Petteri Koponen’s basketball collective

By Tom Hersz for NBL.com.au

Imagine being hired as a first-time head coach a month before pre-season commences in one of the best leagues in the world. Only, you’d never been involved in that league as a player or an assistant coach, you’d never set foot in the city you’ll live in, and you would inherit a roster largely put together by the previous head coach.

You’d probably feel like you were being thrown in the deep end to some degree.

But that didn’t appear to be the case for Petteri Koponen when he took the New Zealand Breakers job last year. In fact, the Breakers started the season winning six of their first eight games and seven of ten. They were sitting in second place at that time, before things changed and started to get more difficult.

However, for Koponen, a Finnish native and star of European basketball until just two years prior, it was a challenge he took head on and, as he reflects on it, he knows it is one he grew from.

“Well, definitely a big learning experience,” Koponen told NBL Media from his home in Finland on Thursday.

“Many, many aspects. First of all, my first year, different league, different country, so many moving parts. Then obviously, trying to get familiar with all the players on our roster, get some kind of idea how to use them and put them in situations where they can be successful, and how we want to play as a team.

“It helped me a little bit because I knew Parker Jackson-Cartwright previously from Europe. That kind of helped the process, it framed how we should play with him because he was the main player on the team. But definitely, many, many moving parts.”

That was a big lesson for Koponen. He recognised that while you may have an idea of how you want to play, you need to recognise that it’s the players’ game and it really depends on who you’ve got on your roster.

And he realised along the way that his coaching philosophy was a lot clearer than he may have realised when he started in the job.

“You have to be able to adapt, try to take the best out of the roster you have and try to help the players,” Koponen said.

“That’s what coaching is. You try to help them to be the best players they can be and to put them into the best position to be successful. And try to keep the big picture top of mind, but at the same time, try to get the best out of every player.

“I think that’s the biggest thing from my philosophy. Try to put the players in the right situations.”

Nearly a year on, Koponen is working for essentially a new club. There has been an ownership change with Marc Mitchell taking the licence from Matt Walsh. Mitchell has a number of partners including former Breakers’ owners, Liz and Paul Blackwell.

In addition, Dillon Boucher is back as the President of Basketball Operations, having last worked at the Breakers in 2019.

Koponen is able to shape the roster how he wants it this year. He had input from the Breakers’ new ownership and Boucher and they aligned on the sorts of players they would target. That led to some clear priorities as the free agency process started.

“It came through the club from the new ownership with Marc and their vision for the club going into the future,” Koponen explained.

“They really wanted to bring that Kiwi core back and so there were obviously a lot of talks with all the New Zealand guys in the early part of free agency. We tried to get the guys to come back home and I think overall, we’ve managed to bring good guys back to Auckland.”

The Breakers have signed former championship players in Reuben Te Rangi and Rob Loe, along with Izayah Le’Afa and former Perth Wildcats DP and NZNBL talent, Taylor Britt. All have played with the Tall Blacks and fit that vision for the club.

“I think the core is there, the guys enjoy playing together – they have played together in the National Team, so that’s a big plus. They have that chemistry already a little bit,” Koponen added.

“And then obviously the big signing for us was Parker [Jackson-Cartwright] coming back. He really loves Auckland. He’s the face of the franchise at the moment. The fans love him and the league knows him.

“So, it was a big signing for us and I’m really happy he’s coming back. [We] get some continuity also, which is really important.”

Koponen, who has been home in Finland with his young family for most of the off-season, met the new owners and management for the first time recently at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Before that, they had only spoken via phone or on Teams meetings.

They had time to catch up properly and get to know each other a little bit better.

“Firstly, they’re great people,” Koponen said.

“You get a genuine feeling that they care about the club. I really enjoyed listening to their vision for the future and where they want to take the Breakers.

“I understand it’s not going to be a one-year process. They want to take it step by step, do things the right way, build a culture to get back to the glory days. It’s not easy and it’s not going to happen overnight, but that’s the goal for the future.”

