Can't really argue with that - Wilkinson has been huge for NZ in the last month, and helped them get away with wins in a few games they should have lost.

No votes for Westover for coach of the month?!? :-)

The owner of the Breakers has done such a great job of making Lemanis look like a decent coach for a few years now....nothing wins the majority of your games like an overpaid roster! I dare someone to say Andre Lemanis is a genuinely smart tactical coach...

So because the Breakers have a loaded roster that the Breakers own Academy has produced over the years, the players must be overpaid. You'll find that the Breakers Roster has the same salary cap the Sixers and the rest of the League work with. If you have any proof otherwise, post it up Fizzle.
I can't wait to hear all the weak excuses if they win the comp this year lol.

There won't be any weak excuses from me. NZ have been great all year. If they win it they definately deserve it.

It's hard to mount a decent argument against Wilkinson receiving the award...

Surely Westover would have gotten a vote or two??? Maybe the NBL in their foresight removed him from the list?

Not a single vote for a Crocs player and that makes me pretty happy... It means we have a balanced team. Crawford, Schenscher, Blalock & Hinder have each had good games during the month.

agree No Deal. And by the same token, if they cannot do it this year with this team, they are never ever going to do it.

Mystro

Never say 'never ever'. Better teams with better regular season records have lost the Grand Final, such as:

-South East Melbourne Magic in 1998 - Only lost 4 games in season, and won seven more games than the second placed and eventual champion, 36ers;

-Victoria Titans in 2002 - had won four more games in season than equal second placed Perth, and eventual champions, 36ers; and

-Sydney in 2008 - Only lost three games in season, and won five more wins in season than second placed and eventual champion, Melbourne.

Ok, all three teams folded shortly after that, so maybe you have a point. You better hope and pray that you do win it.

Interesting fact: only two runaway minor premiers (that is, teams winning more than three more games than the second placed team) have gone on to win the championship, against the three losing teams above. The two successful teams were the 1986 Sixers (5 game advantage over second, Perth), and then Perth in 1991 (5 game advantage over second placed Eastside Spectres). So coming first apparently doesn't count for much!

teams that come first and lose in the finals can generally be over confident but finals do weird things to teams. once a title is on the line it doesnt matter where you are in that top 4, every team seems almost completely brand new and appear to bring different games. i would like to see NZ win it though for sure. dont want perth going up to a 6th title

Anon, they've stuck with the coach but I don't know if there are many more similarities than that to the picture you've painted. Ronaldson retired and Jones, Forman and Rickert were all moved on at some point recently. They've also chopped and changed imports as much as most teams over recent years trying to get the championship while Bruton and Boucher were still playing. That's three starters changed in one offseason, plus Bruton if you count Henare starting ahead of him.

And the Breakers weren't that horrific two years back. Last year they underperformed, but two years ago they survived an elimination final unless I'm getting the years confused.

Both deserved winners. Andre is a wonderful tactical coach Fizzle & look how hard his players play for him. Wilkinson got a bath from Crosswhite in Cairns last Sunday but was unstoppable when Crossy ejected.

Bruton will only play for mass dollars, Penney will only play for mass dollars, these guys are being paid in otherways outside of the salary cap. Its no biggy, this stuff has been going on for years in various teams. Wasnt D Stiffs wife paid a heap to be an usher at Kings games??? It happens, and Paul the NZ owner isnt going to play by the books if he doesnt have to.

Fizzle, like ive said before Webster,Abo,Pledger, Vukona, Henare, all get paid to play in the NZNBL. They would use the breakers money as secondary income.

Breakers made the playoffs and won in the first round in 2008, made the semis in 2009 and then missed the playoffs by one game last year. It has been quite some time since they were bad.

Macdub im not talking about those guys, im talking about there 'franchise' guys, they are on heaps! But again, it is what it is, not like they are doing something the NBL seems to worried about correcting. If you got the $$ and want a ring, why not try and buy it.

Penney doesn't play NBL for the money Fizzle, if he did he would still be in Europe playing Euro League as an Import on big $$$.
He plays in New Zealand because it is home and the professional team he plays for is based near to where he grew up.
When he was trialing for the Spurs and they already had guys on guaranteed contracts in his position he joked to Pop that he would buy out their contracts.
Sure he is the highest paid Breaker but do not think for a second that he is all about the money.

Always interesting that the first excuse to be raised about a top flight team is "They're being paid too much" or "the team HAS to be over the salary cap".

Why can't a team be under the cap AND actually be a good team?

Big Marty, its because his team whoever it may be isnt the team at the top. so any other team which is better has clearly broken the salary cap and are "buying" their ring. seriously its pretty pathetic to read that, it appears like a massive jealousy thing.

SRT070 hit the nail on the head.
The Breakers Academy is a big reason why NZ is under the cap, they develop their own players and give them a shot instead of paying big dollars to try and fill gaps. Also the players they develop have loyalty to the club for getting the chance to live at home in NZ and get paid to play basketball and in turn don't quit the club in search of more dollars at another Nbl club.

What's the relative cost of living in NZ, to Oz? Does being paid in AUD$ and living on NZ$ an advantage?

No advantage dollar wise, it's the living close to family advantage for players and their wives and children and the fact they are all loyal Nzers apart from the 2 imports and Bruton playing for the only Nz pro basketball team.