Breakers just not good enough
Marc Hinton runs the rule over the Kiwi club’s just-completed Australian NBL season.
Arookie coach, a trio of underperforming Tall Blacks and a creampuff defensive makeup all conspired to undermine the New Zealand Breakers’ ill-fated Australian NBL season.
Throw in a marked step back in game-day presentation, middling and slow-to-engage attendances and a notable lack of intensity and leadership on court, and you have a club with a fair bit to think about during the long offseason.
The Auckland-based club – in many respects the flagship entity of Kiwi hoops – was well short of the mark in this rapidly improving league, wrapping up the 2018-19 regular season sixth of the eight teams with a 12-16 record.
It was a disappointing result from what was widely considered a successful recruiting class for new head coach Kevin Braswell. They lured back the well performed Corey Webster and Tai Wesley, picked up Jarrad Weeks and Majok Majok out of Australia, and added two quality imports in former NBA big man Shawn Long and Patrick Richard alongside journeyman Armani Moore.
Allied with the Kiwi core of Tom Abercrombie, Shea Ili, Finn Delany and Jordan Ngatai, it was considered a roster as deep and talented as anything in this league.
But they simply did not perform. At least not consistently enough, and not when it really mattered. They went toe to toe with everyone, but struggled to close out against the quality teams.
Their record against the top four was a collective 4-12.
Defence was clearly this group’s biggest weakness. Some of that’s on the inexperience of Braswell. He will learn a lot from this, and if he’s honest with himself will recognise he failed to cajole the necessary effort or alignment out of his players.
Braswell conceded as much at the club’s awards dinner when he sheepishly admitted in presenting the defensive prize that it was a stretch to hand anyone the honour.
Of course starting point guard Shea Ili got the nod as the only Breaker to play consistently engaged and lock-down defence throughout. Long had his moments as a rim protector (if not in the team scheme), Abercrombie too had patches as a stopper and Moore at least brought physicality to balance his limited offensive game.
But on the whole the Breakers allowed too many easy buckets, and lost too many close games they were positioned to win. The numbers back up their frailties with the club finishing bottom of the league in opponents’ threepoint percentage and free-throw attempts, second from bottom in opponents’ turnovers and fifth in rivals’ field goal percentage.
Where else did they come up short?
Webster, Abercrombie and Ili, all outstanding performers for the Tall Blacks, simply did not deliver.
The decision to instil Ili as the starting point guard backfired, and in a position awash with quality around the league, the Kiwi club could not compete.
Ili struggled all season on offence and when his three-point shot deserted him (23 per cent for the campaign) his driving game was compromised.
Webster (38 per cent from the floor) was also a shadow of the world-class scorer he is consistently for the national team. Partly that’s on him, and partly on Braswell’s stilted offensive system which did not create quality looks for the perimeter men.
Abercrombie had moments where he used his athleticism and all-round game effectively, but just not enough to be the influential performer he is capable of.
Long, Wesley and Weeks were the team’s best three players. Long was a powerhouse on offence and it was a great shame the Breakers failed to cash in on the qualities he brought in what will be a one-term stay.
Wesley faded a little towards the end but generally delivered with his cagey low-post game and the energetic Weeks was a revelation off the bench, unlucky not to win at least one of the sixth man and most improved awards at the league’s big night.
Delany produced enough over the back half of the season to encourage Braswell he could yet emerge as advertised and Richard was good without being great in a bench role he never really mastered.
Moore won’t be back with his limitations and Majok and Ngatai never found favour with Braswell in the rotation.
So where to now? Well, owner Matt Walsh and GM Dillon Boucher are limited to a degree with Webster, Ili, Delany, Ngatai, Abercrombie and Weeks all still contracted, along with Braswell. That leaves the three import slots and Wesley and Majok off their deals.
Wesley should be retained. That’s a no-brainer. Long won’t be back. He will make too much elsewhere off the back of that season highlight reel.
Richard, who enjoyed his stint and was a good fit, comes into the 50-50 category, while word is the club hope to offer Majok’s spot to graduating Kiwi collegian Jack Salt.
Leadership is also a major issue. The departure of Milka Vukona hurt more than anybody will acknowledge because suddenly the senior locker-room voice and guy who held everybody to account was gone. That was never replaced.
There is a lot of need in this team. And limited spots to fill it.