We went through the backcourt blokes last time (plus Tom Abercrombie to balance the numbers) so now it must be the turn of the frontcourt. The big fellas. Forwards and centres. So in appropriate fashion, let’s just box this sucker out and get on with it.

Alex Pledger

Stat Line: 6.4 PTS | 5.1 REB | 0.5 AST | 1.0 BLK | 0.6 TOV | 1.9 PF

Shooting: 56.8 FG% | 68.3 FT%

The Chief had a strange season. He battled injuries at times (but only missed two games and both were after playoff seeding was already sorted) and started 17 while coming off the bench 11 times, meanwhile he saw his rotation minutes eaten into by Rakeem Christmas’ arrival and also the inconsistencies of Rob Loe. Yet here was Pledger, Mr Dependable the whole way. He might now be the best non-import defender on this roster (Tom Abercrombie is welcome to argue, he’s also got a case, Mika Vukona too of course) but what’s surprising is that the Breakers also scored a team-best 126.2 points per 100 possessions with Pledger on the court. The best Offensive Rating and the second best Defensive Rating (109.6), an insane 16.6 point differential. Again only Rakeem Christmas can rival Pledger’s rebounding percentages at both ends of the court… the Breakers were 1-8 when Pledger played fewer than 12 minutes.

His stats are skewed by the minutes he played, averaging only 15.5/Gm. Look at his Per-36’s and he’s sixth in scoring and second in rebounding. His scoring may have dropped but that’s largely down to shooting less than five times per night – his shooting stats were actually really good and that’s despite him flexing a bit more range on that jump shot. Doubtful he’ll ever be launching trebles out there but if he can hit from 10-feet on the regular then that opens up the pick and pop, it opens up driving and rebounding lanes for others… it’s something to progress with for sure. Every team needs those dudes who just put their head down and do the mahi but Pledger would be fair to ask for a few more touches and a whole lot more minutes next campaign. #FreeTheChief

Season Grade: O for Orson

Rob Loe

Stat Line: 7.3 PTS | 4.3 REB | 1.1 AST | 0.7 STL | 0.6 BLK | 0.9 TOV | 2.9 PF

Shooting: 47.8 FG% | 34.7 3PT% | 68.3 FT%

We got a glimpse of the player Rob Loe can be in the home playoff game when he banged a bunch of three-balls on the way to 16 points from 6/6 shooting. We got a glimpse of the other side in the away game a few days earlier when he went from 0/6 from the field for 0 points. That’s two seasons with the Breakers now for Robbie and he didn’t really kick on this time like it was hoped he might. Still played roughly 18 mins per night and scored a little over 7 points with 3-4 rebounds. His shooting percentages were pretty much the same and, most annoyingly, his fouls increased.

Loe doesn’t really dominate the paint like some of the big men in this league, his worth is in his shooting from range. He needs to find a better balance on defence first of all because he’s no use sitting on the bench in foul trouble but even when he’s out there he needs those triples to drop. When they do he’s capable of being the difference between an L and a W, when they don’t he’s too often an irrelevance. He hit four in that second semi, he also hit four in a game against Sydney where he scored 23 and was fantastic. Six times he fouled out. Seven entirely different times he scored 11+. He’s rocks and diamonds in that way but if he can edge that 3PT% up there then he suddenly becomes a massive asset – he’s that close.

Season Grade: A Wavering Hand

Mika Vukona

Stat Line: 6.2 PTS | 6.2 REB | 1.7 AST | 0.6 STL | 2.3 TOV | 3.2 PF

Shooting: 53.5 FG% | 42.0 FT%

It’s a sad but blatant fact that Mika Vukona isn’t the player he once was. The dude turns 36 in two months so that’s completely to be expected, it’s just that there were so many times this season when he was asked to be the lynchpin of old and it didn’t work like that. It’s not that he’s suddenly a trash defender, nah he’s still brilliant on that end give or take a few too many fouls. His defensive rating was 111.3, that’s only beaten by Loe, Pledger and Christmas. Two of those three big guys also had better offensive ratings than defensive ones though, a net positive, while Mika’s was a horrid 95.2. The other lads with negative ratings differentials were: Ili, Ngatai, Abercrombie, Christmas and Newbill but Mika’s difference was more than double the next worst.

