NBL23 Review: New Zealand Breakers

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

With the NBL23 season in the books and Free Agency officially opened, the time to review the season is now.

From bottom to top, NBL Media will be running through each side’s most recent campaign and assess the good, the bad, the ugly, and the upcoming off-season.

Just about everyone outside the Breakers organisation was expecting NBL23 to be a season of development for the side. After all, they had a new head coach and a totally new look roster.

Instead, the Breakers went on one of the most remarkable rags to riches runs ever seen in sport across Australia and New Zealand.

Their opening night loss to Melbourne gave little indication to the defensive behemoth they were set to become in NBL23, and just four rounds into the season they already equalled their total number of wins from the previous campaign.

The Good – The Cinderella story
While every team enters the season with the ultimate goal of winning the championship, there are far more ways to define the success of a season. Aside from the Sydney Kings, it’s incredibly easy to suggest New Zealand had the best season in the competition – and that stretches far beyond their ladder position or appearance in the Championship Series.

For two seasons the Breakers were one of the competition’s ‘easy beats’. Not anymore.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mody Maor has led New Zealand to a ???????? turnaround in NBL23 ?<br><br>The Breakers are what's beautiful about basketball ?<br><br>They'll face the Kings in the NBL23 Championship Series which kicks off on Friday, March 3 ? <a href="https://t.co/MGn79MDj4s">pic.twitter.com/MGn79MDj4s</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1627541605145284608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After an incredible NBL23 regular season, the Breakers almost became the second team in the history of the NBL to win the championship the season directly after finishing on the bottom of the ladder. The only other side to do it? The South Dragons in 2009.

The Breakers took fans all around the competition on an emotional journey all across the season. Whether it was their first game back at Spark Arena in two years, nail-biting wins over the likes of Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, or their impressive run to the Championship Series – New Zealand’s season was just about unlike any we’ve seen before.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It's all love at the <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZBreakers</a> ?<br><br>Turn your sound on for Jarrell Brantley's special message to any potential new signings out there ? <a href="https://t.co/2uaUenqFKo">pic.twitter.com/2uaUenqFKo</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1635967272178286592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Bad – Leaving the door open
The race to first place and that home court advantage in the Playoffs was a tight one, and New Zealand finished the season nestled in second place – wedged between fellow front-runners Cairns and Sydney.

Just as easily as they finished second, they could well have finished in first – or even slipped to third. They left the door open for both Sydney and Cairns to leapfrog them in the latter stages of the campaign, but only the Kings managed to capitalise on the opportunity.

The Breakers climbed as high as top spot as recently as Round 11, but had slipped to third by Round 15.

Round 18 victories over the competition’s bottom two – Brisbane and Illawarra – saw them regain second place from Cairns, but the tight battle at the top of the table left the Breakers to lament some below par performances approaching the season’s run-in.

Their Round 16 loss to the Hawks was seen around the world thanks to Tyler Harvey’s incredible game-winner, and their two-point loss to Cairns the game before had the potential to be season-defining.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TYLER HARVEY TO WIN THE GAME. HE IS MAGIC ?<br><br>UNRIVALLED DRAMA<br><br>WHAT A GAME OF NBL BASKETBALL ? <a href="https://t.co/218UNw8XkS">pic.twitter.com/218UNw8XkS</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1615989417155637250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

They rebounded after the Illawarra loss to win their last five games of the season – including a five-point thriller over the Kings – but that shakiness late in the season almost cost the Breakers.

The Ugly – Letting the title slip?
There’s absolutely no doubting the Sydney Kings played an extraordinarily good series to win their second consecutive Championship, and, in reality, the best team came out on top in one of the greatest series’ the NBL has ever seen.

Looking back retrospectively though, there’s a strong case to be made that the Breakers should have won – and Games 2 and 5 represent the key sliding doors moments.

