Cooks, Creek, Cotton up for NBL MVP award

Sydney Kings star Xavier Cooks is one of three nominees for this year's NBL MVP Award. (DAN HIMBRECHTS/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Xavier Cooks, Mitch Creek and Bryce Cotton have been announced as the three nominees for the NBL's most valuable player award.

The winners of the MVP trophy and the league's other accolades will be announced on February 7, in the lead-up to the play-offs.

Cooks is in career-best form as a forward for the Sydney Kings, who sit atop the ladder and have been the most consistent team this season.

On Sunday, he became the first player this season to record a triple-double and the first King since 2008.

Guard Cotton is a three-time recipient of the award and has been instrumental in helping the Perth Wildcats bounce back into play-offs contention under new coach John Rillie.

No player this season averages more points per game than Cotton (23.9).

Forward Creek ranks second to Cotton in points per game (23.2) and has been South East Melbourne's rock in another season challenging for play-offs qualification.

Creek was the Phoenix's first-ever signing in 2018 and has become synonymous with the club.

Cairns Taipans big man Keanu Pinder had been considered a chance to earn an MVP nomination but has played only twice since Christmas due to injuries. He has been shortlisted for most improved player, an award he won last year.

Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde and New Zealand Breakers' Mody Maor have been nominated for coach of the year after guiding their sides back into play-offs contention after two seasons languishing at the bottom of the table.

Kings mentor Chase Buford is also nominated on the back of his side's strong title defence.

Sam Froling, Luke Travers and Sam Waardenburg have been nominated for the new next generation award, presented to a player 25 or under. The accolade replaces the league's rookie of the year award.

In addition to the awards categories, any player in the league is eligible to be selected for the All-NBL First Team and All-NBL Second Team, with the MVP nominees poised for inclusion in the former.

The nominees for each category were selected by a panel of former players, journalists and broadcasters including Andrew Gaze, John Casey, Casey Frank and Jo Healy.

The coaches and captains of each of the 10 teams then voted on a preferred winner but were unable to select nominees from their own team.

NBL Most Valuable Player

Xavier Cooks (Sydney Kings)

Bryce Cotton (Perth Wildcats)

Mitch Creek (South East Melbourne Phoenix)

Lindsay Gaze Coach of the Year

Chase Buford (Sydney Kings)

Adam Forde (Cairns Taipans)

Mody Maor (New Zealand Breakers)

Most Improved Player

Sean Macdonald (Tasmania JackJumpers)

Keanu Pinder (Cairns Taipans)