Basketball: Coach seeks spirited final run

Rich Melzer

The Breakers want to attack the last games of their dreadful season with vigour, still claiming something to prove but with half an eye on next season.

With five games to go they could yet record their worst result from three years in the Australian NBL - just five wins so far compared to nine last season and 12 in their inaugural season in 2003-04.

There is a lot to play for against the Townsville Crocodiles at Trusts Stadium tonight, not least a series win over the visitors after a one-all result from two match-ups in Townsville.

After 12 years as assistant at the Crocodiles, Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis will be keen to beat his old team. And the Crocs are just ahead of the Breakers on the NBL ladder, so a win would take them closer to moving out of second-last, ahead of West Sydney.

"The guys are still playing for contracts," said club general manager Richard Clarke.

"We still owe our fans and we still owe our sponsors. The players have to show these last five games are just as important to them as they would be if we were in the playoffs."

Apart from A.J. Majstovich, whose season is over due to a badly bruised knee bone, there are no injury concerns for the home side and the Crocs have none after their 117-102 loss to West Sydney on Thursday night while en route to Auckland.

The Breakers need more big-scoring performances from imports Rich Melzer and Brian Green. Melzer was the first from the team to win the NBL's player-of-the-round award this season after two double-doubles, 24 points and 15 rebounds against Adelaide and 28/10 at Brisbane.

A lack of scoring options has counted against the Breakers all season, with three-point sharp-shooter Aaron Olson always under too much pressure. With the forwards and centre Ben Pepper drawing more defence, Olson becomes open but that hasn't happened often enough.

They still also need to address the issue of playing out the game from start to finish. Too often their downfall has been one bad quarter.

Only Pepper is signed for next season but the club is in negotiations with several others and the shape of the squad should not change too much. They are talking to both imports; Melzer is apparently enjoying New Zealand and keen to stay. It's unlikely the club would want to lose captain Paul Henare, his increasingly threatening back-up Lindsay Tait, shooting guard Olson, nor this year's find, Mika Vukona.

Clarke said it would be unfair on the team to discuss those they were targeting. But he did confirm that the Breakers want to keep development player Brent Charleton and to upgrade Hawkes Bay teenager Everard Bartlett to full-time.

Coach Lemanis' future is secure. The owners accept that he had a hobbled start with no team to prepare in pre-season due to Tall Black commitments and the late change of imports, then injuries.

That's a fair assessment. To Lemanis' credit, he has never looked for excuses. Nor has he given up hope. Hopefully the stability will bring better results, the players being more aware of their roles and of each other's capabilities as the new season starts, rather than being thrown together in early games.

But the franchise is looking to push changes to assist preparation, such as asking the ANBL to reschedule games to minimise the impact of the world championships in Japan mid-year. The Breakers are more affected by international commitments than other teams.

They would also like concessions on travel, so they have recovery time between the long flights to Perth and Cairns.

Their remaining two away games are against Hunter at Newcastle on January 27 and the champion Kings in Sydney on the 29th, followed by two games against the Tigers at Trusts Stadium.


Lineups

NZ Breakers v Townsville Crocodiles
Trusts Stadium, 7.30 tonight

* Breakers: Rich Melzer, Brian Green, Ben Pepper, Aaron Olson, Paul Henare (c), Mika Vukona, Tim Behrendorff, Lindsay Tait, Ben Thompson, Brent Charleton.
* Crocodiles: Larry Abney, Casey Calvary, Kelvin Robertson, Brad Newley, John Rillie, Greg Vanderjagt, Robert Rose, Damon Lowery.