The Kings entered Game 2 with no Xavier Cooks, and on the Breakers’ home floor at Spark Arena. New Zealand’s case for victory got even stronger when All-NBL First Team member and eventual Larry Sengstock Trophy winner Derrick Walton Jr managed just four minutes of game time.

The Kings were down their two best players, the Breakers were playing at home. Easy win, right? Wrong.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justin Simon's 6 steals in GF2 was 1 short of the NBL GF record set by Mark Leader in 1988.<br><br>Others to have 6 steals in a GF: Josh Magette (2022) - Mika Vukona (2012) - CJ Bruton (2005) - Derek Rucker (2002) - Willie Farley (2002) - Rob Rose (1994) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> <a href="https://t.co/vApG2buHUa">pic.twitter.com/vApG2buHUa</a></p>— John Casey (@JohnCasey2880) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCasey2880/status/1632515183880048641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Up stepped Justin Simon and the Kings’ backup brigade to snatch the win away from New Zealand. Had the Breakers emerged victorious they would have taken a near unassailable 2-0 lead.

Then in Game 5, the Breakers were up by 11 points in the first quarter before being pegged back. They then took another heavy lead deep into the fourth quarter, but the Kings put together a 14-0 scoring run to once again snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From a potential career-ending injury to being a key cog in two title tilts ?<br><br>Angus Glover has signed a new deal with the <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a>, and he joined <a href="https://twitter.com/Liam_Santa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Liam_Santa</a> on The Huddle to chat through his decision ??<br><br>Catch the full ep ?<a href="https://t.co/m8JmCIPBQ3">https://t.co/m8JmCIPBQ3</a> <a href="https://t.co/K3S5XTpSY5">pic.twitter.com/K3S5XTpSY5</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1639055095886417922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The beauty of a five-game series is it’s almost impossible to say the best team didn’t win, but New Zealand will look back on their opportunities to complete their fairy-tale with disdain and heartache.

The Off-Season – Getting the band back together
Although the Breakers as an organisation basically went through hell and back over the past two seasons, many of the player brought into the group for NBL23 had no experience of those difficult Covid years.

While roster change was the name of the game this time last year, Mody Maor will be hoping to bring back as many of his charges as possible to put together another title tilt.

As it stands only one of the Breakers’ top six players is currently contracted for next season – Izayah Le’Afa.

Joining him are Dan Fotu, Alex McNaught, Cam Gliddon and Tom Vodanovich, while NBL Next Star Rayan Rupert is all but gone, having risen to a mid-first round pick in recent NBA mock drafts thanks to his performances with New Zealand.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our NBL23 next star Rayan Rupert made huge strides forward in his first first year as a pro baller ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNBREAKABLE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNBREAKABLE</a> <a href="https://t.co/XRBGuvgMjZ">pic.twitter.com/XRBGuvgMjZ</a></p>— Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers (@NZBreakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers/status/1639868155156918272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Keeping star local talent Will McDowell-White looms as priority one for the Breakers – and with a Perth Wildcats side that now boasts both Bryce Cotton and Keanu Pinder rumoured to be hunting for the guard, Maor will be hoping it’s not mission impossible.

Jarrell Brantley has re-joined the NBA side the Utah Jazz since NBL23 closed, albeit only on a ten-day contract, while veteran local pair Tom Abercrombie and Rob Loe’s futures still remain murky.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just some Jarrell Brantley highlights for your day<br><br>13 PTS- 2 REB- 1 AST- 1 BLK<br><br>It seems like he's improved a lot since we last saw him, he looked great last night as a spot-up shooter and with his back to the basket<br><br>Nice to have you back <a href="https://twitter.com/jstuntbrantley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jstuntbrantley</a> <a href="https://t.co/XayDwFI8a2">pic.twitter.com/XayDwFI8a2</a></p>— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) <a href="https://twitter.com/JazzLead/status/1640413378626875392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Can the Breakers keep the core of their incredible side together and, if not, can they find away to still run it back at the top end of the table next season?