NZ Breakers ready for ANBL season opener
One final practice session remains before the Breakers open their NBL27 season at Spark Arena on Sunday and head coach Gordie Herbert says it is ‘time to get going’,
“The last couple of games in Australia went well, we had a couple of guys hurt but others stepped up and it was great for our depth,” said Herbert.
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“We have had four or five days of practice now back in New Zealand, so we are looking forward to getting the season started. As a coach you feel like you are never ready and always want more practice time, but it is time to get going.”
Sunday against the Illawarra Hawks is the first of three games in six days for the Breakers to start their campaign, but that doesn’t faze the experienced Herbert.
“Three games won’t define your season one way or the other. We just went through four games in seven days in Australia, so we have gone through that scenario. It is not an easy way to start the season, but it is what it is, and I think it is going to be good to get games under our belt.”
Star point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright is a veteran of the league and knows how quickly things get real when the buzzer goes at 5pm on Sunday.
“This is fun, this is what you live for, what you train the mind and body for, to know that you are going to play some high-level basketball against some great players. We know no game is easy, we feel this is the highest level of basketball outside of the NBA, we go in with that standard knowing that nothing is given, you have to earn it.”
Jackson-Cartwright was also not taking too much notice of pre-season results, preferring to focus on some of the intangibles as a new-look BNZ Breakers roster builds chemistry.
“I don’t think any team is ever there (where they want to be) at the preseason, you just head into game one as most prepared as you can be, and head in with that anxious feeling. We had a good preseason though and rounded out the end of it with a couple of wins, brought some guys back and integrated new guys in, we feel pretty good.”
Jackson-Cartwright will go up against some premier guards in the Hawks’ Milton Doyle, Tyler Harvey, and Will Hickey but the quality of the opposition just motivates him to lift his own levels higher.
“This is definitely the strongest the league has been in regards point guards. Every year feels like that to me, new guys come in but there is also some familiarity.
“But whether it is star players, stardom, whatever you want to call it – from the point of view of the big names and exciting players that fans want to see yeah, it is probably the biggest the league has been since I have been here, but that is exciting. I know I can speak on behalf of the PG’s in the league, iron sharpens iron, how lucky are we going into every game knowing we can match up against another quality player.”
Breakers Roster and positions, for detailed player Bio’s CLICK HERE
#0 Carlin Davison (NZL), forward
#1 Preston Le Gassick (NZL) guard
#2 Izayah Le’afa (NZL) guard
#3 Sam Mennenga (NZL) centre
#6 Parker Jackson-Cartwright (USA) point guard
#7 Reuben Te Rangi (NZL), forward
#8 Charles Bediako (CAN), centre
#9 Mojave King (NZL), guard
#12 Kouat Noi (S SUDAN), forward
#13 Anzac Rissetto (NZL), centre
#34 Dejan Vasiljevic (AUS), guard
Head Coach Gordie Herbert
Assistant Coach Sebastian Gleim
Assistant Coach Matt Lacey
Assistant Coach Quinn Clinton
Assistant Coach Josiah Maama
First home game
September 20
Spark Arena
5pm Tip off, Doors Open 4pm
v Illawarra Hawks
