Basketball: Breakers return on Pero's mind

Pero Cameron

Pero Cameron doesn't rule out playing for the Breakers again, or coming back after his playing career has ended in some other role.

The Tall Blacks star admits he hasn't achieved what he wanted to at the Auckland club. "I've never been involved in so much losing in all my life," he said yesterday in the wake of an off-court spat with the club's ex-general manager Peter Chapman.

Cameron called Chapman a dictator, Chapman called Cameron an over-paid lazy sack of potatoes. And a bully.

The Breakers management didn't want to get involved, other than expressing disappointment that the disharmony was made public two days ahead of a tour to China where a new coach will consider new players.

Cameron is not considered a starting-five player by new coach Andrej Lemanis. He appears likely to use Ben Pepper at centre, Paul Henare and Aaron Olson at guard, Mike Chappell as one forward with either a second American import or another Australian to join him.

They are close to signing one but Lemanis wouldn't say who yesterday. It may be the Melbourne Tigers' Stephen Hoare, 29, who averaged 9.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists off the bench in 2004-05.

When Cameron's agent was told that he would not be starting he asked Lemanis whether a bench spot would pay more than $120,000 and, was told no. The club said they'd look elsewhere.

Cameron said yesterday that he was looking at Europe and other Australian clubs. He was in no rush and planned to finish the domestic season with the Waikato Titans.

"I don't think I've left the Breakers on a bad note," he said. He had no beef with Lemanis. "He's got to bring in people he trusts - he's accountable, that's how it is."

He admitted the conflict affected his performance and that that may have carried on through the team as defeats added to the dispiriting influence. "Success became really tough. We had to remain positive for the sponsors and fans and you'd leave the stadium after losing games we should have won thinking 'Wow, this isn't how it's supposed to be'."

He thinks the Breakers are moving in the right directions with the addition of businessman Paul Blackwell to the board and Lemanis as coach - he has a winning edge that the friendlier Frank Arsego did not - and last season's Cairns Taipans assistant coach John Dorge's appointment as assistant in Auckland. Chapman's departure and a new start will reinvigorate the team. "They've made some very positive moves."

"Hopefully I can be part of the organisation somewhere down the track, maybe when I'm finished [as a player] or in some other role. We [he included the already-departed Phill Jones and the likely-to-follow Dillon Boucher] still want the Breakers to be successful, we want them to beat Australians."

Boucher said yesterday that he had not been offered a contract and was aware the club was chasing another Australian small forward.

* The clash between NBL leaders Auckland and Waikato in Hamilton on Wednesday may give some indication of the playoff placings.

The Titans are seven-three and the Stars six-two after finally finding form, while the highly rated Hawks will be going hard for a home win over Nelson today to lift them to the four-from-three record the Giants already have.

Casey Frank scored 16 and Lindsay Tait 15 in the Stars' 85-68 win over Otago. They trailed 16-23 after the first quarter then scored 36 to 13 in the second to lead 52-36 at halftime.

Coach Kenny Stone used his bench toward the end and the Nuggets came back to win the last quarter 19-8 but it was good experience for the rookies who will fill in for Tait and Aaron Olson when they tour China with the Breakers.

Tait misses the Waikato game and the next against Wellington on Friday night and Olson misses one further game against Manawatu the following weekend.

The Saints beat Canterbury 108-107, with George Leafa delivering two free-throws at the end and the losers protesting about the consistency of the refereeing.

The Rams are now three-and-three, also losing 93-78 to the Giants at the weekend, Nelson lifting to four-and-three and Hawkes Bay beating the Taranaki Airs 94-78.

North Harbour are producing the best defence of the competition, beating Otago 89-59 to keep the Nuggets winless after eight games. It is the third time the Heat have held an opponent to less than 60 and their points conceded average is 70, their record now four-and-three.

Harbour host the Saints at North Shore Events Centre on Saturday.