What better way to get a stock take on the NBL than to gauge the opinion of its players?
That's a fun idea, sure, but how do we ensure honesty? Anonymity, of course. So, that was the exercise we embarked on.
A total of 60 current NBL players were surveyed by ESPN -- a number that represents over half of the league -- spanning from All-NBL level talent to those on minimum contracts, with all 10 teams represented. The goal was to gauge opinion on their colleagues, the teams around the NBL, and questions that are currently being debated in the league office.
Each respondent was encouraged to be as honest as possible, and they were permitted to vote for themselves if they wished. They were all encouraged to be as objective and serious as possible, but there is, of course, no guarantee they would be.
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There's legitimacy in, broadly speaking, all opinions offered within the NBL ecosystem -- whether it be from journalists, analysts, or provocateurs -- but the experience of current players arguably offers the most accurate insight into trends and sentiments around the league.
Who do they think is actually good? What do they think about decisions that get made around the league? How do they view certain teams?
Here's how a representative sample size of NBL players see their colleagues and issues within the league as we enter the 2024-25 regular season.
Who's the best player in the NBL?
Bryce Cotton was, unsurprisingly, the most popular answer here. He's the reigning MVP, a four-time winner of that award, and seven-time scoring champion. NBL broadcaster Jack Heverin refers to Cotton as "The Benchmark", and it's clear that players around the league largely feel the same way, with the Perth Wildcats guard receiving 41 votes from his peers.
Xavier Cooks came in second with 12 votes, with the one-time league MVP returning to the Sydney Kings after a short stint in the NBA.
Milton Doyle received 3 votes, after helping lead the Tasmania JackJumpers to the franchise's inaugural title. New South East Melbourne Phoenix guard, Derrick Walton Jr. -- who's a one-time NBL Grand Final MVP -- received 2 votes.
Who's the best shooter in the NBL?
When it came to questions that needed a player or team as its selection (discounting 'yes or no' prompts, for the moment), Chris Goulding as the best shooter in the NBL had the largest consensus.
Of the 60 players surveyed, 52 had the Melbourne United guard as the best marksman in the league. That's more than 86% of respondents.
"This isn't particularly close," one player said. "Nobody is in the same galaxy."
Goulding is coming off one of the best shooting seasons of his career. He averaged 16.9 points per game, shooting 40% from downtown (on 10 3PA), and it's been a decade since he shot below 35 percent from beyond the three-point line.
New Phoenix wing Joe Wieskamp received 2 votes, despite not playing an NBL game yet; his reputation as a shooter over his time in the NBA G-League - a 37.5% career three-point marksman in that league - clearly earning him some favour.
Six players received a single vote: Cotton, Hyunjung Lee, Dejan Vasiljevic, Izayah Le'Afa, Clint Steindl, and Tyler Harvey.
While Goulding was seemingly the obvious choice, one respondent was surprised when told Cotton only received 1 vote: "The shots he makes... no-one else can," he said.
Who's the best defender in the NBL?
Toward the end of last season, Jo Lual Acuil Jr. -- then a Melbourne United big-man -- got something off his chest in a post-game press conference.
"We have this guy named Shea Ili," he said. "He should be defensive player of the year. It's pretty criminal he hasn't won one yet... c'mon, man. It's time. I don't wanna go on a rant here, but it's pretty obvious who the best defensive player is."
Of course, Ili would then go on to win the Damian Martin Trophy for the first time in his career. It's surprising it was Ili's first, given the reputation he's earned as a formidable defender; still, it's clear Lual-Acuil's sentiment is widespread around the league.
Ili received 30 of the 60 votes when players were asked who the best defender in the NBL is.
The Sydney Kings' newest recruit, Bul Kuol, came in second with 12 votes, while the JackJumpers' Will Magnay was next with 6 votes.
Who's the most underrated player in the NBL?
This prompt turned into a minefield.
Of the 60 responses, a total 28 players received at least one vote here. That's relatively understandable, considering the league is small, so players are generally given their flowers.
