Why Cooks is Rucker’s number one

Is it possible Xavier Cooks can take his game to another level in NBL25?

It’s going to be hard to top a league MVP, Grand Final MVP and back-to-back championships, but Derek Rucker says Sydney’s main man can get even better.

Rucker had Cooks as his number one overall player in his highly-discussed Top 15, ahead of fellow NBL stars Bryce Cotton, Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Jarell Martin and Chris Goulding. 

“I went back and forth, but ultimately it came down to the last time we saw Xavier Cooks in the league, he was the best player,” Rucker said, explaining his rankings. 

“I see no reason for any drop-off in his game and his performance since that time … he was on the championship team, he was the league MVP.”

Cooks returns to the NBL after 10 NBA games in Washington and a big season in Japan, where he put up similar numbers to his MVP year in Australia. 

“I think he’s going to be a better player … I really liked what I saw when he was playing for the Boomers. He was getting the ball off the rim, he was pushing it,” Rucker continued.

“Rarely do you see someone with this amount of talent also have this motor. He’s got a Rolls Royce engine.”

Cooks averaged 14.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists with the Chiba Jets and will form part of one of arguably the most talented NBL rosters in recent history. 

The Kings’ likely starting five features Cooks, Cam Oliver, Bul Kuol, Jaylen Adams and Alex Toohey, complemented by a deep bench unit.