Beat The Coach: Top Round 14 picks & PLAY NOW

12 Days of Christmas in the NBL means another huge round of action begins right as the previous one ends.

We’ve got seven huge games coming up over the next seven days, with just four sides taking to the court twice for the round meaning the pool of options is much smaller compared to last week.  

Damon Lowery had another down week, suffering a loss to over 4,000 coaches last round. He won’t want this form slump to last forever, but now is as good a time as ever to jump in and try to take him down. Pick your best lineup and compete to take home some massive prizes in Round 14 Beat The Coach, presented by Choice Hotels.

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Premium options:
Bryce Cotton – Adelaide 36ers ($529,900)
Bryce Hamilton – Tasmania JackJumpers ($320,100)
Flynn Cameron – Adelaide 36ers ($224,300)
Isaac Humphries – Adelaide 36ers ($305,500)
Javon Freeman-Liberty – Brisbane Bullets ($268,200)
Josh Bannan – Tasmania JackJumpers ($344,000)
Kendric Davis – Sydney Kings ($448,500)
Majok Deng – Tasmania JackJumpers ($220,100)
Terry Taylor – Brisbane Bullets ($269,400)
Tyrell Harrison – Brisbane Bullets ($355,500)
Will Magnay – Tasmania JackJumpers ($258,300)
Xavier Cooks – Sydney Kings ($307,300)
Zylan Cheatham – Adelaide 36ers ($356,900)
- Names listed alphabetically

Adelaide 36ers superstar Bryce Cotton started Round 13 strong, with 51 SuperCoach points against the Sydney Kings in the Ignite Cup on Wednesday night. He added 35 more against Illawarra over the weekend and remains an excellent choice for Round 14 in the 36ers matchups with Cairns and Perth.

Teammates Zylan Cheatham and Isaac Humphries were both strong once again, with 58 and 47 SuperCoach points respectively, while Flynn Cameron’s price has jumped well above the $200,000 mark for the first time this season after a 50-point SuperCoach haul for the round.

Tyrell Harrison led the line for the Brisbane Bullets once again and was particularly strong in his side’s win over New Zealand on Monday, with 54 SuperCoach points for the game. He finished the round with 84 SuperCoach points in total.

Javon Freeman-Liberty only managed 18 SuperCoach points against South East Melbourne but followed up with his biggest game of the season so far and finished the round with a total of 62 SuperCoach points. Terry Taylor also had a quieter night against the Phoenix but managed 28 SuperCoach points against the Breakers and finished with 33 for the round.

Sydney Kings star duo Kendric Davis and Xavier Cooks were both excellent last week, with Davis scoring more than any other player for the round with 98 SuperCoach points. He comes in as a cheaper but just as effective alternative to Cotton, whose price sits around $80,000 higher heading into Round 14. Cooks finished with more points than any other forward option in Round 13, with 77 SuperCoach points in total for the week.

Tasmania’s Josh Bannan and Bryce Hamilton were equally impressive from a SuperCoach standpoint, finishing Round 13 with 56 and 55 points respectively, as each of their averages sits just above 30 per game. Will Magnay had another strong week, finishing with 43 SuperCoach points for the round, while Majok Deng racked up 39 SuperCoach points and sits at a very affordable $220,100 after a minor price drop.

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Budget-friendly picks:
Alex Ducas – Brisbane Bullets ($175,100)
Ben Ayre – Tasmania JackJumpers ($151,700)
Bul Kuol – Sydney Kings ($189,400)
David Johnson – Tasmania JackJumpers ($194,500)
Dejan Vasiljevic – Adelaide 36ers ($155,800)
Isaac White – Adelaide 36ers ($120,700)
Jack Purchase – Brisbane Bullets ($63,700)
Jacob Holt – Brisbane Bullets ($132,500)
Jaylin Galloway – Sydney Kings ($175,900)
Makuach Maluach – Sydney Kings ($105,900)
Mitch Norton – Brisbane Bullets ($148,400)
Nick Marshall – Tasmania JackJumpers ($176,900)
Nick Rakocevic – Adelaide 36ers ($148,600)
Tyger Campbell – Tasmania JackJumpers ($189,100)
- Names listed alphabetically

Isaac White had a strong round for the Adelaide 36ers, finishing with 36 SuperCoach points. The total was his highest in a double-game week since he scored 39 back in Round 8. Nick Rakocevic managed 33 SuperCoach points in just one game for the 36ers after missing their Ignite Cup clash on Wednesday due to suspension. He will carry plenty of momentum into Round 14 after a solid performance against the Hawks. Dejan Vasiljevic went quiet after an enormous start against the Kings on Wednesday but maintained his consistent scoring run with another 28 SuperCoach points for the round.

Alex Ducas and Jacob Holt were both solid once again for the Brisbane Bullets, scoring 39 and 35 SuperCoach points respectively for the round, while Mitch Norton contributed nicely with 21 SuperCoach points. Sitting at just $63,700, Jack Purchase firms as an excellent low-budget choice after he took advantage of a minutes increase and finished Round 13 with 22 SuperCoach points in an average of 11.5 minutes per game.

Bul Kuol missed the second game of Round 13 due to injury but was excellent against the 36ers with 23 SuperCoach points for the game. Should he return, he would be a terrific choice this week. Jaylin Galloway impressed with 28 SuperCoach points for the round, while Makuach Maluach had a strong week, maintaining a solid role and finishing with 33 SuperCoach points in total. Maluach is by far the cheapest option of the Kings trio, listed at just $105,900, but all three have plenty of scoring potential heading into next week, especially given the momentum the Kings will carry into their upcoming games after a huge win on Sunday.

Tyger Campbell was brilliant for the JackJumpers this week, with his score of 58 SuperCoach points being their highest total for the round. Nick Marshall maintained his consistent run, scoring 31 SuperCoach points, while both Ben Ayre and David Johnson contributed well with 26 and 19 SuperCoach points respectively. Johnson has suffered a $35,000 price drop this week, making him a more affordable option and a very valuable one given the role he continues to play for the JackJumpers.

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Tempting single-game choices:
Jack McVeigh – Cairns Taipans ($402,900)
JaVale McGee – Illawarra Hawks ($479,200)
Kristian Doolittle – Perth Wildcats ($292,300)
Nathan Sobey – South East Melbourne Phoenix ($377,900)
Parker Jackson-Cartwright – New Zealand Breakers ($415,400)
Tyson Walker – Melbourne United ($287,600)
Will Hickey – Illawarra Hawks ($368,900)
- Names listed alphabetically

With six teams playing just one game this week, there are plenty of options in this category for players willing to take the risk. Jack McVeigh had an unbelievable night against the Breakers, which helped him to a 70-point SuperCoach total for the week.

At Illawarra, JaVale McGee and Will Hickey remain the strongest options, though McGee’s status is unknown after missing the second Round 13 game due to illness. Hickey continued his consistently excellent run of form, finishing the round with 52 SuperCoach points in total.

Tyson Walker was by far the standout for Melbourne United in Round 13, finishing with 81 SuperCoach points for the week, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright was equally impressive for the New Zealand Breakers, sitting just one point shy of Walker on 80.

Kristian Doolittle was brilliant against the JackJumpers on Sunday, racking up 41 of his 54 SuperCoach points for the round. Expect him to carry plenty of momentum into Round 14 and continue to be the main man for the Wildcats going forward.

Nathan Sobey has performed at an elite level all season long for the Phoenix and finished with another 75 SuperCoach points in Round 13. He’s a reliable option if coaches are willing to look that way ahead of South East Melbourne’s clash with the JackJumpers on Monday.

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