Le’afa helps
‘‘It’s a blessing to play in front of my parents. Life’s too short not to have them watching.’’ Izayah Le’afa
Izayah Le’afa knows exactly what he’s having to eat ahead of tonight’s Australian NBL clash against his old South East Melbourne Phoenix club in Christchurch.
One of the key off-season additions who have helped catapult the Breakers from serial pretenders to genuine contenders in this league, the in-form Kiwi combo guard is also not one to mess with the basketball fates.
Before last Sunday’s clash against the Brisbane Bullets in Auckland Le’afa changed up his pre-game sustenance routine, and came out on fire, netting 21 firsthalf points. He knocked down 7 of 9 field-goal attempts, 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, and had 3 boards, 3 assists and a trio of steals in 16:58 that set the table for the most lopsided contest of the ANBL season.
That he didn’t add to his points haul over the run home (he took just one more shot in a runaway 116-79 victory), and have a crack at his career high of 29 (set his rookie season), is neither here nor there. Le’afa knew it was others’ time to get theirs up.
Selflessness is just one of the qualities of this special group coach Mody Maor has assembled.
Le’afa has a theory on what fed the most complete half of basketball of his short professional career as the sizzling 10-3 Breakers went top of the ANBL with a fourth straight victory, and seventh in their last eight.
‘‘I changed my pre-game meal,’’ Le’afa trellis Stuff before heading to Christchurch. ‘‘Normally I have a wrap and a smoothie – but this time I had chicken and rice. Maybe I’ll stick with that and see how far it takes me.’’
Something is fuelling the 26-year-old’s breakout campaign with a dialled-in Breakers outfit who have left two years of Covidinflicted agony in their dust to emerge as the success story of this ANBL season.
Le’afa is thriving, averaging 12.5 points, 2.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds, while shooting 40% overall and 35 from 3-point land.
He has scored double-figures in 10 of 13 games and is a lockdown defender on a squad full of castiron stoppers.
‘‘It’s good to be top of the table, but we know in the playoffs seedings don’t matter. Everyone can beat everyone, it’s going to come down to mentality and the physical standpoint,’’ he says of a mindset very much in the present.
Still, he likes the team he’s on. ‘‘Our culture and chemistry is second to none. It started with Mody selecting good people, good teammates, and the skill level comes with that. It wasn’t instant. The pre-season we were terrible . . . from then on everyone has bought in and embraced their roles and enjoyed playing with each other.’’
A good example of that is the backcourt, with Le’afa and Aussie Will Mcdowell-white starting and explosive import Barry Brown Jr coming off the bench in a finishing role he’s excelled at. It’s a dynamic reaping rich rewards.
‘‘Barry is one of the top players in the league and could start on any team,’’ notes Le’afa. ‘‘He plays big minutes and is our go-to guy down the stretch, but credit to him for buying into his role. That’s what makes us great – everyone buys into the system.’’
There’s a growing swag about Le’afa’s game as he gets more and more comfortable in Maor’s system, and his coach loves it. Yes, turnovers are too high (his assist to turnover ratio is close to 1:1 and that needs to come up), but neither player nor coach are unduly concerned about that.
Of course, he has plenty of guidance from his father, long-time Saints Kiwi NBL guard George, who along with mother Dana is a constant presence at all Breakers’ home games, even though they live in Wellington.
‘‘He’s always telling me things, good and bad, and I always listen to him because he’s been through it and his experience is amazing. I love picking his brains on the game. It’s what’s helped me grow into who I am,’’ says Le’afa.
‘‘It’s a blessing to play in front of my parents. The last two years they didn’t get to watch when I was with the Phoenix. Life’s too short not to have them watching.’’
And the Phoenix at Christchurch Arena tonight has special resonance. The Melbourne outfit gave Le’afa his first crack in the pro game, as he emerged in two years there from a little-used development player to a genuine starter in one of the premier leagues in the world.
‘‘It’s always special to play a team who took you in when no one else really would. I had a great experience there, alongside some greats with Creeky [Mitch Creek], Gibbo [Adam Gibson] and Reuben [Te Rangi]. It was amazing to pick their brains. We had a great import in Keifer Sykes who also taught me a crazy amount.’’