The importance of attracting the right import

Foreign players come in many shapes, sizes and abilities, writes Ian Anderson.

It’s probably the toughest thing in basketball to get right. Signing an imported player can make or break a franchise, season after season. Land a gifted performer with an industrious work ethic and you could claim a title or three. Choose a player with hidden flaws, injury woes or one that simply doesn’t fit your system and your campaign could be down the drain before mid-season.

The NZ Breakers have jumped on the import merry-go-round this season in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL), chiefly due to injuries.

Ben Woodside had played six games as the club’s import point guard and the jury was still out when he tore his plantar fascia in November. His replacement David Stockton made a promising home debut but averaged just 8.3 points and 4.2 assists per game on 37 percent shooting in his 10 appearances before being cut, with a back injury hastening his departure.

The arrival of Kevin Dillard as the club’s third import point guard has coincided with an upturn in results that has them on track for the playoffs, while swingman Paul Carter was brought in as a replacement for shooting guard Corey Webster – and the sidelined Tom Abercrombie – at Christmas time.

Power forward Akil Mitchell, who suffered a horrifying eye injury in Thursday night’s game against Cairns, has been here since the start of the season and appears to comfortably fit the role the Breakers seek from their imported forwards of ‘‘solid contributor’’ rather than ‘‘game-changing star’’.

Has the club been successful in recruiting imports since its debut season in 2003/04?

It’s hard to form a case that they’ve been any better than average.

What does give them a big plus is the success of the club with Cedric Jackson. Signed for the 2011/12 season, the former Cleveland State college player won a title in his first season with the club, guided them to another the following season and returned after a disappointing year in Slovenia to steer the Breakers to a third crown in as many seasons with Jackson.

Gary Wilkinson was another who was a key performer in multiple title-winning teams, while Ekene Ibekwe will always be remembered for his title-clinching shot at the North Shore Events Centre in 2015.

But past that? It’s a mixture of high-scoring/me-firsts, competent role players, walking wounded and failures.

Below is a run-through of all Breakers imports, and how they’ve fared. THE TOP 10

1) Cedric Jackson: The most successful signing the club has made. The point guard won titles in his first two seasons, left, came back and won a third title. His fourth campaign was his first failure in New Zealand and the club reluctantly – chiefly for salary cap reasons – let him join Melbourne for the current season, where he was cut after nine games. Not without flaws, Jackson was still undeniably the spark that transformed the franchise’s fortunes.

2) Gary Wilkinson: ‘‘Big Red’’ was loved by the fans and with good reason – the centre/power forward who could also shoot from deep won titles in his first two seasons with the club. He came back in 2013/14 but couldn’t recapture past glories as the side finished their campaign second from bottom.

3) Mike Chappell: The first import at the club to make an impact. The smooth shooting guard helped lift the franchise in its debut season after a horror start and was again its major scoring option in the second season despite injury problems before being released with one year to run on his deal.

4) Ekene Ibekwe: Averaged 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks while playing 22 minutes per game in the 2014/15 season. Would have been regarded as a quality contributor before his game-winning buzzer-beater against Cairns that sealed the club’s fourth title made him a memorable import.

5) Carlos Powell: The prolific and polarising small forward played one season, 2006/07, and averaged a hearty 28.3 ppg. He took out the club’s MVP award but drew criticism for being more interested in his own points haul than the club’s W-L record.

6) Shawn Redhage: The young power forward seemed like a decent prospect when he averaged 12 ppg at the start of the 2004/05 season. But he was surprisingly cut after 14 games and replaced by Marcus Timmons. Redhage was picked up the following year by the Perth Wildcats and became a club legend, winning three titles and playing more than 350 games for the perennial championship contenders.

7) Kevin Braswell: Played the last seven games of the 2009/10 campaign and returned the following season to be part of the club’s first title. An inconsistent shooter, the lefty came up with some huge buckets in big playoff moments to play his part in history.

8) Rich Melzer: Started slowly in the 2005/06 season due to injury and was part of a team that struggled under new coach Andrej Lemanis before impressing as a high-scoring power forward in the latter stages. Signed soon after with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA but never made their roster and went on to play for the Cairns Taipans and teams in France, Israel and Germany.

9) Rick Rickert: A reliable big man, the Minnesota native first appeared in 2007/08 and averaged nearly 18 points and 12 rebounds per game before a back injury sidelined him. Played two more seasons and 73 games in total for the club.

10) Will Hudson: Wasn’t a star performer, but wasn’t expected to be. Played his part in the jigsaw as the Breakers won a third consecutive crown in 2012/13. THE FLOPS

Awvee Storey: Came to the club in 2009/10 season with an NBA resume, but lasted only nine games.

Kerron Johnson: Charged with filling the shoes of Cedric Jackson in 2013/14. Didn’t do so.

Marcus Timmons: The veteran replaced Redhage in 2004/05. Wasn’t a smart move.

Brant Bailey: Played in 2005/06. Could score a bit, could also turn it over a lot while not stopping much at the other end.

Darnell Lazare: Played four games in 2012/13, and was cut after averaging 4.5 points while shooting at 27 per cent. ANYONE REMEMBER THESE GUYS?

Derrick Alston: 2007/08, replacement for the injured Rick Rickert.

Brian Green: 2005/06, injury cover for Melzer and Bailey, stayed on when Bailey was cut.

Brian Wethers: 2006/07, injured, replaced by Pierre Wooten.

Pierre Wooten: 2006/07, replaced Wethers, played behind Paul Henare.

Iona Enosa: 2003/04, journeyman.

Casey Frank: Ok, most remember Frank. Played as an import in the debut season before being cut for Chappell. Returned briefly as a naturalised player in 2014.

Wayne Turner: 2006/07, suffered a thigh injury, replaced by Orien Greene.

Orien Greene: A replacement for Wayne Turner. Was suspended for two years for tampering with urine samples while playing for a pro team in Amsterdam, then made the headlines recently when he was arrested and charged with felony burglary and misdemeanour battery.

Charles Jackson: Played for the runners-up in 2015/16, averaged 10 points and eight boards in 20 minutes per game.