Basketball: Breakers' new man after the buckets

Brian Green is impressed with what he has seen of the Breakers in training. Picture/ Glenn Jeffrey

The new Breakers import, 31-year-old, 1.95m shooting guard Brian Green from San Antonio, flew into Auckland yesterday and went straight to training.

Signed and then released by the Phoenix Suns after college at the University of Nevada, Reno, Green plays in the summer league for the San Antonio Spurs but has spent winters playing in Spain, Cyprus, China, Bosnia and the Philippines.

Green, who has his own sportswear business, knows that the Breakers sit last in the league with just three wins and that points are what are required.

"We need some buckets. My job is to be a go-to guy who can score some points. But I believe firmly in team defence and it's up to us to rotate and help each other out.

"We're at the bottom of the league. I don't think I can make them any worse."

He still aimed for a spot with the Spurs, he said, regularly training with the likes of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. He knows all about New Zealand through another training buddy, Sean Marks.

"Sean is an unbelievable guy and a real talent. I cannot work out why he doesn't get more court time in the NBA."

Spurs' assistant coach Brett Brown, who used to coach the Auckland Stars, recommended Green to the Breakers.

Green will start in the double-header against the Perth Wildcats at Trusts Stadium tonight and at the Pacific Events Centre in Manukau on Sunday provided he gets an international clearance from Bosnia. "If we can carry over what we did in training today we'll do all right. I can see some athletic players, talented players. The league must be pretty good given the Breakers' position on the table."

A.J. Majstrovich trained yesterday and is confident of playing after a knee injury, and returned Aussie Ben Thompson is also expected to play.