Straight to the point: PJC wants number one mantle

Parker Jackson-Cartwright is coming for the title of the NBL’s best point guard.

The New Zealand Breakers star enters the new season ready to make his mark, backing himself against a stacked field of elite guards across the league.

With Bryce Cotton, Kendric Davis and several talented new imports headlining the competition, Jackson-Cartwright wants to show he belongs at the top of the list.

“What’s important is for me to go out there and prove it,” he told Derek Rucker on NBL Now.

“People can proclaim it, but if you don’t show it, it doesn’t mean anything.

“There are a bunch of great guards in this league, and as a competitor it means everything to prove myself against those guys every night.

“I do want to be that main guy. I feel like I am and I’ll show it every night.”

After his dominant performance against the Sydney Kings two seasons ago sparked a memorable exchange with Derek Rucker, Jackson-Cartwright knows all eyes are on Rucker’s ‘Top 15’ player rankings.

“Any guy who gets ranked on the list higher or lower… yeah, it means something,” he said.

“You know they might not say it or be upfront about it, but you definitely look at it and it can add some fuel.”

Jackson-Cartwright has already set the tone for the season, guiding the Breakers to the Loggins-Bruton Cup at the CODE Sports NBL Blitz.

While the team’s wins were impressive, it was the Breakers’ new backcourt that grabbed the headlines, with Izaiah Brockington joining forces with PJC to form a dominant one-two punch.

“Brock is a dog,” Jackson-Cartwright said.

“He loves to compete, and he has that personality that’s so good in a system like ours.

“He’s going to bring a different dimension to our team and I’m really excited to play alongside him.”

Brockington was outstanding across the Blitz, taking home the Ray Borner Medal for tournament MVP honours.

“13 rebounds for a guard is really impressive. I haven’t seen that,” Jackson-Cartwright continued.

“And he’s so strong… I’m telling my teammates on the bench that I’ve never seen a guy have this much pop just through a whole game.”