R19 Preview: NZ Breakers vs Sydney Kings

When: 7.30pm (AEST), Tuesday 12 April, 2022

Where: Bendigo Basketball Stadium

Broadcast: ESPN; Kayo; Sky Sport NZ


Who won last time?

Sydney 84 (Vasiljevic 23, Adams 17, Martin 13) d New Zealand 65 (Wetzell 16, Dieng 14, Delany 11, Siva 11) – Round 10, Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney

This threatened to get ugly with Sydney 22 points clear in the second term, behind 24 points from DJ Vasiljevic and Jarell Martin, but NZ turned the tide and then turned the screws after intermission. They held the Kings to nine points in the third term, and pulled within seven in both the third and fourth quarters before Jaylen Adams steadied the Sydney ship late.


What happened last start?

There were some similarities for Chase Buford’s men in Adelaide, threatening to pull clear but never able to shake the pesky Sixers, who disrupted well on defence and never let Adams get comfortable. Xavier Cooks aside, the Kings did not fire offensively like previous weeks, but their formidable defence held Adelaide to 34 per cent and never gave them a chance.

True to form, New Zealand’s meeting with the Phoenix was a roller-coaster ride, playing some beautiful offensive basketball behind the ever-improving Ousmane Dieng in the first half, but when the scoring dried up their pourous defence meant they couldn't stay in the game. While they surged late with the highest-scoring fouth quarter in NBL22, the damage was done.


Who’s in form?

Yanni Wetzell – While Dieng is understandably getting the headlines, Wetzell is just quietly completing what has been an incredible year of offensive basketball, averaging 20.8ppg at 62 per cent in his past five games, to go along with 8.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.6 assists and 1.6 blocks. When Yanni can catch it on the roll, not too many in the NBL can stop him.

Xavier Cooks – One player who might be able to is Cooks, who in his unorthodox fashion is probably the league's best centre. Wetzell has managed just 13ppg and 5.5rpg against Sydney, and this shapes as an intriguing battle. Yanni will need help in transition containing Cooks, who has delivered 18.5ppg, 8.9rpg, 2.4apg and 2 blocks in his past eight contests.


Who needs to be?

Peyton Siva – While Siva has usually been cool, calm and collected this season – he leads New Zealand’s on/off stats comfortably, ranking seventh in the NBL – he was flustered by the Phoenix pressure, finishing with 5 turnovers and a game-worst -22 in 20 minutes. If he’s coughing the ball up and setting Adams free in transition, it will be a long night for NZ.

Jarell Martin – Sunday was impressively Martin’s 20^th straight game scoring in double-figures, and he’s shot 62 per cent from the field in his past four and 8/16 from deep. He’ll need to be on his defensive mettle on Tuesday night, however, to either guard the likes of Siva, Dieng and Hugo Besson coming off picks, or to slide in to help on Wetzell on the short roll.

https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1512759543683743747


Who’s statting up?

 - This season, the Breakers have been 11.3 points per 40 minutes better off when Siva has been on the floor. Against SEM, they were -22 with him on the floor and +12 with him seated

 - Sydney have held the Breakers to 73.5ppg this season at 37 per cent, including just 15.5 two-point baskets at 44 per cent, and only 40.5 points from ‘ones and twos’

 - The Kings have shot the two-ball at 49 per cent against New Zealand, averaging 55.5 points from ‘ones and twos’

 - In Round 10, Ousmane Dieng shot 4/8 from long range against the Kings. Up until then he’d hit just 6/39 at 15 per cent. Since then he’s connected at 36 per cent, and his past five have produced 2.4 triples per night at 44 per cent


Who’s matching up?

Ousmane Dieng v Angus Glover – Who can guard Ousmane Dieng? That’s a good question right now, given the precocious French teenager has averaged 17.8ppg at 56 per cent from the field and 9/22 from outside in 24 minutes per game his past four outings, while on Sunday he added 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks to his 22-point haul.

With Kings bench spark Angus Glover checking in at similar moments to Dieng, this pair of athletes is likely to go head-to-head. While ‘Glove’ gives up close to 15cm to his counterpart, expect him to crowd Dieng’s space to offset that. One thing’s for sure, Sydney won’t be leaving ‘Ousy’ wide open to shoot like they did last time the teams met.

https://twitter.com/NZBreakers/status/1513402259727523840


Who’s talking the talk?

Dan Shamir has seen a lot at the highest levels of European club basketball, and built a vast array of knowledge, but right now his press conferences are just a case of stating the obvious.

“We’re not stopping,” he said after SE Melbourne almost reached Don Bradman’s average.

 “Today (almost) 100 points and pretty consistent 25 points per quarter. That’s frustrating. We’re giving up a lot of cheap things, that’s the story of the losses, when you're not stopping everything obviously becomes harder.

“In the next three games that we have to play I doubt that dramatic things will change, however our players do have character and they come to compete, we all want to play until the last possession.”

Shamir oversees the league’s worst defence, which has not found a way to cover for the loss of defensive specialist Colton Iverson in the middle.

They give up league highs in points, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage, made field-goals, made two-point field goals, while ranking ninth in opposition two-point percentage and free-throw attempts.

The 64 points per game from ‘ones and twos’ is a huge concern, Shamir’s preference of running teams of the three-point line while not having a genuine centre manning the middle leaving them exposed.

https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1512997878796779520


Looking for the positives, Shamir can only look to the offensive end, where the Breakers have scored 80 or more in seven of their past eight games as the officiating changes have opened up the floor, after reaching that mark just five times in their previous 14 outings.

“Some good things were a few good moments of ball movement, good shots that we managed to produced. Overall we were at pretty good percentages from the floor when we didn’t turn it over both from the three and from the two,” Shamir said.

A lot of that has to do with the form of Ousmane Dieng.

“It’s become a topic in every press conference and every time I sit here and I say he’s stepped it up another notch, I've said it before and he’s a great example of taking advantage of every opportunity play basketball and get better,” Shamir said.

“We didn’t see a stretch like that from players of his age in any league, now it’s already consistent and really a ray of light for the next three games that we have to play.”

Sydney might be filled with star talent, and a finely-tuned unit at the defensive end, but coach Chase Buford is similarly taking heart from the form of young players like Makur Maker, Angus Glover and, in Adelaide on Sunday, Biwali Bayles.

https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1512746877816799243

 
“I thought he was really, really good, especially in that first half, gave us a big push, made some shots, made some great passes to help get those guys going,” Buford said.

“Jaylen got in foul trouble early so it was a chance for Biwali to come in and run the show and he did a really good job. No Ian (Clark), no Brucey, I was really proud of the way he came in and gave us a lift.

“We’re a deep team, we've got a lot of guys that can come in and make plays, who can score, so if it’s not Jaylen one night it’s X or Rell or DJ or whoever it is.”

It wasn’t a comprehensive display by the Kings, however, and Buford is mindful of his team picking up bad habits shortly before the post-season starts.

“Not very proud of the way we finished the game, we didn’t treat it with enough respect or play the game the right way down the stretch and lost our composure, lost our edge and obviously let them back in it,” he said.

“If we are who we say we want to be, that’s not good enough.”

They’re going to find out who they are soon enough, given they play Illawarra in both Round 20 and 21 to determine playoff seedings.

With a meeting against Adelaide and a trip to Cairns also thrown into the final fortnight, Tuesday’s encounter with New Zealand takes on added importance.

“A lot of travel, a lot of games,” Buford said.

“I like it, I love playing and I'm sure these guys do too, but it will be a challenge for our group, especially with Ian down and Brucey down, were going to have to, as a collective, make up for their absence.”