Zylan, Xavier cooking up MVP calibre Finals numbers

• ‍Game 1: 'Saturday night slaughter' as KD's Kings fire first shot‍
• Game 2: Cotton game-winner levels series as KD loses his cool‍
• Game 3: 'All love' as KD talks Cotton clash as Kings take Game 3
• Game 4: DJ winds back the clock to keep 36ers alive

Sydney Kings MVP runner-up Kendric Davis or Adelaide 36ers’ MVP Bryce Cotton will win the NBL26 championship and the Finals MVP trophy on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026.

For Cotton, it would be another historic season: Scoring title; MVP; championship; and Finals MVP.

For Davis, it would be vindication after leaving the 36ers at the end of NBL25 and as a twice-bridesmaid to Cotton in the MVP race.

But both are a single performance away from having the MVP trophy raised by a different star.

Sydney’s Xavier Cooks and 36ers’ Zylan Cheatham are stacking MVP-type performances that will decide Game 5.

The MVP Conversation

• Davis = offensive engine (MVP favourite)
• Cotton = primary creator and clutch controller
• Cheatham = Adelaide’s most complete two-way player
• Cooks = two-way stabiliser and interior anchor

How It Actually Stacks Up

• Davis: dictates pace, creates everything, owns the biggest performance (Game 3)
• Cotton: hasn’t exploded scoring-wise, but is shaping outcomes late (Game 2 + Game 4 playmaking)
• Cheatham: fills every category, carries physical load, and has the highest all-around consistency for Adelaide.
• Cooks: elite efficiency + rim protection, impact tied directly to Sydney’s control

Heading Into Game 5

• If Sydney wins: Davis (with Cooks as the only real threat to steal it)
• If Adelaide wins: Cotton is the favourite, Cheatham is the challenger

Sydney Kings: Minutes vs Impact

+---------------------+ MIN   | +/- | +/- per 40 mins |
+---------------------+-------+-----+-----------------+
| Kendric Davis       | 147.6 | +51 | +13.8           |
| Tim Soares          | 117.0 | +47 | +16.1           |
| Xavier Cooks        | 102.8 | +36 | +14.0           |
| Jaylin Galloway     |  86.2 | +36 | +16.7           |
| Torrey Craig        |  94.6 | +25 | +10.6           |
| Matthew Dellavedova |  94.2 | +28 | +11.9           |
| Makuach Maluach     |  81.5 |  +9 |  +4.4           |
| Kouat Noi           |  46.0 |  +3 |  +2.6           |
| Hunter Goodrick     |  11.5 | +10 | +34.8*          |
| Shaun Bruce         |   7.4 |  +6 | +32.4*          |
| Jason Spurgin       |   2.4 |  +5 | +83.3*          |
| Goc Malual          |   4.7 |  +7 | +59.6*          |
| Lueth Awan          |   4.7 |  +7 | +59.6*          |
+---------------------+-------+-----+-----------------+
(* = low minutes, not stable)

Adelaide 36ers: Minutes vs Impact

+------------------+ MIN   | +/- | +/- per 40 mins |
+------------------+-------+-----+-----------------+
| Bryce Cotton     | 151.2 | -39 | -10.3           |
| Zylan Cheatham   | 126.3 | -40 | -12.7           |
| Flynn Cameron    | 116.8 | -31 | -10.6           |
| Dejan Vasiljevic | 113.7 | -47 | -16.5           |
| Isaac Humphries  |  78.5 | -25 | -12.7           |
| Nick Rakocevic   |  76.2 | -16 |  -8.4           |
| John Jenkins     |  75.3 |  -9 |  -4.8           |
| Isaac White      |  27.7 | -30 | -43.3           |
| Matt Kenyon      |  24.2 | -17 | -28.1           |
| Keanu Rasmussen  |   5.8 |  -9 | -62.1*          |
| Michael Harris   |   4.7 |  -7 | -59.6*          |
+------------------+-------+-----+-----------------+
(* = low minutes, not stable)

Xavier Cooks – Series Impact Breakdown

Cooks hasn’t been the headliner, but his influence has been structural leadership – the kind that shapes winning possessions.

Series Totals (4 Games)

• 61 points (15.3 ppg)
• 27 rebounds (6.8 rpg)
• 10 assists (2.5 apg)
• 68.4% FG
• 8 blocks

That’s elite efficiency + rim protection + connective playmaking.

