Hopefully Abercrombie has had a players only meeting and pulling his team together because their body language looked worse than how they played against the Taipans.

If NZ turn up looking like they did in that last game against Cairns, they get blown out big time.

If the Webster brother will pass the ball, Nz have a big chance..

If the Webster brother will pass the ball, Nz have a big chance..

Breakers only have Tai and Patterson as creative players ie create their own shot. Finn and Bach help out a little, but everyone else are pretty much spectators. Waiting to take a shot We rely so much on the 3 ball and we are collectively struggling.
Corey and Patterson do not use an on ball very well so it puts a lot of pressure 1 on 1 penetration.

Loe is only effective in fading back for a 3. He is OK but not lights out.
I would use Finn as screener on Tai's man, because he can put it on the floor after switch.
Corey needs to get going to take pressure off Patterson.

Carlton is a garbage man but this is usually a local spot. They probably need another 2/3 who can do a little and put some points on the board.
Great how Tai can get into the paint so easily but he needs to be kicking it out a little more and not just getting his 20.
Casper usually reserves his best for us so we have to put a lid on him.

Mistake Tai.
Casper is the toughest 1on1 defender in league. If the best you can is a step back fade away, put it away.
Breajers offence looked OK and did not need Tai's. 1 on 5 play.

NZ's body language far better, playing a lot better.
Far from perfect but at least right in it and not digging a hole.

Kings running zero for Martin. So his contribution is just to wander around committing dumb fouls every now and then. Zero effort from him.

NZB looked a lot better starting Patterson and even if not scoring he's making good plays out there.

The constant mispronounciation of Vasiljevic is starting to get me now, FFS we had a Vasiljevic in the NBL for years with Pero.

I like Corey, Patterson sharing the ball. Finn getting little more action. Corey looks comfortable.

Nz looking way more cohesive.
Corey and Tai heating up and Shamir running a short rotation.

This free throw shooting is killing us.

Breakers looking good now love watching Patterson and C-Web when they're up and about.

I'm just happy NZ look like a pro basketball team and not a train wreck.
They have always had the horses but looked way off in Adelaide and Cairns.

Where is Weeks? Get rid of Corey Webster, couldn't care less about his scoring he is a f...n shit defender and his attitude stinks!!

At least Weeksy plays with heart and has a go!

Sydney no fouls last quarter!!!

This team is an absolute joke! Playing away from
Home or not, the Breakers are a joke! I want Abercrombie or Matt Walsh to come out and apologise to the fans!

Far better effort from nz until the wheels fell off down the stretch.
Casper Ware hit some big 3's

Also, although Patterson got a start and made some crafty plays, he's still out of shape. I can't help but feel the Breakers are going to go on a tear to end the season and miss the playoffs by a game.

Breakers bad. Kings just as bad. Refs appallingly bad.

I just can't understand how Weeks can’t get a look. Get back to Cairns Weeksy where they respect you and you’ll play good minutes.

Shamir is a question mark. Mody and Cherly know their shit but what about the other bloke- who is he/what does he add? I remember seeing a vid on the Breakers fb and it looked like the players absolutely disregarded/didn’t care about what he was saying....

For the most part this was a disappointing, low quality game.

Lots of bad turnovers- caused by terrible skill errors or disorganised offence. (As opposed to more tolerable/watchable turnovers caused by aggressive creativity or great defense).

Too many soft fouls called on both teams, especially NZ

D Russell commentating. Overall, not a great advertisement for bball

The big names Casper, Patterson and Tai Webster all struggling in first half. Martin let himself down with dumb fouls early but got going later which was nice. He's a handful to defend. Patterson a bit unlucky, copped some soft fouls. They need the ball in his hands more. Stupid coaching by Shamir to bench him in Q4. He's a superstar, whether in form or not.

