Breakers fit and ready to fire
"This is what it's all about." Paul Henare, Breakers coach
The Breakers are banking on quality not quantity in their Australian NBL semifinal opener against Melbourne United at Hisense Arena tonight.
With the squad effectively split in two over the Fiba international window, they got together as a group only on Wednesday night in Melbourne, and have had just two practices to prepare for Dean Vickerman’s minor premiers.
But coach Paul Henare is banking on some lessons learned in the previous Fiba window and the chance for a key group of senior figures to steel themselves for what lies ahead in the best-of-three series against the title favourites.
Whatever way you look at it, it has been a far from ideal buildup. Even the Breakers admit that.
Henare had big men Alex Pledger and Rob Loe, Finn Delany, Jordan Ngatai and recently crowned NBL most improved player Shea Ili with him in Asia as the Tall Blacks ticked off quality road wins in China and Korea.
But a key core remained behind, working on their bodies and games, and getting in some five-on-five scrimmages to tune themselves for this series. That group comprised Tom Abercrombie, Mika Vukona, Kirk Penney and the import trio of Edgar Sosa, DJ Newbill and Rakeem Christmas.
If the Breakers are to advance to a sixth grand final and pursue a fifth NBL championship, it is that sextet who are very much going to provide the foundation.
Henare said the team had shown ‘‘awesome energy’’ since coming back together ‘‘like longlost buddies’’ and he tagged Thursday’s first of two full practices as their best of the season.
‘‘We’ve dealt with it in the best way we could,’’ he said. ‘‘The lessons we learned from November were put into place, and once we came together it’s gone really well. It’s one of those challenges you can’t do anything about, so we’ve embraced it and hit it on the front foot.’’
Henare confirmed that everyone was fully fit, with the soon-toretire Penney ‘‘running round like a little kid’’ after his calf troubles, and Vukona and Abercrombie also using their home time to get themselves ship-shape.
Pledger showed in two strong outings with the Tall Blacks he is over his rib problems.
‘‘In sport health is massive. If you’ve got healthy bodies to choose from and guys are feeling good physically, they’re able to perform at their best. Hopefully we have timed it right.’’
Sosa felt the stay-at-homers had prepared in the best way possible.
‘‘The playoffs is what you dream about, what you hope for when you start a season,’’ he said. ‘‘This is what it’s all about. Everybody starts 0-0, and you need five wins to be a champion. It’s going to be a good one. The team that makes more plays and defends better will get the victory.’’
He also confirmed he and feisty Melbourne point guard Casper Ware had settled their differences, off the court at least, during a preseries photo shoot in Melbourne.
‘‘We’re two players who want to do whatever we can for our teams to win,’’ said Sosa. ‘‘It’s nothing personal. He’s a funny dude outside the court, and there’s no bad blood between us off the court. On court we’re going to battle, and do what we have to for our teams.’’
It’s a matchup the Breakers did not exactly try to avoid as they finished up the regular season in rather half-hearted fashion.
They had won 11 of 12 over Melbourne prior to an undermanned group dropping back-to-back games in the penultimate round of the regular season, and swept them the only time (2015-16) they faced off in a semifinal (when United were also minor premiers, and the Kiwis fourth seeds).