Berisford Codd Jr. ©
This season’s all-star break happened later in the season than expected, with most teams playing 75% of their games by the break. While the MVP picture looked like it would be a clear runaway, late surges and team performances may factor into what may have originally been deemed an inevitable. This is the challenge with selecting a Most Valuable Player, how much stock will the voters put in statistics, team records, intangibles, performance against playoff teams etc.
Since the launch of the MVP Watch, only two players have sat atop the ranking: San Pedro Tiger Sharks Jihad Wright and Digicell Belize City Defenders Nigel Jones. While the two imports have led the way, we have witnessed consistently great performances from locals like Defenders Darwin “Puppy” Leslie, Smart Belize Hurricanes Akeem Watters and Griga Dream Ballers Edgar Mitchell. While fans have been blessed with a crop of home grown gems, some of our other local stars have underwhelmed relative to their individual and team standards (Belmopan Bandits Faron Louriano, Verdes Richard Troyer and Orange Walk Running Rebels Roger Reneau).
The local baller who has consistently paired excellent individual play, intangibles and team success has been Griga Dream Ballers star Daniel “Buddy” Nolberto. Nolberto presents the greatest hope for keeping the trophy under local ownership, as he has been the alpha for the 8-1 Griga Dream Ballers all season.
With that said, let’s take a look at this week’s 2018 NEBL MVP Watch:
- Nigel Jones, Digicell Belize City Defenders
Seasons Stats: 22.5 ppg, 10.38 rpg, 1.75 blkpg, 1 spg, 51 fg%
MVP Case (8 games): After running off three consecutive games of at least 25 points, Jones came tumbling back to earth with a subpar 12 point performance against the Dream Ballers. This comes after a fourth quarter two weeks prior where Jones disappeared during the Dream Ballers comeback. Jones will remain in the driver’s seat to win the MVP if the Defenders can secure that third seed and he continues his statistical dominance. He will surely get the touches from Head Coach Troy Gabb Jr., as he looks to be the only player in the league to break the 20 ppg scoring average plateau.
- Daniel Nolberto, Griga Dream Ballers
Season Stats: 17.89 ppg, 1.33 spg, 2.67 3pmg, 2.67 rpg
MVP Case (9 games): Leading the charge from the jump of the 2018 season, Nolberto has stood atop the Dream Ballers loaded pecking order as the man to game plan for. Buddy has averaged over 20 points in his last three games, willing his team to two impressive home victories against the Bandits and Defenders respectively. It has been a welcomed sight for Dream Ballers fans to see Buddy get to the free throw line 8 times per game over his past three outings, which signals a high level of awareness that teams are trying to run him off the three point line. For Nolberto to creep up closer to Jones and snatch his first MVP Award in the final stretch of the season, he must shoot the ball more efficiently and lead Griga to the best record in the league. Fortunately for him, he has both the skill and will to do so!
- Jihad Wright, San Pedro Tiger Sharks
Season Stats: 13.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 4 apg, 2.9 stpg, 54 fg%
MVP Case (10 games): Wright has been a difficult player for the casual fan to gauge throughout the season. He has shown himself as a capable scorer with multiple 20 point scoring perfromances but has also posted three single digit scoring games. However, Wright’s impact on all other facets of the game has been so profound that his inconsistent scoring should not weigh too heavily against his MVP case (especially given his efficient shooting). Looking at Wright’s counting numbers, he’s had game highs of 18 reb, 8 ast, 6 stl and 3 blk. His ability to fill the box sheet works perfectly in the Tiger Sharks system, which already features scoring threats like Martevuius Adams, Jamal Kelly and Ashton Edwards. If Wright can close with another two solid scoring games to up his average and the best record in the league, he will put the icing on a tremendous 2018 NEBL campaign.
- Akeem Watters, Smart Belize Hurricanes
Season Stats: 16 ppg, 7.25 rpg, 3.13 spg, 54 fg%
MVP Case (8 games): Watters has been the barometer for the Hurricanes success all season long, as the team has lost all three games where he has not tallied at least his scoring average. He delivered one of the season’s signature performances (20 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 6 stl, 54 fg%) and led the Hurricanes on an impressive fourth quarter run to defeat league leading San Pedro Tiger Sharks. With the Hurricanes battling for the 3rd playoff position, we should expect Watters to continue pressing full speed ahead. His brilliance on both ends of the floor has kept him in the MVP Watch all season and should allow him to slightly edge out scoring brilliance of Digicell Belize City Defenders Darwin Leslie. It’s uncertain whether he has enough time to seriously contend for the top spot on the MVP Watch, but a strong close of the season for Watters and the Hurricanes should have the other competitors nervous with the impending return of last season’s MVP Devin Daly!
On the Radar: Darwin Leslie (Digicell Belize City Defenders), Martevuius Adams (San Pedro Tiger Sharks), Edgar Mitchell (Griga Dream Ballers), Glency Lopez (Smart Belize Hurricanes)