Why He’s Been So Important

1. Efficiency Under Pressure

Cooks is shooting 26 from 38 (68.4%) across the series.

• No wasted possessions
• Scores within structure
• Punishes rotations

When Sydney’s offence stalls, Cooks becomes the release valve, especially on cuts to the rim and with his high-arching runner.

2. Defensive Anchor (Quietly Series-Changing)

• 8 blocks in 4 games
• Constant rim deterrence
• Switchable across multiple positions

In Sydney’s two wins:

• Adelaide shot 34.6% (Game 1)
• Forced into lower-quality looks in Game 3

He’s not just blocking shots – he’s changing shot selection and then either grabbing the board or tapping it to advantage. His basketball IQ is off the charts.

3. Cooks is a Connector

He doesn’t dominate the ball – but he connects everything:

• Short roll decisions
• Extra passes
• Defensive communication

The Game 5 Swing Factor for Cooks’ MVP case

If Game 5 looks like:

• Physical
• Half-court
• Rebounding battle

Cooks becomes a viable MVP candidate instantly.

What he would need:

• ~18-22 points
• Double-digit rebounds
• Defensive presence (blocks/contests)
• Sydney win

Sydney Kings Series Box Score

+---------------------+ GP | MIN   | PTS | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | FG%  | 3P%  | FT%  |
+---------------------+----+-------+-----+-----+-----+----+-----+-----+------+------+
| Kendric Davis       |  4 | 147.6 | 101 |  11 |  38 |  7 |   3 |   0 | 43.4 | 38.7 | 95.8 |
| Tim Soares          |  4 | 117.0 |  52 |  31 |   7 |  3 |   0 |   5 | 60.0 | 53.3 | 72.7 |
| Xavier Cooks        |  4 | 102.8 |  61 |  27 |  10 |  5 |   2 |   8 | 68.4 |  —   | 40.9 |
| Torrey Craig        |  4 |  94.6 |  44 |  24 |   4 |  9 |   2 |   3 | 47.2 | 41.2 | 60.0 |
| Matthew Dellavedova |  4 |  94.2 |  18 |  17 |  24 |  6 |   3 |   0 | 33.3 | 25.0 | 75.0 |
| Jaylin Galloway     |  4 |  86.2 |  60 |   6 |   6 |  2 |   3 |   1 | 58.8 | 60.0 | 83.3 |
| Makuach Maluach     |  4 |  81.5 |  32 |  11 |   5 |  2 |   2 |   0 | 50.0 | 28.6 |100.0 |
| Kouat Noi           |  4 |  46.0 |  13 |  12 |   3 |  1 |   2 |   0 | 35.7 | 14.3 | 50.0 |
| Hunter Goodrick     |  2 |  11.5 |   6 |   1 |   1 |  1 |   0 |   0 |100.0 |  —   |  0.0 |
| Shaun Bruce         |  2 |   7.4 |   6 |   1 |   2 |  0 |   0 |   1 |100.0 |100.0 |  —   |
| Goc Malual          |  1 |   4.7 |   0 |   0 |   0 |  0 |   0 |   0 |  0.0 |  0.0 |  —   |
| Lueth Awan          |  1 |   4.7 |   0 |   2 |   0 |  0 |   0 |   0 |  —   |  —   |  —   |
| Jason Spurgin       |  1 |   2.4 |   5 |   2 |   0 |  1 |   0 |   1 |100.0 |100.0 |  —   |
+---------------------+----+-------+-----+-----+-----+----+-----+-----+------+------+

Zylan Cheatham – Series Impact Breakdown

Cheatham hasn’t just been good – he’s been Adelaide’s most complete and reliable presence across all four games.

Series Totals (4 Games)

• 52 points (13.0 ppg)
• 33 rebounds (8.3 rpg)
• 20 assists (5.0 apg)
• 52.3% FG
• 7 steals

That’s elite two-way production and playmaking from a forward.

Why He’s Been So Important

1. All-Court Production (No Gaps)

Cheatham is impacting:

• Scoring (efficient, not forced)
• Rebounding (team-leading)
• Playmaking (secondary initiator)
• Defence (steals, switches, activity)

He’s the only player contributing at a high level in every category.

2. Adelaide’s Connector (The System Runs Through Him)

When Adelaide wins, it’s rarely clean – and that’s where Cheatham thrives:

• Pushes pace after rebounds
• Creates advantages without isolations
• Links Cotton to shooters and bigs

He’s the glue between chaos and structure.

