Hoops

Breakers low on cash? Lacklustre roster...

I think the key point is no players or coaches I have spoken to are the least bit surprised NZ has started well, it's only people outside the competition.

Hopefully we have a number of teams playing really well at season's end so we get a quality playoff series. Last season there were six good teams but only one playing consistently good basketball right at the end.

Sosa has been better than Newbill but not by much.

Remember when United flogged them by almost 40 in a pre-season game over in NZ? I can't believe they're where they are now. But the run will stop soon, surely. Nature of the competition. Start laying the Breakers over the coming weeks

NZ continue being the best NBL club at recruiting imports. If only the other clubs were at the same level imagine the quality of the league as a whole.

Ili has stepped it up in a huge way.

Penney turns 37 this month and is shooting 56% from 3 this season.

Newbill has an umimpressive international resume compared to many NBL imports. He averaged 8ppg in Belgium last year. This year he has scored double digits in every single game- including 20+ twice.

Certainly they have been impressive to date. Sometimes teams just click, and become greater than the sum of the parts. It looks like that's happening.

2 years ago, I remember when United was 9-0 as well, and that all ended in tears. Last year Adelaide was 3-6 and won the minor premiership, Perth was last in late December and won the title. So I'm not getting carried away with NZ yet. Can these guys sustain their great form? Maybe, maybe not. But, an impressive start.

I thought NZ would be bottom 4 mainly because I thought Newbill looked underwhelming, and that they needed an impact player with that import slot. Turns out Newbill is quality, probably better than Sosa (who I expected to be excellent). Also did not expect Ili to have a Sobey-esque leap in production.

I think they're hanging out with the same guys that posted that Angus Brandt wasn't an NBL caliber player.....

I definitely underestimated Newbill and Ili. Moving Penney to the bench and the emergence of Ili shored up their bench. Impressive move by Henare.

Does anyone know where Pennywise (and a couple of others) are now?

experience definitely counts here. The young guys are looking pretty solid from all their prev stat. imports not so sure yet.

That Giants comparison is a bit extreme.

Experience counts like the spurs in the nba

Never count out a team with vets like Vukona, Penney, Abercrombie and Pledgehammer

Talent wise they're in trouble. They don't match up against Adelaide, Perth, Sydney or Melbourne.

How long before they are gone? Where are they going? Nothing they've done has ever pointed to them withdrawing from the comp.

How long b4 they are gone? 2nd nbl kiwi team had already said we won't pay a licence fee.

Hey Pennywise,

Is the distance between the earth and the moon close to what we call daylight?

The starters can definitely compete but the bench is very young. Going up against deep teams like Sixers and Hawks can be hairy.

Looks like a future building team. Bringing in young players whilst keeping the old to create a nucleus to compete for the future.

Ili isn't a slouch. Delaney is developing well and then they have all their vets and a couple of imports that none of us has seen play in the flesh.

Desosa / Ili
Penney / Newbill
Abercrombie / Ngatai
Vukona / Delaney/ Hunter
Pledger / Loe

There is a lot of chemistry in this team and this won't be the first time everyone on here a written them off before they've played a game.

Injuries destroyed last season for NZ, hopefully the team is healthy throughout and can prove everyone wrong.

They gave Penney a big 3 year deal to lure him back from the Hawks.

It's possible they limited spending after winning championships. And the focus changed to blooding youngsters as much as anything.

Even if Penney is trending down rather than up, there would've been some allowance in his deal for them bringing a Kiwi champ home.

I think this is just a standard roster that perhaps looks limited standing against big spending Australian teams, and/or relying mostly on locals, and/or held up against past championship teams where Vukona was at his peak and Cedric Jackson was around and at his best too.

I wouldn't call them lacklustre.

There is still Abercrombie, Pledger, Loe with cagey vets Vukona and Penney. Penney is one of those types that can still burn you with smarts, fakes and general good mover off the ball. At his age, he still played over 30 mpg, thats impressive.

NZ should have been in the playoffs last year, so many injuries to key players, Woodside, Webster, Stockton, Mitchell. Webster was a huge loss of course.

ok

When I say big I meant 3 years not necessarily financials but I would be willing to bet it was for good money too.

Penney got a big deal? Wow... he is in such a decline surprised he got a big deal.

They gave Penney a big 3 year deal to lure him back from the Hawks.

Ins: Edgar Sosa*, DJ Newbill*, James Hunter, Jordan Ngatai

Outs: Kevin Dillard*, Corey Webster, Akil Mitchell*, Paul Carter*

Not a good offseason for a non-playoff team from last season.

Money may just not be there anymore. Or now with the rest of NBL ramping up spending NZ look cheap unlike five years ago?