Basketball: Breakers rated 'no-hopers'

The New Zealand Breakers might have boosted their playing roster and toppled the powerful Sydney Kings in the pre-season, but they have failed to impress basketball experts in Australia.

On the eve of tomorrow's Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) season opener when new team Singapore host Adelaide, the Breakers are rated 10th favourites in the 12-team league.

Today they were paying $34 to win the ANBL on New South Wales TAB Sportsbet's opening market, ahead of only Singapore, at $51, and West Sydney, at $67.

Defending champions Melbourne and Brisbane were equal favourites at $3.25, ahead of the Kings at $5.

The Breakers missed the playoffs in all three seasons they have contested the ANBL, with their best placing last season when they finished ninth with a nine-win, 23-loss record.

They had an encouraging 96-93 win over the Kings in a pre-season match in Sydney last week then lost by one point to West Sydney the following night.

The Breakers have an opening round bye and do not open their season until next Tuesday when they host South Melbourne at North Shore, rated slightly ahead of them at $26 today.

Coach Andrej Lemanis, whose key recruit Brian Wethers was the 2004-05 ANBL's most valuable player for Hunter Pirates, remained confident of a much-improved showing and a first visit to the top-eight playoffs series in February.

"I'm absolutely happy with who we've got, there's great versatility and I think we'll have a good team," Lemanis said after their pre-season matches.

"We're definitely heading in the right direction and I'm confident going into the first game."

- NZPA