3. Physical Tone Setter

• 33 rebounds (series leader)
• 7 steals (disruption)
• Consistent defensive pressure across positions

Game 4:

• 23 pts, 8 reb, 9 ast
• Controlled tempo + physicality

“Z is just being Z,” head coach Mike Wells said.

“He’s done that stuff for us in different ways all year, but it manifests differently each game.

“You’re looking at the offensive side, but his defensive impact is just as big.”

When the game gets messy, he becomes the most influential player on the floor.

The Cheatham MVP Path

1. Win the Possession Game

• 10+ rebounds (with 3–4 offensive)
• Extra possessions and second-chance points
• Control tempo through defensive boards

If Adelaide clearly wins the rebound margin, Cheatham becomes central to their narrative.

2. Be the Connector and Finisher

He already creates – now he must add scoring weight

Target MVP line:

• ~18-22 points
• 8-12 rebounds
• 5-7 assists

That stat line forces:

• “He did everything” narrative.
• Not just “he supported Cotton”

3. Defensive Ownership of the Game

• Guard multiple positions (Cooks / wings / switches)
• 2-3 steals or momentum plays
• Visible defensive stops late

MVP moment doesn’t have to be a shot; it can be a game-saving defensive sequence

4. Be Central in the Deciding Run

If Adelaide has:

• A 10-0 run
• A late 4th quarter surge

Cheatham must be involved in:

• Rebound, push and assist.
• Offensive putback
• Defensive stop into transition

He needs fingerprints on the run that wins the game

5. Neutralise the Narrative Gap (vs Cotton)

Right now:

• Cotton = closer + face of the team
• Cheatham = system driver

To flip MVP: Cheatham must feel like the best player on the floor.

That means:

• Visible control
• Not just impact in the margins

What WON’T Be Enough

Even if Adelaide wins, Cheatham likely loses MVP if:

• He has 12-8-5 type line
• Cotton scores 25+
• Cotton hits late shots

Because narrative will default to: “Cotton won them the game”

The Exact MVP Scenario

If this happens:

• Adelaide win
• Cheatham: 20-10-6 with defensive impact
• Cotton: solid but not dominant (18-22 pts, no takeover)

Cheatham is a legitimate MVP candidate.

Adelaide 36ers Series Box Scores

+------------------+ GP | MIN   | PTS | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | FG%  | 3P%  | FT%  |
+------------------+----+-------+-----+-----+-----+----+-----+-----+------+------+
| Bryce Cotton     |  4 | 151.2 |  72 |  17 |  37 | 16 |   6 |   1 | 36.2 | 27.6 |100.0 |
| Zylan Cheatham   |  4 | 126.3 |  52 |  33 |  20 |  5 |   7 |   1 | 52.3 | 37.5 | 60.0 |
| Flynn Cameron    |  4 | 116.8 |  42 |  16 |  11 |  2 |   1 |   1 | 37.1 | 36.4 | 88.9 |
| Dejan Vasiljevic |  4 | 113.7 |  39 |   6 |   4 |  4 |   3 |   0 | 28.6 | 27.6 |100.0 |
| Isaac Humphries  |  4 |  78.5 |  38 |  25 |   2 |  3 |   1 |   6 | 69.6 |  —   | 75.0 |
| Nick Rakocevic   |  4 |  76.2 |  33 |  22 |   9 |  4 |   1 |   2 | 42.4 | 25.0 | 60.0 |
| John Jenkins     |  4 |  75.3 |  50 |   2 |   5 |  2 |   1 |   0 | 48.4 | 46.4 |100.0 |
| Isaac White      |  4 |  27.7 |  11 |   4 |   1 |  1 |   0 |   1 | 44.4 | 42.9 |  —   |
| Matt Kenyon      |  4 |  24.2 |   2 |   2 |   2 |  0 |   0 |   0 | 33.3 |  0.0 |  —   |
| Keanu Rasmussen  |  1 |   5.8 |   2 |   0 |   0 |  0 |   1 |   0 | 33.3 |  0.0 |  —   |
| Michael Harris   |  1 |   4.7 |   3 |   1 |   0 |  0 |   0 |   0 | 50.0 | 50.0 |  —   |
+------------------+----+-------+-----+-----+-----+----+-----+-----+------+------+

Perception is reality.

Regardless of what Cooks or Cheatham do in Game 5, the outcome will be Sydney championship, Davis Finals MVP or Adelaide championship and Cotton Finals MVP.