# 2023 New Zealand NBL season

The 2023 NBL season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball League. For the third year in a row, the league fielded 10 teams.
The regular season commenced on 6 April in Pukekohe, with the Franklin Bulls hosting the Hawke's Bay Hawks at Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre, and contained 15 weeks followed by a four-day finals schedule in July.

## Team information

| Team | City | Arena | Head Coach | Import | Import | Import |
| Auckland Tuatara | Auckland | Eventfinda Stadium | Aaron Young | Cameron Gliddon | Joe Lawson | Jarrad Weeks |
| Canterbury Rams | Christchurch | Cowles Stadium | Judd Flavell | Troy Baxter Jr. | Tevin Brown | Galin Smith |
| Franklin Bulls | Auckland | Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre | Daniel Sokolovsky | Jamaal Brantley | Rickey McGill | Jared Wilson-Frame |
| Hawke's Bay Hawks | Napier | Pettigrew Green Arena | Everard Bartlett | Ira Lee | Bryce McBride | |
| Manawatu Jets | Palmerston North | Arena Manawatu | Natu Taufale | Javion Blake | Mustapha Heron | Danny Pippen |
| Nelson Giants | Nelson | Trafalgar Centre | Michael Fitchett | Matur Maker | Avery Woodson | |
| Otago Nuggets | Dunedin | Edgar Centre | Brent Matehaere | Michael Harris | JaQuori McLaughlin | Todd Withers |
| Southland Sharks | Invercargill | Stadium Southland | Guy Molloy | Grant Anticevich | Josh Cunningham | Jeremy Kendle |
| Taranaki Airs | New Plymouth | TSB Stadium | Trent Adam | Anthony Hilliard | Armon Fletcher | Kendrick Ray |
| Wellington Saints | Wellington | TSB Bank Arena | Troy McLean | Kyle Adnam | Isaiah Mucius | Elijah Thomas |

## Summary
### Regular season standings

| Pos | Team | W | L | Qualification |
| 1 | Auckland Tuatara | 13 | 5 | Semi Finals |
| 2 | Otago Nuggets | 12 | 6 | Semi Finals |
| 3 | Canterbury Rams | 12 | 6 | Preliminary Finals |
| 4 | Franklin Bulls | 12 | 6 | Preliminary Finals |
| 5 | Wellington Saints | 9 | 9 | Preliminary Finals |
| 6 | Hawke's Bay Hawks | 8 | 10 | Preliminary Finals |
| 7 | Taranaki Airs | 7 | 11 | |
| 8 | Southland Sharks | 6 | 12 | |
| 9 | Nelson Giants | 6 | 12 | |
| 10 | Manawatu Jets | 5 | 13 | |

### Finals

| Preliminary Finals | Preliminary Finals | Preliminary Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals | Final | Final |
| | | | 1 | Auckland Tuatara | 92 | | |
| 4 | Franklin Bulls | 124 | 4 | Franklin Bulls | 67 | | |
| 5 | Wellington Saints | 104 | | | | Auckland Tuatara | 82 |
| | | | | | | Canterbury Rams | 93 |
| | | | 2 | Otago Nuggets | 103 | | |
| 3 | Canterbury Rams | 103 | 3 | Canterbury Rams | 114 | | |
| 6 | Hawke's Bay Hawks | 95 | | | | | |

## Awards
### Performance of the Week

| Round | Player | Team |
| 1 | Danny Pippen | Manawatu Jets |
| 2 | Tai Wynyard | Canterbury Rams |
| 3 | Walter Brown | Canterbury Rams |
| 4 | Jeremy Kendle | Southland Sharks |
| 5 | Kyle Adnam | Wellington Saints |
| 6 | JaQuori McLaughlin | Otago Nuggets |
| 7 | JaQuori McLaughlin | Otago Nuggets |
| 8 | Troy Baxter Jr. | Canterbury Rams |
| 9 | Kyle Adnam | Wellington Saints |
| 10 | Jeremy Kendle | Southland Sharks |
| 11 | Robert Loe | Auckland Tuatara |
| 12 | Dan Fotu | Franklin Bulls |
| 13 | Avery Woodson | Nelson Giants |
| 14 | Jeremy Kendle | Southland Sharks |
| 15 | Jordan Ngatai | Hawke's Bay Hawks |

### Statistics leaders

Stats as of the end of the regular season
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
| Points per game | Jeremy Kendle | Southland Sharks | 24.6 |
| Rebounds per game | Robert Loe | Auckland Tuatara | 11.5 |
| Assists per game | Jeremy Kendle | Southland Sharks | 8.9 |
| Steals per game | Rickey McGill | Franklin Bulls | 2.5 |
| Blocks per game | Robert Loe | Auckland Tuatara | 2.1 |

### Regular season

* Most Valuable Player: Robert Loe (Auckland Tuatara)
* Most Outstanding Guard: Jarrad Weeks (Auckland Tuatara)
* Most Outstanding NZ Guard: Derone Raukawa (Hawke's Bay Hawks)
* Most Outstanding Forward: Robert Loe (Auckland Tuatara)
* Most Outstanding NZ Forward/Centre: Robert Loe (Auckland Tuatara)
* Scoring Champion: Jeremy Kendle (Southland Sharks)
* Rebounding Champion: Robert Loe (Auckland Tuatara)
* Assist Champion: Jeremy Kendle (Southland Sharks)
* Most Improved Player: Charlie Dalton (Auckland Tuatara)
* Defensive Player of the Year: Robert Loe (Auckland Tuatara)
* Youth Player of the Year: Walter Brown (Canterbury Rams)
* Coach of the Year: Aaron Young (Auckland Tuatara)
* All-Star Five:
** G: Jeremy Kendle (Southland Sharks)
** G: Jarrad Weeks (Auckland Tuatara)
** F: Tevin Brown (Canterbury Rams)
** F: Todd Withers (Otago Nuggets)
** C: Robert Loe (Auckland Tuatara)

### Finals

* Grand Final MVP: Tevin Brown (Canterbury Rams)