Basketball: Breakers ready for their big debut

By JULIE ASH

The corporate boxes are in place, soft-drink machines have been hauled in and the court has been marked out - the North Shore Events Centre is ready for the Breakers' debut match in the Australian league.

The Jeff Green-coached Breakers side line up against the Adelaide 36ers tomorrow night and the home team would love nothing more than a full house.

"We have been anticipating this for a while now," Breakers point guard Paul Henare said.

"We are pretty upbeat we have had a lengthy pre-season ... so we are just dying to get out there."

Henare said the inclusion of a New Zealand team into the league was a dream come true.

"Young basketball players can now aspire to become a Breaker ... like league has got the Warriors. It is something they can do as a job and as a profession, and to be at the start of all of that is very special for this group."

With eight Tall Blacks, along with the "Killer Bs," Australian imports Ben Melmeth, Blake Truslove and Brad Williams - the word from across the Tasman is that the Breakers are serious title contenders.

"They are talking us up, saying that we are going to be really competitive," Henare said.

"They say we are a fast-breaking team, we like to push the ball, we like to get up quick shots, so I think people are going to be prepared for that.

"Also we have eight Tall Blacks in the squad who they have seen, and they know the Australian players we have got - so it is not like we are unknown.

"The talk around the league is that the defending champions, Sydney Kings, will be pretty tough. But you will have to come out and play every single night, otherwise you will lose."

The Breakers will be without captain Pero Cameron and Truslove, who will miss the team's first few matches through injury.

"It is a bit of a loss, but it is a long season, 33 games. So as long as those guys get their injuries right early, and as long as they are there at the end,that is when it counts."

As for the Adelaide 36ers, Henare said Truslove has provided them with plenty of "inside information" about his former team.

"They have got plenty of experience, they won the championship a couple of years ago, they have a couple of imports in there as well, so you couldn't ask for a better match first up.

"If we concentrate on our game, cut down our errors and do what we do best, I am confident we can beat every team in the league. I believe the team that is going to beat us this year is ourselves."