Basketball: Breakers prepare for top table clash

New Zealand Breakers guard Kevin Braswell. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Breakers host the Wollongong Hawks at the North Shore Events Centre this Friday night and are glad to be home after the toughest road trip in the iinet Championship netted a win over Adelaide and a loss in Perth.

But while the comforts of your own home and a familiar time zone might be top of mind, once the team gets out on court Head Coach Andrej Lemanis doesn't buy into the 'home and away' theory. Lemanis tends to put aside any distractions or talk of home or away being easier or tougher in this league.

"It is nice to be home but I really don't buy into the whole discussion around home and away, it is just another game. As with any game anywhere we will go out and play it, execute our plan and take care of what we can control - the rest is irrelevant to us on court. Although I must admit it will be nice to hear 4,000 fans cheering for us instead of jeering against us."

Lemanis is well known for his short term focus to achieve longer term goals so it is not surprising that despite a 5 and 1 start to the season he is not getting carried away and has thoughts only for the Hawks on Friday night.

"Sure we have started well but that is all it is. We encourage a very narrow focus and stay in the 'one game at a time' mentality, experience has taught me that this is the only way to go forward successfully. Again, it doesn't matter where your next game is home or away, that is the one we focus on and take each game on its merits and prepare accordingly.

"The Hawks will present a good challenge. In Gary Irvin and Glenn
Saville they have two guys who create havoc off the dribble; helped by the fact the other guys on the floor shoot the ball well. How well we manage this will go some way to deciding the outcome of the game. It is great at any time of the season to go into a top of the table clash with another side in good form as the Hawks clearly are, it should be a good game for the fans."

Lemanis does have the luxury of welcoming back former league MVP Kirk Penney this week after he missed the road trip to be in Italy as best man for his brother's wedding. He admits it is a good situation for any coach to be in.

"I thought the transition when Kirk came back in against the Blaze was seamless and I have no doubt it will be again this week. Our style suits his game and he suits our style, he knows the guys and will have no issues fitting back in this week I'm sure.

"The bigger problem for me as a coach is finding ways to get 10 guys minutes on the floor and that is a good problem for a coach to have. That depth and rotation allows us intensity in the fourth quarter that other teams might struggle to match. Having said that, you have to play the game as it unfolds in front of you and if someone is hitting great shots, we will always look at leaving them on the floor a little longer."

The Breakers are not yet at full strength with BJ Anthony again likely to sit this one out as he recovers from his ankle sprain but the return of Penney and the confidence borne of that 5 and 1 start to the season should see the home side fizzing for just their third home game of the season.

The 5 and 1 Hawks will bring former Breakers Oscar Forman and Tim Behrendorff back to the North Shore Events Centre for the clash, with Forman in particular enjoying this time with the Hawks, featuring strongly on both offence and on the boards with his new club.
Burger King Breakers General Manager Richard Clarke says the crowd could be a big one.

"So far the signs are that people recognise the top of the table nature of the game and the fact our side has made a good start to the season. It is also rare for us to play on a Friday night so that might be a factor but regardless ticket sales are going well, I would urge people to book now and be there early on Friday night. It promises to be an entertaining game between two of the best teams in the league at the moment."

- Herald online