One player was able to separate himself from the pack, though, and that was the Bullets' Tyrell Harrison. He received 6 votes, and most teams around the league will privately admit that they're expecting him to build off of what was effectively a breakout season for him over the 2023-24 campaign.
Harrison's early career was hampered by injuries, but he just completed a healthy season and is primed for another leap in a contract year; though, the Bullets are currently engaged with him in extension talks, sources told ESPN.
"He's probably the Bullets' best player," one respondent said.
Next, with 6 votes, was both Sean Macdonald and Shea Ili, while the Illawarra Hawks' Lachlan Olbrich finished with 5 votes.
Also receiving votes: Lat Mayen, Kristian Doolittle, Jarred Bairstow, Sam Froling, Kyle Adam, Owen Foxwell, Jordon Crawford, Matt Kenyon, Ben Henshall, Mitch Norton, Bul Kuol, Deng Adel, Jack White, James Batemon, Kouat Noi, Tai Webster, Alex Toohey, Majok Deng, Rob Edwards.
What's your favourite arena to play in?
The response to this prompt was always going to be fascinating, because there aren't that many NBL arenas that have developed strong reputations.
There are some limp descriptions that do exist. Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena is the biggest. Illawarra's Win Entertainment Centre (WEC) is regarded as a shooter's gym. RAC Arena -- The Jungle -- is always generally regarded as one of the hardest stadiums to play in, while Tasmania's MyState Bank Arena has quickly developed a reputation as one of the loudest in the league.
It's interesting that, while the perception of RAC is that it's a tough place to play, it was toward the top of the list of respondents' favourite arenas to play in.
By the end, though, it was Melbourne's John Cain Arena that led the way here with 20 votes.
"It's the best mix of being like an NBA arena and also having a good atmosphere," one player said of John Cain Arena.
Perth's RAC Arena came in second with 15 votes.
The WEC in Wollongong was next, with five votes: "When that place is pumping, it's unreal," one player said.
Which player would you most like to play alongside?
What do NBL players value in a teammate? The answer to that question was implicitly revealed in who ultimately ended up on this list.
Two things stand out. One, of course, is talent. Playing next to high-level players increases the chance of winning, as well as the opportunity you may get from the attention they draw. There's also, for lack of a better word, the honour of being able to witness talented players up close and to play alongside them.
The other standout trait seemed to be competitiveness. Again, the question could've been framed as: who do you want to go into battle with? Players who compete and work hard were popular answers to this question.
So, when it came to who our voters would most like to play alongside, Xavier Cooks led the way with 9 votes.
"He's just so selfless," one player said.
Jackson-Cartwright's talent is also undeniable -- especially his ability to get two feet in the paint at will in order to create for others -- and he was top-three in MVP voting last season because of it.
Cooks and Jackson-Cartwright, while not at all similar in playstyle, have many common traits; both are well-liked around the league, supremely talented, and high-level competitors.
"Great dude, tons of energy, makes guys better," one respondent said of Jackson-Cartwright.
Cotton and Matthew Dellavedova both received five votes, while Will Magnay, Isaac White, Goulding, and Ili all received 4 votes. That group fits a similar description as those who led the way in this category: they're among the most competitive and hardest-working players in the NBL.
Also receiving votes: Derrick Walton Jr. (2), Ian Clark (2), Alex Toohey (2), Mitch Norton (2), Milton Doyle (2), Mitch McCarron, Gorjok Gak, Jack White, Jaylen Adams, Keanu Pinders, Lachlan Olbrich, Cam Oliver, Rob Edwards.
Should player salaries be public?
Salaries in the NBL have been kept behind closed doors for the longest time.
Over the past few years, though, there has been progress in making the funds involved within the NBL publicly available. ESPN manages to obtain team finances after every season, which includes each player's salaries, but we only publish the team's total and cap spend.
The Australian Basketball Players' Association (ABPA) has long been against the public release of player salaries. There are privacy concerns that some players have, while reservations exist about the perception of those on the lower end of the salary range; a minimum contract, for example, is just under $75,000.
"We don't get paid enough," one 'no' voter said.
