Two weeks after being arrested for assault Corey Webster has been sidelined indefinitely - but the Breakers say that timing is coincidental.
Injuries have proven too much for Webster to bear and the shooting guard was today shut down for potentially the remainder of the Australian NBL season, left to deal with both his health and looming court proceedings while the club seek a replacement.
Webster had been troubled by hip and back issues in the pre-season but, while his minutes have remained consistent, his form has never reached the highs of seasons past.
The 28-year-old was also suspended for one game after breaching club values during a night out that resulted in his arrest, set to appear in court on December 20 to face an assault charge he intended to defend "vigorously".
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Advertise with NZME.The club offered their full support to Webster following that incident but, in the end, it was the player's health that left coach Paul Henare with no choice but to scratch his star.
"[The decision] has come about from talking with coaches, talking with the board and trying to figure out what was the best way to move forward with Corey and what was best for the team," Henare said. "We've come up with the decision to give him some time to heal and get his body right.
"Corey's a player, he's a hooper. He's hurting but he wants to be on the floor. But while he may not agree with the decision, he accepted it, which says a lot about him and means a lot to the club.
"But this was a decision made by me as a head coach and at a board level, as well."
It was also a decision reached without consideration of Webster's legal issues, given no new information had been revealed since the club decided to issue Webster's initial suspension a fortnight ago.
"If it was [about the assault charge], we would have made that decision two weeks ago when it happened," Henare said. "We went through a process and put a lot of thought into that once it came about, and how we'd deal with that.
"But for now we just feel that he's not at his best, and for our team to be successful we need Corey Webster at his very best. So that's more why that decision was made."
There is no doubting Webster has been well below his best in the current campaign. Having lost his starting spot to Kirk Penney, a reduction in production was always to be expected, but Webster has rarely come close to reaching his own high standards.
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Advertise with NZME.Through 15 games the Tall Black is averaging 11.7 points in 28.2 minutes, shooting 36 per cent from the floor and 28 per cent from beyond the arc. Last season, once Webster had returned from an NBA trial with the New Orleans Pelicans, he contributed a team-high 19.6 points per game in 33.6 minutes while shooting 39 per cent from the floor and 34 per cent from deep.
"He'll be the first one to admit his form has been down," Henare said. "He's been struggling with injuries since day one. He had some pretty serious injuries going on in pre-season and we had to shut him down with his hips.
"When Corey's at his very best, he's one hell of a player. And unfortunately he wasn't able to get there to this point of the season."
Now Webster will see a specialist to confirm a treatment plan for his hip, determining whether surgery is required or rehabilitation and strengthening will, like earlier in the season, be the best course of action. There is no timeframe for his return and, with only 12 games remaining in the regular season, it would be no surprise if Webster fails to feature again in the current campaign.
The Breakers are targeting a third import as a replacement but most international leagues are in mid-season and Henare is expecting pickings to be slim. The coach is seeking a guard who can improve his team's perimeter defence and, in the meantime, Penney and Tom Abercrombie were likely to assume the majority of Webster's minutes.