When Koponen first arrived in Auckland last year, he didn’t know the league very well yet. But one thing that struck him immediately was how many Kiwi players there were around the league playing for different teams. Recognising that the Breakers were in a unique position in the NBL as the only team that effectively represented a whole nation, it caught his eye and he asked about it at the time.

It was a shift from where the Breakers were under the previous ownership, which had a junior academy and tried to provide a pathway and an aspirational goal for the best young local talent in New Zealand.

“Now they want to bring the academy back, so all the young Kiwis who are playing basketball, they should have the goal in their head that one day they want to be a Breaker,” Koponen explained of the new ownership’s vision.

“I think that’s the big picture that somewhere in their career, they want to put that jersey on and the club’s job is to make that jersey so appealing for the next generation, that in the future, they feel like they want to be part of that.”

Another person that Koponen caught up with in Las Vegas was his former teammate in the Finnish league and with the Finnish National Team, Tuomas Iisalo, who was recently promoted to be the Head Coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Iisalo and Koponen chat often and certainly discussed Koponen’s first season with the Breakers, with Iisalo providing some advice in the moment.

“He’s been a great help,” Koponen acknowledged.

“And obviously, he’s one of those guys at the moment I think many coaches follow or study or learn how he’s done things.”

Iisalo went from coaching a small club in Germany from 2016 and 2021, to Bonn where he coached Jackson-Cartwright, to Paris where he won the EuroCup title, to an assistant role with the Grizzlies, where he became interim Head Coach in his first season. Less than five weeks later, he was promoted on a permanent basis, becoming the first Finnish-born Head Coach in the NBA.

“It’s really amazing what he’s done in such a fast timeframe,” Koponen continued.

“But yeah, he’s been great. We talked also now in Vegas, we met a few times and we generally talk basketball. There were some things that I tried to get out of him, get his opinion or his vision of how he sees some things.

“And obviously last year, when we had the change [with Tacko Fall] and we had to play two different styles or mix up styles, I remember when I called him and asked for a little bit of guidance, he said ‘It’s not gonna work.’ I said, ‘What do you mean? For sure the players can understand these two things?’ And he said, ‘One or two might, but as a collective it’s really difficult, especially with the time you have to practice.’ And I said, ‘Ok.’

“That was the challenge, and we tried to help the players, but in the end you could say he was right.”

Koponen is back in Finland now and has enjoyed having extended time with his wife and three sons, the youngest of which is just one year old. His family was only able to visit for a month during NBL25 due to his older sons’ school commitments, and he acknowledged that was one of the toughest parts of the job.

But this season, the plan is they will come to Auckland for three months which Koponen is excited about.

“Last season was a fight for, let’s say, both sides,” Koponen said.

“My wife sometimes wasn’t too happy about it and it was difficult for me also. Especially, from an emotional side. You feel bad leaving them.

“But, if you want to get somewhere, you have to make sacrifices. And at the same time, it’s been great to spend this off-season with them.

“Overall, the work doesn’t stop. You try to watch a lot of basketball, try to get some new ideas, follow the trends and watch players. There is always that part, but at the same time it was really great to spend all this time with them.”

Koponen will return to Auckland next week before officially commencing pre-season on August 11. But before he leaves, he’s been trying to develop some younger players, albeit with mixed results. His two older sons play basketball and the oldest is pretty good. But they prefer football and see that as their main sport, so Koponen isn’t sure if any will follow in his footsteps. He still holds out hope though, especially with the youngest one.

“I think he’s gonna be a baller,” Koponen laughed.

When he returns to work, the roster will look different. The Breakers announced on Tuesday that Fall will not return for NBL26. With Sam Mennenga andLoe at the five spot, the Breakers are targeting a power forward with one of their two remaining import spots and are being patient as they wait for the right fit.

Koponen acknowledges the financial challenges that NBL teams face competing for players with Asian leagues like Japan’s B.League or some of the larger European markets that can pay a lot more than NBL teams can. However, that’s part of the recruiting process.

