KEY POINTS:
After two weeks licking their Crocodile-inflicted wounds, the Breakers take on Sydney Spirit on the North Shore tonight in a match that marks the start of the second half of their NBL campaign.
A stellar start to the season, when they compiled a 13-4 record and established themselves as the league's most potent offensive side, had some of the gloss stripped off it during a crushing 104-88 loss to the Crocs in their last outing on December 4.
But that shock defeat, when the Breakers' offence totally misfired and their inconsistent defence was badly exposed, should serve as a timely reminder. Veteran forward Tony Ronaldson is expecting a significant bounce-back against the troubled Spirit, a club that is continuing to fulfil its fixtures thanks only to a league bailout package that saw its players accept a 56 per cent pay cut.
"Hopefully," said Ronaldson on the prospect of a large Breakers improvement. "We couldn't get much worse. But [the Spirit] have got some talent and have beaten some good teams, so it is a game we need to be wary of."
Centre Rick Rickert said the two-week break had come at a good time for the Breakers, who had been suffering from fatigue after a torrid schedule over the previous month. The club notched an impressive 6-1 away record in little over a month but the toll that had taken was clear when they fell flat on their faces against the revved-up Crocs.
"We've had a chance to really regroup and reflect on the first half of the season," Rickert said. "Now we are excited to start playing again and I think we are in a good place."
More often than not the Breakers have managed to come from behind, but their continued slow starts and inability to produce a strong first quarter are becoming concerns.
"Our starters have to come out with a better game mentality, get the stops early, run the offence and get easy baskets," Rickert said. "It is attitude really. That is something we have addressed over the last two weeks and we are looking to make good on that."
Like the Breakers, the Spirit (8-9) have endured a lengthy hiatus. Their last match was a 92-87 defeat 10 days ago, also by the Crocs, which snapped an unlikely four-game winning streak.
That upturn in the Spirit's fortunes somewhat ironically coincided with the deepening of their financial woes. Since the state of its finances were revealed, the club has parted company with three players, including key swingman Liam Rush, and had its licence reclaimed by the league. The club has also established a welfare fund for its players and coaching staff, with Australian NBA star Andrew Bogut chipping in A$30,000. Proceeds go directly towards
boosting players' salaries but those players this week chose to use some of the money to recruit Sydney local Blagow Janev. A 2.03m forward who represented Australia at U-20 level, Janev is expected to debut against the Breakers tonight.
The Breakers may be enjoying their best NBL season but it is against a backdrop of financial uncertainty for the league.
Heavyweights Brisbane and Sydney Kings folded before the season began and last week the Cairns Taipans joined the Spirit in administration and also had to be bailed out by the league. The Taipans have since jettisoned both American imports and sacked title-winning coach Alan Black, reducing them to a shell of the team that posted two wins over the Breakers earlier this season.
The Breakers, however, insist they are in good shape and this week announced an extended shirt sponsorship deal with Bartercard.
Chief executive Richard Clark has also said the club will have no problems stumping up the $1 million bond needed to gain entry into a revamped league next season.
The Breakers, who head to Perth for their final game of the year on Saturday, have a minor injury worry over point guard CJ Bruton, who copped a stray elbow from Ronaldson at training yesterday.
