New Breaker puts emphasis on his defence
As new Breakers import Akil Mitchell began talking about his ethos and strengths as a basketballer, you could see the sense of anticipation building in the bloke sitting next to him.
The seat was occupied by new head coach Paul Henare and you could tell he was enjoying what he was hearing as Mitchell, a 24-yearold, 2.09m power forward with two years of pro experience, detailed what Breakers faithful could expect from the final piece in the roster puzzle for the 2016-17 Australian NBL season.
‘‘I’m a defence-first kind of guy, and defensive versatility is kind of what I do,’’ said Mitchell who followed four years at the University of Virginia (under Kiwi NBL legend Tony Bennett) with a season in the NBA D-league and one playing for Antibes in the top French league. ‘‘I’ve always been able to play multiple positions from high school through college, but I really pride myself on the defensive end.
‘‘Scoring is secondary to me. It comes in the flow, and when everybody is sharing the ball you see teams enjoying playing together and winning. But I really thrive on playing defence.’’
These words would have been music to the ears of Henare who has plenty of scoring in his newlook roster for the looming season, but needs an athletic and versatile defensive presence to complement the more blue-collar virtues of veteran four man Mika Vukona.
Mitchell, who was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina (in a family of Panamanian descent), admitted he was taking a step into the unknown, heading to a league and country he knew little about. ‘‘Lord of the Rings is probably what New Zealand is most famous for where I’m from.’’
But it’s championship rings for which the Breakers have become synonymous, having won four titles in five years prior to last season’s runnerup finish. Mitchell figured as much from his web research, but had that confirmed as soon he was whisked to club headquarters after arriving in Auckland yesterday.
‘‘After doing my research one thing that stood out for me was this club’s winning pedigree. The character, family-oriented approach and the winning pedigree were the two things that were super important to me and I’m excited to be part of,’’ he said.