Basketball: Wilkinson highlights Breakers' depth

Gary Wilkinson. Photo / Getty Images

American import Gary Wilkinson says the depth within the New Zealand Breakers' squad is something he's seldom experienced in his basketball career.

The table-topping Breakers, fresh from another victory featuring a strong finish, host defending Australian National Basketball League champions Perth in Auckland tomorrow night.

The 101-91 result over Melbourne in Auckland last Friday was closed out with a big fourth quarter, particularly on defence, that opened out what had been a tight contest.

"For sure it's the depth,'' Wilkinson said of the Breakers' repeated ability this season to maintain pressure to the end.

"We can run our squad the whole game and not really lose anything. By the time the fourth quarter comes around, we have fresh guys to come out and continue playing just like the first quarter. That's been a huge benefit for us throughout the season.''

With coach Andrej Lemanis able to call on a second wave of Kevin Braswell, Corey Webster, Tom Abercrombie, Dillon Boucher and Alex Pledger, Wilkinson said it was hard to describe the Breakers' back-up as a "bench''.

"They're a starting-five squad,'' he said.

"We just have confidence in the guys coming into the game that they're going to perform at the same level as anybody else. I don't know many teams I've ever played on that I've felt that way.''

The Breakers and the Wildcats go into the clash at 1-1 from their previous head-to-heads for the season, with home advantage counting both times.

The Breakers edged home 96-94 in round two in October, but then suffered a 114-74 beating a month later, when ex-Breaker Shawn Redhage proved a handful with a game-high 32 points and 10 rebounds.

Redhage won't be on court this time around, the Perth skipper being sidelined with a season-ending hip injury.

Unbeaten in 2011 and on a six-match winning streak than has taken their record to 16-3, the Breakers were feeling "pretty good'' right now, Wilkinson said.

"Our challenge is not to get overconfident and lose focus in terms of what we're trying to accomplish.''

A native of Utah, the 2.04m forward has made his mark in his first season in the ANBL and is the league's latest player of the month.

His contribution against the Tigers included 22 points - the 12th match in a row that he had got into double digits for scoring - four rebounds and two big blocks.

Wilkinson, 28, said fitting into his new environment when he arrived in Auckland had been pretty seamless.

"I felt a good camaraderie with the team,'' he said.

"They're really great guys, high-character guys, and when you have a group like that, it's kind of easy to come in and fit in.''

Lemanis described Wilkinson as someone with the self-confidence to find his niche within the club.

"He didn't come in and try to assert himself,'' he said.

"He found his spot within the team and his comfort level, and obviously the team have their comfort level with him.

"He certainly fits into our philosophy of sacrificing for the good of the group and he's found a way through that to help us be a better basketball team.''

- NZPA