Basketball: Breakers axe Jones to lift short-game firepower

Ace bench player Phill Jones and reserve centre Tim Behrendorff are the major casualties in a Breakers squad rebalanced to suit the shorter games in this season's NBL.

With matches cut from 48 to 40 minutes, the need for a deep bench has been replaced by a greater emphasis on firepower up front.

That resulted in Jones and Behrendorff being cut yesterday when the club revealed the bulk of its roster for the 2009-10 season. Two imports are still to be added, with Jones and Behrendorff axed partly to create room under the points cap.

Jones was voted best "six man" in the league last season, but that accolade brought with it an eight-point cap ranking. His replacement, local product Tom Abercrombie, is a one-point player, freeing up room for the club to pursue a second import, who will automatically be ranked a 10-point player.

"It was one of those tough calls you have to make," said coach Andrej Lemanis. "Given what Tom was able to do last year I felt like I needed to be able to get him into the team. We've been able to do that, but unfortunately that comes at the expense of someone like Phill Jones.

"Phill is an eight-point player so to have him coming off the bench is a luxury."

Behrendorff, a seven-point player, was in the same camp. But the Australian centre never fully delivered on his potential and his loss will not be felt to the same degree as that of Jones.

Jones will be missed, but Abercrombie's promotion is exciting. In brief cameos last season as a development player, the 22-year-old demonstrated a rare athleticism.

"He's not the same sort of flat-out scorer that Phill is but Tom brings defence, rebounding and a different way of getting the ball to the basket," Lemanis said.

The presence of Kirk Penney, CJ Bruton, Oscar Forman and Tony Ronaldson means the team will not lack for outside shooting options.

BREAKERS SQUAD

Tony Ronaldson
CJ Bruton
Kirk Penney
Oscar Forman
Paul Henare
Dillon Boucher
Tom Abercrombie
Jeremiah Trueman
Corey Webster *
Alex Pledger*
* Development player