I EFF: 29.8 - JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks 1-4)
GP: 6 I MIN: 25.9 I PPG: 22.7 I FGM: 9.5 I FGA: 15.3 I FG%: 62.1 I 3PM: 0.0 I 3PA: 0.5 I 3P%: 0.0 I FTM: 3.7 I FTA: 6.8 I FT%: 54.4 I OR: 3.9 I DR: 6.8 I REB: 10.7 I AST: 2.3 I TO: 3.3 I STL: 2.0 I BLK: 2.5 I PF: 3.7 I EFF: 27.2
NBL26 Box Scores
- Game 1: JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks 0-1)
MIN: 30:44 I PTS: 32 I FGM: 15 I FGA: 20 I FG%: 75 I 3PM: 0 I 3PA: 0 I 3P%: 0 I FTM: 2 I FTA: 2 I FT%: 100 I OR: 3 I DR: 10 I REB: 13 I AST: 2 I TO: 4 I STL: 2 I BLK: 3 I PF: 3 I +/-: -2 I EFF: 43 - Game 1: Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers 1-0)
MIN: 36:59 I PTS: 39 I FGM: 14 I FGA: 23 I FG%: 60.9 I 3PM: 6 I 3PA: 9 I 3P%: 66.7 I FTM: 5 I FTA: 5 I FT%: 100 I OR: 0 I DR: 3 I REB: 3 I AST: 6 I TO: 3 I STL: 1 I BLK: 0 I PF: 1 I +/-: 8 I EFF: 37 - Game 2: Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers 2-0)
MIN: 35:11 I PTS: 28 I FGM: 11 I FGA: 18 I FG%: 61.1 I 3PM: 4 I 3PA: 8 I 3P%: 50.0 I FTM: 2 I FTA: 2 I FT%: 100 I OR: 0 I DR: 3 I REB: 3 I AST: 7 I TO: 2 I STL: 5 I BLK: 0 I PF: 0 I +/-: 34 I EFF: 34 - Game 2: JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks 0-2)
MIN: 28:05 I PTS: 26 I FGM: 12 I FGA: 20 I FG%: 60.0 I 3PM: 0 I 3PA: 1 I 3P%: 0.0 I FTM: 2 I FTA: 7 I FT%: 28.6 I OR: 4 I DR: 10 I REB: 14 I AST: 2 I TO: 2 I STL: 4 I BLK: 1 I PF: 5 I +/-: -1 I EFF: 32 - Game 3: JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks 0-3)
MIN: 21:53 I PTS: 19 I FGM: 6 I FGA: 9 I FG%: 66.7 I 3PM: 0 I 3PA: 1 I 3P%: 0.0 I FTM: 7 I FTA: 10 I FT%: 70.0 I OR: 0 I DR: 3 I REB: 3 I AST: 5 I TO: 5 I STL: 0 I BLK: 3 I PF: 2 I +/-: 7 I EFF: 19 - Game 3: Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers 3-0)
MIN: 37:35 I PTS: 29 I FGM: 6 I FGA: 12 I FG%: 50.0 I 3PM: 3 I 3PA: 5 I 3P%: 60.0 I FTM: 14 I FTA: 15 I FT%: 93.3 I OR: 0 I DR: 2 I REB: 2 I AST: 9 I TO: 3 I STL: 3 I BLK: 0 I PF: 2 I +/-: 8 I EFF: 33 - Game 4: JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks 1-3)
MIN: 22:05 I PTS: 13 I FGM: 5 I FGA: 7 I FG%: 71.4 I 3PM: 0 I 3PA: 0 I 3P%: 0.0 I FTM: 3 I FTA: 8 I FT%: 37.5 I OR: 3 I DR: 9 I REB: 12 I AST: 3 I TO: 3 I STL: 1 I BLK: 2 I PF: 3 I +/-: 6 I EFF: 21
Game 4: Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers 3-1)
MIN: 36:33 I PTS: 7 I FGM: 3 I FGA: 10 I FG%: 30.0 I 3PM: 0 I 3PA: 4 I 3P%: 0.0 I FTM: 1 I FTA: 3 I FT%: 33.3 I OR: 1 I DR: 3 I REB: 4 I AST: 3 I TO: 2 I STL: 1 I BLK: 0 I PF: 1 I +/-: -23 I EFF: 4 - Game 5: Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers 4-1)
MIN: 30:56 I PTS: 28 I FGM: 10 I FGA: 23 I FG%: 43.5 I 3PM: 4 I 3PA: 10 I 3P%: 40.0 I FTM: 4 I FTA: 4 I FT%: 100 I OR: 2 I DR: 2 I REB: 4 I AST: 6 I TO: 4 I STL: 3 I BLK: 0 I PF: 2 I +/-: 4 I EFF: 24 - Game 6: Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers 5-1)
MIN: 38:23 I PTS: 53 I FGM: 16 I FGA: 29 I FG%: 55.2 I 3PM: 5 I 3PA: 13 I 3P%: 38.5 I FTM: 16 I FTA: 16 I FT%: 100 I OR: 1 I DR: 1 I REB: 2 I AST: 5 I TO: 1 I STL: 1 I BLK: 0 I PF: 1 I +/-: 10 I EFF: 47 - Game 5: JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks 1-4)
MIN: 23:24 I PTS: 22 I FGM: 8 I FGA: 18 I FG%: 44.4 I 3PM: 0 I 3PA: 1 I 3P%: 0.0 I FTM: 6 I FTA: 10 I FT%: 60.0 I OR: 4 I DR: 7 I REB: 11 I AST: 1 I TO: 2 I STL: 0 I BLK: 5 I PF: 5 I +/-: -6 I EFF: 23 - Game 6: JaVale McGee (Illawarra 2-4)
MIN: 27:47 I PTS: 24 I FGM: 11 I FGA: 18 I FG%: 61.1 I 3PM: 0 I 3PA: 1 I 3P%: 0.0 I FTM: 2 I FTA: 4 I FT%: 50.0 I OR: 5 I DR: 6 I REB: 11 I AST: 1 I TO: 4 I STL: 3 I BLK: 1 I PF: 4 I +/-: 8 I EFF: 27
The Story So Far
Bryce Cotton remains the most dominant offensive player in the NBL, averaging 30.7 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game on 52/45/93 shooting splits. He’s the undisputed engine of Adelaide’s attack — scoring efficiently from all three levels while orchestrating play for others and maintaining elite control of the game.
JaVale McGee continues to be a force of nature in the paint, averaging 22.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game on 62% shooting from the field. His interior presence, rebounding, and rim protection have transformed Illawarra’s defense, though free-throw inconsistency (54%) and a rising foul count have slightly tempered his overall impact.
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