Basketball: Breakers sizing up Crocs' deadly dynamo

Townsville's Corey Williams could endanger the Breakers' early season progress if he is allowed to flourish. Photo / Getty Images

Corey "Homicide" Williams already has consecutive NBL player of the week awards to go with his mohawk and flashy nickname. If he gets a third on the bounce, the Breakers will likely find themselves in a spot of early-season bother.

The vastly-travelled Williams lists his local basketball association as "the streets of New York", but he seems to have found a comfortable home with the Townsville Crocodiles.

An all-action point guard, Williams exploded for 37 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in the Crocs' 101-91 victory over Gold Coast Blaze on Friday night.

Any repeat of those numbers tonight will likely be fatal for the Breakers, who are still at least a week away from getting star shooting guard Kirk Penney back in harness.

Williams can shoot the three, but he specialises in either getting to the basket or drawing a foul on the way in.

"He's playing well and is the engine behind their team's success," Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis said.

"He's really good at getting to the line and that's where a lot of his points have been coming from, so we've got to get in front of him without fouling him, build the wall in front of him and close down the lanes."

The Breakers are likely to match import with import, detailing Awvee Storey to do much of the defending on Williams, with Dillon Boucher to also get his chance.

How much of the head-to-head match-up eventuates between Williams and star Breakers point guard CJ Bruton remains to be seen.

With Penney out of the line-up, Lemanis has favoured shifting Bruton to the two spot, with Paul Henare getting plenty of game time at the point. Henare's defensive prowess, vital in the last home victory over Melbourne Tigers, should see that tactic continued with tonight.

Williams may be the star turn but the Crocodiles (3-2) are a potent offensive unit, leading the league in scoring, points in the paint and offensive rebounds. The Breakers, by contrast, have struggled mightily at the offensive end.

In Saturday's 65-76 loss to Wollongong they shot just 33 per cent from the field, including a paltry 7/31 three pointers to cough-up a six-point lead heading into the final quarter. That defeat dropped them to 2-3, and 0-3 on the road.

With the ladder still tightly congested and their road form non-existent, the Breakers need to maintain their unbeaten home start to stay in touch with the early leaders ahead of Penney's expected return next week.

Penney's back injury is improving, with the guard now shooting hoops and moving a little more freely at training.

His recovery was expected to take four weeks but he could return for next Thursday's home game against the 36ers, a week ahead of schedule.

"I'm feeling great, a little better with every workout but we can't afford to rush this," Penney said. "The irony is I am most comfortable when on court, moving and shooting. The trouble starts when I try to sit down."

* Breakers v Townsville.

North Shore Events Centre, 7 tonight.