Tagged with: NBL
It’s taken a lot of waiting for this NBL season to finally swing around and even as it does the Breakers still have to wait a little longer as they didn’t have a scheduled game in round one. All part of the juggling of various state protocols, trying to do this thing in the midst of a global pandemic, you know?
From sturdy veterans to potential breakouts to exciting prospects the Aussie NBL is gonna be stacked with kiwis yet again and it goes far beyond the tantalising haul at the Breakers too
Doings remain afoot at Breakers HQ, as two-time All-NBL First Team wingman Lamar Patterson has signed a one-year deal with the club to fill the first of their two import slots.
You could be forgiven for thinking the NBL season had only just begun but we’re actually almost down to the chocolate-chunk at the bottom of the trumpet cone. That’s the nature of a shortened season, five weeks of regular stuff and then a week of playoffs and we’re done.
The revelation of this NBL Showdown thing has been the spotlight it’s given to that second and third tier of kiwi basketballers. Fellas who aren’t quite on that Aussie NBL level or who are perhaps are trying to make a claim to get to that level.
This was one of those unique circumstances where sacrifices and tough decisions were necessary so forget about the dramas because there’s only one way this NBL Showdown can be judged: the basketball itself.
The NBL is happening. And say what you will about how it’s happening but you have to admire the sheer determination of GM Justin Nelson and company to make it happen.
It’s been a strange old season for the Breakers, at times they’ve looked magical and at others they’ve looked atrocious and at all times they’ve looked inconsistent. A bit like the NBL as a whole, really.
Something else seems to be going on too though, something that drastically affects how well a team can play defence (and offence too for that matter). Something which has gotten Kevin Braswell in a little trouble and which has lightened the weight of his wallet.
It’s weird how quickly things can change in sport. A week ago I wrote a thing about what was a very confusing Breakers team, trying to come up with some kind of clearer picture as to what we’re dealing with here.
The Breakers are in a slump, they say. Lost eight of their last 12 since they went on that nine-game winning streak. Really does sound a lot like a slump, to be fair. Although... what would you say to the assertion that the slump ended a few weeks ago
It’s not like there weren’t people out there talking this up as a breakout season for Shea Ili. The signs were all there: the performances for Wellington and for the Tall Blacks, the state of the roster, the arc of his career, the faith and trust of Coach Henare… but seriously, how good has he been!?
David Stockton made his Breakers debut as the team split a home/away doubleheader with the Illawarra Hawks.
The first game of 2016 didn’t go a whole lot better than the last game of 2015.
Umm… what the hell was that exactly?
When it comes to celebrating milestones, the Breakers are pretty decent.
Kirk Penney has played many great games of basketball in New Zealand but this wasn’t meant to be one of them.
Once again, home court has been defended and the question is seriously starting to be asked: Are the Breakers championship favourites?
As well as the Breakers have played recently though, they’d still only won one away game this season until this one.
Fresh off of a close loss in Perth the other day, the Breakers were right back at it against the Wildcats again in a game that held plenty of later-season implications.