“We’re looking for a big guy who can play power forward and small-ball five when I’m going more into switching or a smaller line-up. The market has not been easy. There’s been a lot of names, but we’re trying to find the right guy who can fit how we want to play. That’s the goal.”

But with Mennenga and Loe, Koponen has two five-men who can play down low or stretch the floor, and that is by design as it allows space for others to operate from the wings.

“Exactly,” Koponen said.

“And with Parker, it fits well to try to keep the paint open, so he needs that space where he can attack and where he can be at his best. We have two stretch fives who can spread the floor and then we have other guys we can run different actions [for], but that’s the picture of how we see us playing and to build our identity.”

Another player who will have opportunity to attack from the wing is second year Next Star, Karim López. There will be a lot of eyeballs on López in the lead up to the 2026 NBA Draft.

Koponen was very impressed with López’s work ethic last season and noted how coachable he was. His expectations for López in NBL26 are to continue to improve and build on what he showed last year.

“First of all, I think the role is going to be pretty similar,” Koponen said.

“He started a lot of games for us, and he’s going to start this year as a three for us. He gives us that size, that length and athleticism on the wing and of course, I’m really excited to see him after this summer.

“Because it’s kind of different to in Europe when you’re together for ten, eleven months. We finished our season in mid-February so it’s a long time, especially for a guy like Karim at his age. He could take huge leaps already if he used that time wisely. So, it’s going to be interesting to see him back in the first week of the practices.

“But the role’s going to be the same. He’s a major part of what we’re trying to do and as a coach, it’s our job to try to use him properly. But he already showed last year, what he can do. Our goal is to help him get to the NBA and what NBA teams are looking for from wings like Karim is, can they defend? Can they attack close outs? Can they hit the three?

“It’s not like an NBA team is going to give Karim the ball and say, ‘go to work.’ It’s not like this. They want to see what you can do playing next to those superstars who create those advantages. And that’s what I try to talk to him about a lot.

“Of course a young player wants to show a lot, but at the same time, do your job, stay in your role, and then you’re going to have your opportunities to be put in spots to do your thing and be effective.”

With Jackson-Cartwright and López returning, plus two import spots left to fill, Koponen will have his headline talent. So, it was important to find supporting players to round out the roster with, who can also provide leadership.

That’s where Te Rangi and Loe come in. Having that veteran experience from guys who have won and can instil that in the younger guys was a priority for Koponen and Boucher.

“I think it’s really important,” Koponen admitted.

“We have a good mix of younger guys and a few veterans who have been around many years. They know what it takes to win and set that culture and bring that toughness.

“That’s one thing I feel in both of these guys. They can bring that toughness and that aspect to us. Like I said, they have played together before, they know each other, so it makes everything easier.

“Every pre-season is getting shorter and shorter so it’s important that guys have some connections. And with Parker back, there is some continuity, so it all helps the process.”

With new ownership and management, a clear vision for the club, a year under his belt and a roster he can call his own, there is a lot to be excited about for Koponen as he enters his second season as a Head Coach.

“Back in Black” is the marketing theme for the Breakers new era, but it’s about much more than their colour scheme. It’s about what that jersey represents and what they want it to represent moving forward. And it starts with the team they’re putting on the floor for NBL26, and that is what Koponen is most looking forward to.

“It’s the first step heading into the future, setting the tone and setting the culture,” Koponen explained.

“And now we just need to nail these two import spots and we are ready to fight with every team. I’ll try to get the fans behind the team. I think what we’re building will be easy for the fans to identify with and that’s the first step in the new era.

“It’s not something you can build overnight. It’s a process and will take many years. But like I said, I like the vision for the club and management has done a great job. And now, we need to find two imports and we are ready to fight with the big boys.

“There is a lot of talent in the league, so the challenge is there, but we have to find our competitive advantage as a collective. That’s my basketball philosophy. I truly believe in collective basketball at both ends of the floor and the guys need to do their job together to be successful. That’s what we want to implement this year and be aggressive and play enjoyable basketball.”

The Breakers open their NBL26 campaign at home versus Brisbane on September 19.