Basketball: PG Arena all too familiar in preseason humdinger

Former New Zealand Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis will face off against his old side as coach of the reinstated Brisbane Bullets.

When the Brisbane Bullets arrive in Napier next week to play the New Zealand Breakers in the second game of a three-match pre-season hit out, both teams will be oozing talent.

After an eight-year absence, the Andrej Lemanis-coached Bullets are about to return to the Australian National Basketball League and have gone about recruiting a roster that is the envy of most in the competition.

They will feature five current or former Australian Boomers, including Rio Olympian Cameron Bairstow, as well as former Breaker Reuben Te Rangi when they tip off at 7pm at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, on Thursday.

Andrej Lemanis won three consecutive NBL Championships with the Breakers from 2011-2013.

The Breakers, who will host the Bullets on Tuesday in Tauranga and Invercargill on Saturday next week, have also been successful in their recruitment under new Hawke's Bay-born coach Paul Henare, with the core of the successful roster retained in captain Mika Vukona, Tom Abercrombie, Corey Webster and Alex Pledger.

Newcomers are set to make a big impact, with former club favourite Kirk Penney returning, along with new American imports Ben Woodside and Akil Mitchell, who will provide defensive steel at power forward.

Add to that mix emerging young New Zealand talent in Rob Loe, Finn Delany and Jordan Ngatai.

"The Breakers are an organisation that mean a lot to me and played a significant role in my development by giving me an opportunity," Lemanis said.

"I owe a lot to that organisation, particularly the owners Liz and Paul Blackwell who are all about helping people grow and develop.

"That club are certainly the best in the league at doing that - supporting people to grow and be the best they can be. It will be great to get back to a place surrounded by fantastic people."