New dad Loe cleared to join Breakers early

Mother Nature keeps to no-one’s schedule and in the case of the arrival of Breakers big man Rob Loe’s first baby, the timeline has been reset firmly in the team’s favour.

Loe’s wife, Kelly, had their first baby boy in Auckland several weeks ahead of schedule, which means the experienced centre will be able to join his Breakers team-mates in Melbourne in plenty of time to play a full part in the team’s NBL pre-season campaign.

The Breakers’ NBL season proper tips off on January 15 in a highly anticipated visit to Melbourne United, who have picked up the Kiwi club’s 2019-20 standout import Scotty Hopson in a celebrated off-season signing.

The New Zealand-based members of the squad, minus Loe, left on Sunday to commence preparations in Melbourne, where they are expected to fit in five pre-season games, likely to be against the two Melbourne clubs and the Perth Wildcats ahead of the January 15 tipoff.

It is a tightly run process with Breakers coach Dan Shamir telling

Stuff the four-week pre-season he will have is the minimum preparation time required to have his team anywhere near peak condition when it matters. Star signing and two-time All-NBL player Lamar Patterson is also due in a little late as he wraps up his commitments in the Puerto Rico league’s playoffs.

But the Breakers have caught the metaphorical break, with Loe to depart tomorrow to join up with his team-mates. It had been originally thought baby’s arrival might have been round January 1, which would have left a tight turn-around for the sharpshooting big man to cross the Tasman and get himself up to speed.

Loe figures on being an integral part of Shamir’s rotation this campaign, with the 2.11m 29-year-old, who has added some weight-room strength over the off-season, set to be a key member of the Breakers’ bench brigade for NBL 2021. It is likely he cedes the starting centre job to new import seven-footer Colton Iverson.

‘‘They are very different type players,’’ said Shamir of his twin towers. ‘‘Colton is a great screen/ roller kind of guy, and in our system with the shooters and pick-’n’-roll creators he can open up a lot of plays. Rob is a similar body [size] but he is more a face-up shooter and passer.’’