The vote on whether salaries should be public garnered opinion from all ends of the spectrum. A total of 40 of the 60 voters said 'no', while 14 said 'yes'. One player advocated for just the top salaries being released, while two said they would like to see 'salary ranges' publicised. One person said salaries should be made public to only players and agents.
The argument for the release of salaries is generally three-fold. Firstly, there's the consideration around transparency. It would largely be a helpful thing for the general public to have a more explicit understanding of how teams are constructed. Public salaries would give fans and media analysts more context when heaping judgment onto player performances; that's objectively helpful for those on the outside, but a double-edged sword for players.
Finally, there's the argument that it would bolster the popularity of the league. Salaries being readily available opens up a heap of avenues for narratives within the media and the league's fans, which would more than likely drive higher engagement, particularly online. More engagement is a barometer of popularity. More popularity generally means being in a good position to get a larger TV deal, which would, in turn, increase player salaries. One player who voted that salaries should be public said as much, in jest: "yes... we'd all get paid more."
The divide in opinion can be summed up with two separate comments provided to ESPN by a pair of players.
"F-K NO," one player said, in all caps.
"YES!!!!," another said, with all of those exclamation marks.
What team would you least like to play for?
There are many reasons why a player wouldn't want to play for a certain team. It may be the location, or the coach, the opportunity that exists, or the reputation around how the franchise operates.
It was the Adelaide 36ers who received a plurality of votes -- 34 of the 60 -- for the team players would least like to play for.
"Seen and heard enough," one player said.
The consistent turnover of head coaches hasn't helped the public perception of the 36ers, while the lack of recent on-court success also likely played a role in this player sentiment.
The Cairns Taipans were next with 11 votes. The Taipans are a team that generally spends the least, so the perception of their ability to win on a consistent basis takes a hit among players; that, along with the location being relatively far from Australia's major cities.
The New Zealand Breakers received 7 votes, with one player citing "travel," as the key reason why it wasn't an ideal NBL team to exist in. The Brisbane Bullets also had 3 votes here.
The NBL is considering moving toward two Next Stars per team. Good or bad idea?
Right now, teams are permitted one Next Star on their roster. It's a supplemental roster spot, on top of the 11 that they must fill. We've seen different outcomes for Next Stars over the years, from those who can make an impact right away and affect winning, to the ones who are effectively just NBA Draft buyout bait.
The results have been mixed, but the league seems steadfast on continuing to expand the program. Talks of a Next Stars team remain active - all eyes on the city of Sydney - while the most likely next step would be permitting two on each team.
The ABPA recently approved a year-long rule exception to allow teams to sign two Next Stars, sources said, with one having to be an Australian or Kiwi. It's a sentiment the league is in favour of, and most teams expect to happen sooner than later.
So, what do the league's players think of that potential rule change?
A vast majority -- 47 of 60 respondents -- voted that it would be a bad idea.
"F---ing horrendous idea," one player said. Another echoed that sentiment: "Terrible idea."
One player who voted that it was a good idea agreed with the specific change the league would be eyeing: "Good, if one is local."
The reason for those who voted against the potential change ranged from the dilution of the program -- "Keep it being a unique and hard thing to achieve for young players," one said. -- to the effect on the integrity of the league, and how it may impact current local players in the NBL.
"Teams shouldn't be caught up in the financial incentives to lose games with draft prospects," one respondent said. "Also, it accidentally holds Australian/NZ players back from opportunities they are often more than ready for."
Rate NBL officiating out of 10
The outcome here... wasn't as bad as it perhaps could've been.
Referees in the NBL have been maligned for the past decade and, while the league has attempted steps to improve the quality of officiating, a significant amount of valid criticisms still exist.
All players surveyed offered a rating out of 10, with the responses ultimately averaging out at 6.4.
To be clear, that number is still quite low, but there was a very real chance the rating could've been truly dismal.
The largest rating was an 8 -- two players gave that vote -- while the lowest was a 1.
"After NBL1 refs, I actually can't wait for NBL refs," a player who gave an 8 rating said.