New Zealand Breakers NBL27 Preview
The feeling is different around the Breakers these days. Local ownership has returned and the organisation seems grounded within its own community once again. There’s a renewed emphasis on kiwi players, not only in the NBL roster but in a development sense too. All those good things... however they still didn’t make the playoffs last season. They did win an Ignite Cup title, for what that’s worth, yet a 13-20 record meant an early exit for a team that regularly showed flashes of something greater only to struggle drastically for any kind of consistency, unable to form winning streaks, unable to close out games in fourth quarters. It’s all here in the Season Review.
That was last season, this is this season. And something very significant has happened in between them: coach Petteri Koponen has mutually agreed not to seek a new contract, leaving the Breakers after two years to be replaced by Gordon Herbert. That’s an incredible head coaching get. Herbert is the current coach of Canada where he gets to work with two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among so many others. Herbert coached Germany to World Cup gold in 2023. He’s coached at club level in Finland, Germany, France, Greece, and Russia – as well as being an assistant in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors for a bit. He won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich last season (21 years after previously winning the German league with Skyliners Frankfurt). An incredible resume from the 67yo whose presence has led to success in most places that he’s gone.
The coaching hype goes beyond Gordie Herbert too... not so long ago the Breakers didn’t have a single kiwi assistant on the payroll but this season there’ll be three of them. Sebastian Gleim is the lone foreigner on Herbert’s staff and even then there’s a kiwi connection because Gleim spent two years (2024 and 2025) coaching the Franklin Bulls in the NZ NBL. As it happens he was also on Herbert’s Germany staff when they won the World Cup, ain’t that convenient? Impressive achievements, existing relationship with the head coach, and a prior knowledge of Aotearoa. Sweet as. The other three assistants are all familiar faces: Matt Lacey, Quinn Clinton, and Josiah Maama. There’s such an array of talented coaches in this country and these three are right up there with any of them. Between that trio there’s experience in the local NBL, Tall Blacks tours, kiwi age-grade internationals, and Aussie NBL assistant roles (Lacey was part of the NZB staff last year too).
But it’s not just who they’ve replaced Coach Kop with, it’s the fact that they’ve replaced him fullstop. The fact of the matter is that Koponen was hired by the previous owners. The new ones kept him around to maintain some degree of continuity through what they surely understood was going to be a transitional year but while they were better in his second season, it wasn’t enough and that made Koponen the obvious fall guy. Obvious because he didn’t deserve another contract, with his rawness on the bench arguably contributing to the inconsistencies on the court. Obvious also because he was the last remaining consequence of a past regime. It’s nothing personal. But with him gone, the table has been cleared for the next era of Breakers Basketball to truly begin – everything that’s happening now is happening because the current bosses decreed it. There are no more loose ends (and by extension, no more excuses).
The Roster For NBL27
PG: Parker Jackson-Cartwright (I) | Preston Le Gassick (AU/NZ) | Kazlo Evans Jr (DP)
SG: Dejan Vasiljevic (AU) | Izayah Le’Afa | Tukaha Cooper (DP)
SF: Josiah-Jordan James (I) | Mojave King (IR) | Reuben Te Rangi | Aubrey Chunga (DP) | Tobias Cameron (T)
PF: Kouat Noi (AU) | Carlin Davison | Kael Robinson (DP)
C: Sam Mennenga | Charles Bediako (I) | Anzac Rissetto
I = Import / AU = Australian / DP = Development Player / IR = Injury Replacement / T = Training Player
The Breakers entered this offseason with only Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Reuben Te Rangi, and Izayah Le’Afa under contract. And no head coach. But GM Dillon Boucher had been able to spend the previous year observing his team and seeing where they needed to improve. Based on what’s happened since, and what’s been said, we can pinpoint three major traits that this team was searching for in their recruits:
Reliable Three-Point Shooting
Sturdy and Consistent Defence
Championship Experience
All fairly obvious areas of improvement, right? Any team in any circumstance would get better by working on those three things... but that’s exactly why they’re so pertinent. The Breakers only had two players shoot better than 33% from threes last season and both have gone (Rob Baker & Isaiah Brockington). Their two best players, PJC and Mennenga, were both awful from distance – PJC made 45/154 at 29.2% (most attempts in the team) and Mennenga 21/89 at a pitiful 23.6%. But those guys are critical players so you’ve gotta minimise that damage by surrounding them with more reliable shooters... particularly for spacing reasons since Jackson-Cartwright is so deadly off the dribble and Mennenga is such a beast in the paint. Okay so how about Kouat Noi, Josiah-Jordan James, and Dejan Vasiljevic? Sure, that oughta help.
