Basketball: Vukona confident as competition rises

Mika Vukona says he's feeling good - "I just want to get out there and play." Photo / Greg Bowker

Mika Vukona has been doing this for a decade so he's well-placed to assess both the unfamiliar and ordinary of the Australian NBL.

And as the Breakers begin their title defence tonight in Adelaide, he believes there is one major change compared with past seasons: the competition is tougher than ever.

But according to the club's captain, the side's expectations haven't changed one iota. Nothing less than another title will be acceptable.

There's no ignoring the newfound depth in the transtasman league.

The quality of the new recruits is such that the renamed Illawarra Hawks are viewed by the bookies as the seventh-favourites in an eight-team competition. That's the same Hawks who enticed a pair of former MVPs - Kirk Penney and Kevin Lisch - to return to Australia from overseas.

NBA veteran Josh Childress is still with Sydney, and is joined by former Boston Celtics draft pick Marcus Thornton. And with Corey Webster currently showing Australasian players can head in the opposite direction, the standard of the ANBL excites even a seasoned professional.

"For as long as I've been part of it, this is probably the best," Vukona said. "When you bring quality players from the NBA straight into this environment, only good things can happen."

The Breakers could soon receive a first-hand glimpse of that prospect, not through a new import but from a favourite son. Webster is still a chance to boost the Breakers' ranks before the season's second month but, even if the shooting guard's recent experiences with the New Orleans Pelicans would only aid the Breakers, Vukona hopes he has seen the last of his teammate.

"Hopefully he doesn't come back to the Breakers, because that's something he wants to achieve," Vukona said. "But if he does, he's been training against the best players in the world, and he'll just come back here more revved up."

Webster's arrival would immeasurably improve the Breakers' chances of adding another title to their collection, given he was the club's leading scorer last season.

The hole he leaves must be filled by Tall Black Everard Bartlett and young duo Reuben Te Rangi and Shea Ili, with Vukona liking what he's been seeing from the three Kiwis in pre-season. He's enjoyed little else about the past month, though - not for a lack of results but the seemingly interminable wait before the real action could begin.

"I think if you ask everybody, pre-season goes too long," he said. "Everybody's raring to go and [tonight] should show that. I'm feeling good, man. I just want to get out there and play."

Little else would be expected from the Breakers' leader, and asked for his side's expectations, the answer was similarly unsurprising.

"We never go into any season thinking we're just going to be in the top three or whatever," Vukona said. "We want to go out there and win it. And I believe we have the capability to do that."