Basketball: Another speed bump for Breakers

It does not get any easier for the winless New Zealand Breakers. Their three-match road trip in Australia heads towards another potential speed bump in Brisbane tonight when they play a Bullets team considered by many as the title favourites.

The Bullets have assembled a formidable playing roster and Breakers assistant coach Wayne Brown could not help but be envious as he scanned the Bullets' personnel.

They have a vastly experienced unit bolstered this year by the arrival of former Melbourne Tigers duo Mark Bradtke and Lanard Copeland, plus West Sydney guard Sam McKinnon.

Bradtke, a former NBA centre with Philadelphia, and veteran American guard Copeland have 884 ANBL appearances between them to complement the experience already provided by Derek Rucker and Bobby Brannen.

"Realistically, they're the title favourites without even playing a game," Brown said. "It's just a star-studded team, everywhere you look there's talent."

The Breakers have already succumbed to Wollongong and West Sydney by 14 and 20 points respectively on this trip, and will be struggling to keep pace with the Bullets unless their defence tightens.

They conceded 124 points against the Razorbacks last Saturday and 125 against the Bullets in a pre-season match last month.

On each occasion the Breakers reached three figures themselves, but a lack of intensity when not in possession undermined their success at the other end of the court.

"Right now it's not so much about our offence," Brown said. "It's more about concentrating on our defence."