Alex’s big strides helping Breakers
LAST Sunday in Wollongong when the Breakers were unravelling like a cheap jumper, the contribution of big Alex Pledger spoke volumes about the season he is having.
There was the Breakers sevenfooter (2.15m of him, to be exact) digging in for a respectable day’s work amid the mayhem of his team disintegrating in the face of the Illawarra Hawks’ relentless pressure. The score bloated out to 109-78, and only one Breaker walked off court that afternoon with his head held high. Extremely high.
Pledger finished with the quality statline of 16 points (on seven-of-11 shooting), 11 rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. He had no turnovers either in a game where his team gifted 22 possessions to the opposition.
It has not often been the case in recent seasons, but the man they call ‘‘The Chief’’ is proving a reliable presence for the 6-5 Breakers who look to bounce back from their Wollongong walloping via a testing ANBL matchup today at the Cairns Taipans.
A lot of that is down to the 29-year-old being injury-free for the first time in at least a couple of years. And with the big fella, healthy body equates to a positive mindset and an ability to make that long frame of his a factor on the basketball court.
‘‘Those two things work hand in hand with him − being healthy and having confidence in his body,’’ says Breakers coach Paul Henare. ‘‘He’s got himself into good spots, he’s moving well, crashing the boards really well, and at seven feet you make a nuisance of yourself around the hoop.’’
Pledger is averaging 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in just over 21 minutes as starting centre for the Breakers. He’s also shooting an impressive 63 percent from the floor and a not so heady 57 from the foul line.
But, after a slowish start, he appears to have found his groove over the last half-dozen games, GETTY IMAGES where he’s had a 20-10 night against Melbourne, three double-doubles all told and is running at 13 points and eight boards an outing. He’s also becoming an increasing shotaltering presence in the paint.
‘‘Everything is as good as it’s been for what feels like forever,’’ says Pledger before heading to Cairns. ‘‘It’s good not to have to stress about foot problems and to go out and play with a bit of freedom.
‘‘I didn’t exactly come out of the blocks on fire but as I’ve played more minutes and we’ve practised more I’ve gotten in better shape, and the performances have come.’’
Pledger described the likely season-ending injury to import point guard Ben Woodside as ‘‘unfortunate’’, coming right as they appeared to have figured out an effective pick-and-roll combination.
But he’s hopeful of finding a similar groove with replacement David Stockton.
‘‘He likes to get guys involved, he likes to push the pace, and play off that pick-and-roll, so he’s got a few similarities.’’