Unfortunately James has gotten injured late in preseason and could miss a chunk of the early part of NBL27. That’s a shame because that guy should be the best outside shooter in the team. He’s a 6’6 (198cm) wing who also has a reputation for superb defence across multiple positions. 25 years old, did five years at the University of Tennessee, and is two years into his pro career. But while he’s out, the team has signed Tall Blacks international Mojave King as an injury replacement. King can be an erratic shooter and was pretty poor when he was with the Breakers a few seasons ago, though since then he’s come on in leaps and bounds both in Australasia and beyond. Played for Cairns Taipans last season where he averaged 11.3 points per game shooting 38.7% from deep. More recently he’s been kitting up for Mykonos in Greece. He’s now a regular for the Tall Blacks. No idea how he wasn’t already on a roster and would not at all be surprised if the Breakers find a way to keep him beyond the JJJ injury.
The other new import is where we shift to the defensive outlook. Charles Bediako is 24 years old and 6’11 (213cm) and joins as a rim-protecting big man who’ll probably alternate between playing off the bench behind Sam Mennenga and also getting on the court alongside him in double big line-ups with Mennenga sliding to power forward. Huge wingspan of 221cm and therefore should bring some top notch shot blocking abilities to the table. Not a stretch shooter at all but that’s why they’ve signed guys like Dejan Vasiljevic, JJ James, and Kouat Noi for. Bediako is a dual-national of USA and Canada having attended high schools in both countries however he represents Canada internationally, including during recent Americas Cup qualifying, which means he already has a working relationship with new Breakers coach Gordon Herbert.
As for championship experience, well Dejan Vaslijevic won back to back NBL titles with the Sydney Kings in 2022 and 2023, while Kouat Noi was part of that same 2023 finals side and then won his second title with the Kings last season. He was also the NBL’s best sixth man in NBL25 and during this offseason he went and won a championship in Lebanon. Two reliable Australian veterans, both with multiple championship rings, each confident enough to take and make tough shots with range. The Breakers have made it known that they’ll prioritise the kiwis but when looking for those particular traits, these two tick the boxes in a way that no New Zealand currently does. Except for Shea Ili but he wasn’t available. Maybe Flynn Cameron in a couple of years when he next hits free agency but right now it had to be outsourced and they got two good ones.
Of course, the most important offseason roster move was convincing Sam Mennenga to re-sign despite interest from all over the planet. Cannot stress how important that was. Hopefully with some better shooters around him (and that doesn’t only count for the new recruits – Reuben Te Rangi had a great year of scoring in the NBL, Izayah Le’Afa should be far more effective if he stays fit this time, Carlin Davison has worked hard on his jump shot in recent years, and PJC is capable of being far more accurate if he’s able to be more judicious with when he lets them fly), we’ll see less of Mennenga hanging out at the top of the key and more of him beating the hell out of anyone foolish enough to try guard him down low. Mennenga’s a 20p/10r machine every game if used in that way. This year they should have the attributes around him to allow that – including Bediako who can either spell him (especially defensively) or create some mismatches in double-big sets.
The DP Contingent
Yeah, sure, the development guys don’t have much of an impact on results or performances or any of that. They barely even play. But it’s always fun to see which four blokes get those career boosts each year now that the Breakers have owners that actually want to utilise them. Last year it was Alex McNaught, Jack Andrew, Liam Judd, and Tukaha Cooper. They combined for about 70 minutes of action all season but it was notable that the quartet were all older DPs who were ready to go if needed.
