Breakers Breakthrough?
Ever since the Warriors became the first NZ based team to join a regular Aussie comp, we’ve been waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
Mind you, we all got excited when Wynton Rufer came back to live with the Kingz. Who soon became the Queenz and we’re still waiting.
Yes, we got excited in 2002 when Mrs Jones little boy made us think we can, we know we can just like the little tug. Or was it a train? Any way, you know the story.
And let’s not forget that this year the Aussie pundits picked the Warriors to go all the way. They almost did – just two teams did worse.
The waiting is over for the Brekaers who kick off their season tonight.
But you’ll have to excuse me for not getting carried away while a few people are getting a bit excited about the prospects of the Breakers in this year’s ANBL.
And, no it’s got nothing to do with the fact that half of Australia seems to be tipping the Breakers to make the, er, breakthrough in the 2009-10 season and become the first Kiwi club to win an Australian league.
(I thought of that pun first!)
Anyway, the Breakers certainly look like the best chance to break the duck.
They certainly appear to have the depth:
Then there’s the decision on just how Leamnis will use his deep bench. His two “development” players, sitting at 11 and 12, are both Tall Blacks.
But wait (and we’ve been doing plenty of that since 1995!) there’s more:
[Breakers' coach] Lemanis certainly seems to have his bases covered with the squad he has this year. Kirk Penney says it’s the best the club has had. The coach doesn’t like to compare but admits “I like what we have”.
This is why:
Bruton and Paul Henare will cover the point, Penney, and Corey Webster two guard, Oscar Forman and Thomas Abercrombie small forward, Awveey Storey, Ronaldson and Jeremiah Trueman power forward and Rick Rickert and Alex Pledge centre. That leaves Dillon Boucher to slot in wherever he’s needed.
So there you have it – the Breakers can win.
The kiss of death.
We shall not talk about it. Not until the last minute of the last quarter of the last game of the finals series.
Not until then will we dare believe that a NZ based team will breakthrough and win an Aussie comp
