Breakers sign ‘Agent 97’
The Breakers have turned to Australia to bolster their backcourt resources for next year’s Australian NBL.
The club yesterday said it had signed former Cairns Taipans point guard Jarrad Weeks to a two-year deal as it continues to assemble a roster for the 2018-19 season, and beyond.
Weeks, dubbed ‘Agent 97’, will likely back up designated starting point guard Shea Ili and provide some much needed speed and intensity off the bench. His signing comes at a time when 32-year-old Tall Blacks playmaker Jarrod Kenny has just been released by the Perth Wildcats.
The 28-year-old Melbourneborn guard has played over 100 NBL games, with Sydney, Illawarra and, for the past two seasons, the Cairns Taipans. He is set to become a more familiar face with Kiwi hoops fans when he suits up for the Southland Sharks in the New Zealand NBL this winter.
The signing looks a good one, with Weeks developing as a strong contributor over the last couple of seasons with the Taipans. He likes to play at pace, has quality handles, a solid jump shot and is a proven gamechanger off the bench.
It is also a bold move by coach Kevin Braswell to go with two ‘‘locals’’ at point guard, with the new coach likely to look to fill the two guard spot with an import or two.
‘‘The culture at the Breakers is awesome. Over the past 10 years they have always been at or near the top,’’ said Weeks. ‘‘I am coming over to learn how to win a championship and hopefully I can bring something to the table as well.’’
Weeks said discussions with Breakers general manager Dillon Boucher and Braswell had persuaded him of the wisdom of a move across the Tasman.
‘‘[Braswell] builds a platform focused on individuals and sharing his knowledge from the NBL and Europe, which is a very exciting prospect for me. I like the way the Breakers are going to play. It will be a fun, uptempo style of basketball and I think it’s going to be an exciting year.
‘‘The club has a winning culture, and you can tell from the outside they are a tight-knit group. They know how to play with each other and fit into the system. The main goal is to win championships, but it is also clear the environment allows guys to get better every year, and I am flattered to be a part of it.’’
Braswell said the prospect of the Ili–Weeks backcourt partnership was an exciting one.
‘‘I have been watching and admiring Jarrad for years. He has always been exciting, he brings tempo to the floor, he is electrifying, and he will complement Shea.
‘‘Equally, both are growing as players and will bounce things off each other and push each other, and that is exciting too.
‘‘These two going against each other every day in in training is going to be fun to watch.’’
Braswell, though, cautioned against a one-dimensional approach.
‘‘You can push the tempo any time you like, but you have to have smart players to execute within that tempo and make adjustments quickly and intuitively, and execute in the half court as well. Both Shea and Jarrad have shown they can do that.’’
The Breakers now have Alex Pledger, Tom Abercrombie, Shea Ili, Finn Delany and Weeks contracted for next season.