The old fella played every game in 2017-18, leading the team in rebounds, but his lessened role on offence has gotten to be a problem. He’s basically a post-up guy now who gets a few shots early then acts as a decoy the rest of the way. But defences know he’s not gonna shoot so they don’t touch him. Vukona sets a mean screen, of course, but you know he won’t peel off for the jump shot. And worst of all was that he inexplicably became a 42% free throw shooter last season. Back in 2014-15 he made 80% of his shots and now this? Easily the worst mark of his illustrious career. Then the other thing is turnovers. He’s set a higher average once but that was in 2011-12 when he had way more of an offensive presence. A guy scoring only 6.2 PPG should not be coughing the ball up more times on average than the starting point guard.

What we have seen the last two seasons is a drop off in Mika’s minutes, down to around 20 per contest. That might drop more next season too (pretty sure he’ll be back). It’s normal for a 35 year old player to have regression but that needs to be managed for the good of the team, so they can maximise the things he still dominates at. Two things that’ll help that very quickly would be a floor-stretching Rob Loe and a resurgent Tom Abercrombie. And better free throw shooting, make it three things.

Season Grade: Overcast with a 25% chance of rain

Rakeem Christmas

Stat Line: 7.6 PTS | 5.7 REB | 0.6 STL | 0.4 BLK | 1.2 TOV | 2.8 PF

Shooting: 48.0 FG% | 54.3 FT%

The first time we saw Rakeem Christmas he was a sight to behold. Came off the bench against the Hawks and scored 14 points with 8 rebounds in only 15 minutes on the court, exciting stuff. So it’s pretty stink that he never reached those heights again. Christmas’ role was always a tricky one with two other centres on the roster, he was a luxury to hopefully bring another gear to this team but in reality it was a shuffle that Coach Paul Henare never really figured out. Fouls were always an issue, picking up at least three in his first four games and in eight of his 12 all up, with his lowest point being when he fouled out scoreless against the Hawks in only six total minutes.

What we did get from Xmas was a fantastic rebounder. Particularly on the offensive end, the five O-Boards he grabbed against Melbourne in the home semi were huge. He played above his season averages in the playoffs so there’s no blame there, however his signing was a gamble that didn’t quite pay off. Good finisher around the rim, a physical defender… but the Breakers lost nine of the 12 games he played.

Season Grade: Six foot Nine

Finn Delaney

Stat Line: 5.2 PTS | 3.3 REB | 0.8 AST | 0.8 TOV | 2.0 PF

Shooting: 50.4 FG% | 22.2 3PT% | 65.8 FT%

This was the season in which Finn Delaney proved he belongs at this level. He and his remarkably Irish-sounding name played in all but two games this campaign and by the end of it was a very reliable bench option. He’s of the Mika mould of hustle player, throwing himself around out there and he may look a slight lad but he gets his rebounds, don’t even worry. Plenty of that didn’t get reflected in the box scores on the regular but they don’t teach stat padding at the School of Mika. Having said that, Delaney got his chance to shine in the final game against Illawarra and he responded by shooting 8/13 for a personal best 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

The only thing was he shot just 22.2% (6/27) from deep. That’s terrible. His action can look shaky and as such he doesn’t really project to be an above average jump shooter and that could affect his opportunities down the line… maybe. But maybe not because a player with as much heart and energy as this, who is this much fun to watch, is always gonna get a run somewhere. What’ll be interesting and potentially important is if he can continue on the upswing and start assuming a bit more of Vukona’s part in the gameplan – Darth Vader to his Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Season Grade: 7.5 out of 11

Jordan Ngatai

Stat Line: 2.8 PTS | 0.9 REB | 0.3 AST | 0.1 STL | 0.5 TOV | 1.0 PF

Shooting: 53.1 FG% | 55.6 3PT% | 57.1 FT%

Between Shea Ili and Finn Delaney’s respective breakouts there wasn’t a lot of remaining hype to dish out to young Jordy, which is a shame. There’s a lot to like about the steps he took. Having played a total of 20 minutes of NBL action prior to this season he logged almost 137 of them this time, far more than just the last couple minutes of blowouts. Ngatai was always ready to step up when someone else was injured, eventually seeing minutes in his own right in matchup situations where a little more size on the wing would be handy. And when a couple blokes were rested in the final game of the regular season, it was Ngatai who played his best game yet as he drilled four of five triples for 17 points in 22 minutes of ball.

Think about that a second, if Ngatai can shoot threes and defend then he has a significant part to play in 2018-19, surely. He made 10/18 this term, which is a small sample size, but he was a 41.3% shooter for the Wellington Saints last gig so if he can consolidate that in the next NZ NBL then that’s something to get pumped for.

Season Grade: Two bucks of chips at Lil Abners

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