Centre
Manawatu centre Nick Horvath was the league's MVP last year and has made another impressive start this season. He leads the competition in rebounding, averaging a colossal 14.6 boards.He also chips in with 16.4 points a game.
He gets the nod ahead of Waikato's Zack Atkinson, who has produced some dynamic performances. Nuggets centre Antoine Tisby has not had the same impact he had last season.
Power forward
BJ Anthony. No-one else comes close to the power-packed performances he has been delivering for the Nuggets this season. When the game got close against the Hawkes Bay Hawks on Friday night, the former Tall Black came alive with 10 consecutive points, a couple of blocks and several crucial rebounds.
He leads the competition in scoring and there is no stopping him in the paint. Mika Vukona (Giants) is yet to find his best form but the Breakers hard man has a huge up side. Look out for him at the business end of the tournament.
Small forward
It is a toss-up between Otago's Akeem Wright and Nelson's Josh Pace. We've seen more of Wright, so he gets the decision. He can be a streaky shooter but he is a fabulous all-rounder and battles every possession.
He was player of the week in round five thanks to a wonderful performance against Taranaki. He landed seven of his nine three-point attempts on his way to a haul of 35 points. He also had 10 rebounds, seven assists and five steals.
Shooting guard
Manawatu's Troy McLean or Hawkes Bay's Everard Bartlett would be a good choice. They are both quality three-point shooters and offer this team a nice balance.
Otago's Hayden Allen is an excellent defender and calming influence when games get tight. Southland's Kevin Braswell is another solid option.
He loves having the ball in his hand when the game is on the line. But our pick is Wellington's Lindsay Tait. He is slightly out of position but we wanted to make room for somebody else in the backcourt.
Point guard
Most of the statistics point to Tait. He is a classy player who dominates this league year after year, and leads the competition in assists and three-point shooting. But it is hard to go past Nuggets captain Mark Dickel.
There is no statistic that measures inspiration. He has almost single-handedly turned the franchise around.
What he delivers on court - and he is certainly the equal of any point guard in the league - pales in comparison to his leadership and his ability to get the best out of everyone around him. He is the heart and soul of the Nuggets, and they lead this competition with eight wins from eight games. That is the only stat that counts.