Wouldn't be surprised if NZ struggle on the road. Already got killed by ref's in...Adelaide was it? And tonight lots soft fouls too. But reffing isn't the main issue. It's just harder to find your groove without any home crowds behind you giving you confidence. Home teams win 60-65% of games. Despite their quality roster logic suggests they'll struggle to make playoffs with that disadvantage.

Kings, I like what they're doing. They'll be formidable with Cooks and Didi. Vasiljevic can really shoot.

Never imagined I'd see Shaun Bruce guarding Patterson on anything but switches, but I'm not sure Patterson did anything outside of some pretty nice passes off that (to be fair the Kings sent help immediately, but still).

After having seen a little of each team my GF prediction is United vs Sydney. Unfinished business after having met in playoffs 2 years straight and neither having won the title. And for United after their Game 1 choke and then horrendously abysmal reffing in Game 3 last year

Perth and Hawks my best guess at 3rd and 4th.

Perth given lack of depth and roster composition, injuries to any of Cotton, Mooney, Blanchfield or Norton would be diabolical but if those guys stay healthy their system should get them into the 4.

The Breakers roster is just a really weird, random mishmash of players - the result is terrible chemistry and no clear style of game.
It reminds me of the dinners I used to cook when I first moved out of home - where id chuck anything on my plate and wondered why it tasted so bad.

Samson really.

Weeks is awful. Shamir had to shorten rotations and dropping weeks was obvious. He can go back to cairbs.

Stop the babyish whining about walsh apologising to fans. Walsh is funding a team with no home game revenue. Your are being a drop kick. He should be knighted.

Trist will be hating himself going to NZ to sit on the bench

Bigdog you clearly have no clue

I'm not writing off Shamir. He knows the game, he knows what he’s doing - you call tell by the way he holds himself.

Last year with the Breakers it was teething problems at the start and injury woes. Once the team became accustomed to Shamir systems and got players back they went on that run.

This season, it’s waiting for Patterson and Iverson to mould in and contribute. But you also are running everything through both Webster’s - who on their day are first class players - but with Tai for example, it’s nice to see him rolling but he’s not getting the other players into rhythm early so you end up relying on him and he ends up over shooting.

The breakers did a lot better moving the ball in this game. They actually looked half decent for the most part, until they gave up that late run.

Still inconsistent on offense though - FT % is trash too. They are also Struggling to defend without fouling (and being on the road all season means you gonna face 9-0 4th quarter penalty counts in the home teams favour).

They had their chances to close out the Kings but they failed.

The Breakers couldve (and should’ve) been 3-2 right now (they should’ve beat Adelaide in their first game, and the Kings here) but are in a 1-4 hole instead. The team is better than what’s being displayed here.

If you listen to the post game presser Shamir and Finn share a little about their struggles being on the road. The uncertainty. Either being in practice or alone in their hotel room. No balance. Being away from family.

As coach said, it’s no excuse but it puts things into perspective some what.

Good points there Afakasi.

I think they just decided to cut bait with Vodanovich. Remember the drunk episode during a plane flight last season? You can tolerate that out of star players not not end of bench guys so with Trist you're not missing much.

Trists recruitment was a shocker.

Galloway the dp plays before him.

I can think of about a dozen players I would have recruited before him.

Why sign Trist at all when they could have got Wetzell.

Also, why does Galloway have Kirk's number 6?? Just like RJ had Mika’s number 14- honestly Breakers, this sort of stuff needs to be honoured- retire 14 and 6!!

Miller was over weight in the nznbl

I'd still take him over trist.

And vodanavich over trist.

But yes. Wetzell is who they should have gone for. Better than Iverson as well.

Trist is not anywhere near the same money as Wetzell
So let's not pretend they are like for like.
Wetzell is only at SE Melbourne because of visa issues in Germany.
NZ tried to get him but probably couldn’t offer enough money and guaranteed minutes.
Trist is probably playing for peanuts.

Mystro

Yes money would have come into it.

But iverson would be on more than wetzell.