Basketball: Breakers fear swamping in conference-style plan

SYDNEY - The Australian National Basketball League is considering setting up a conference-style system for next season, although the New Zealand Breakers are wary of splitting the league into two groups of six.

The Breakers are reportedly unhappy about being lumped in with this season's top four teams: the Sydney Kings, West Sydney Razorbacks, Wollongong Hawks and Brisbane Bullets.

This year's cellar-dwellers, the Hunter Pirates, make up the numbers in that conference.

The other group would comprise the Melbourne Tigers, Victoria Giants, Adelaide 36ers, Perth Wildcats, Cairns Taipans and Townsville Crocodiles.

League commissioner Rick Burton conceded that the Breakers had qualms, saying: "New Zealand have offered some comments to us and we're trying to incorporate those."

The Breakers will raise their fears formally at a meeting of the 12 franchises in April.

Burton said the intention was to cut travel costs and maintain derby rivalries.

Teams would play four games against those in their conference and twice against the others for a total of 32 games, in a season that would start at the beginning of October.

This season, each team plays the other 11 three times for a total of 33 home-and-away games.

A move to bring the season forward by up to a month has been stymied by the Athens Olympic Games not finishing until the end of August.

Burton said the planned draw was in conference format, but emphasised that it was not set in stone. If rejected in April, it would be redone.

He said conferences could have marketing advantages through having two champions, who then played for the league title.

- NZPA