Being older, a few of them have also now aged out of DP eligibility so only Tukaha Cooper has been retained from that trio. He’s a Northlander who plays NBL for the Southland Sharks, winning the championship with them this past season. Tough guard who can shoot and loves the hustle plays – he had some moments towards the end of last season which he’ll be hoping to build upon. He’s the returning fella. The other three are all new additions beginning with Kael Robinson, who had a really nice senior year at Northern Kentucky University before impressing for the Franklin Bulls in the NBL season just gone. 18 games playing a shade under 30 mins per night, with 11.1p/5.4r/1.3a/1.3s averages whilst being one of the most prominent perimeter shooters among local forwards with 6.4 three-point attempts per game (a higher rate than Tohi Smith-Milner!). Only shot them at 25% but he was a 39% outside shooter for NKU so he’s got that ability. 24 years old, originally from Hamilton.
Kazlo Evans Junior is also on board. 22yo point guard who took a huge jump with Manawatu Jets in the season just gone. Got some big minutes while the Webster Bros were unavailable and did plenty with them. Another one originally from Hamilton, though he went to school in Auckland and has also played for the Nelson Giants and Wellington Saints as well as South Adelaide in NBL1 across the ditch. His father, Kazlo Senior, was a teammate of Dillon Boucher’s in the NZ NBL once upon a time. Kazlo the Younger got more NZ NBL minutes this year than he’d played in his first three seasons combined. Needs work on the jump shot but he’s a real scrapper defensively who also averaged four assists per game.
Those three fit the pattern of last season’s DP crew as established local pros who’ll push the main roster fellas in training and are physically ready to slide onto the court if necessary. The fourth development player shifts the emphasis back to the first word of that title: 18yo Aubrey Chunga, a standout at NZ age grade level (most recently at the U18 Asia Cup) who played 150 minutes for the Wellington Saints despite his age (including 20 mins in the final after Hyrum Harris was injured). Still super young and will probably head off to the NCAA after this but an absolutely sizzling prospect as a two-way wing with good size and athleticism and he’s tough as nails too.
The Breakers have also added another one of the Southland Sharks championship heroes to the group with Tobias Cameron joining as a training player. According to the announcement, that means he will: “provide relentless daily competition during practices. While a non-rostered athlete, he will practice and scrimmage full-time with the squad during daily sessions. He will develop his game and learn team concepts without taking up an official game-day spot”. Cameron’s had a fantastic year first in England and then back in Aotearoa with Southland (albeit not quite as good as the year his brother Flynn has had). He’s not eligible to play with this contract but you’d imagine he’ll be the next cab up as an injury replacement if one of the locals gets hurt.
And while we’re on the development topic, this seems relevant...
Logo Things
It may not be strictly basketball related, but the Breakers efforts to distance themselves from the previous ownership era have been a hoot since day one. At no point has anyone in the organisation been undignified enough to take potshots but actions speak louder than words. One of the first things they did was return the team to their original colours (after former owner/CEO Matt Walsh decided that he liked the Miami Heat alternates so much that his NZ team would play in sky blue and hot pink too... for no other logical reason). Now they’ve redesigned the damn logo. Sure, why not? Out with the old and in with the new.
The Stuff That Matters
Alright, we’ve talked about intentions. The Breakers have assembled a roster within an overarching plan. They’ve targeted certain attributes and gone after players who can fulfil them. The coaching (and the branding) has helped distinguish this upcoming season from what came before, allowing for a fresh start. But all of that is only in preparation for what comes next and what really matters is whether they can win some basketball games and get back into the playoffs.
Lots of reasons for optimism there, most of them stemming around Gordon Herbert’s pedigree as well as the existing framework with Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Sam Mennenga both returning alongside some carefully targeted new recruits. Reasons for pessimism exist too... and for some those reasons will outweigh the positives. Herbert hasn’t coached in this league before. The new imports are relatively inexperienced at a time when other NBL teams are signing renowned NBA players – the Breakers are the only team without any NBA experience in their squad. Not to mention the injury to Josiah-Jordan James who even in preseason was already looking like a crucial fella to the team’s success thanks to his versatility and precision. Even with Mojave King on board, if that injury lingers then that objective of becoming a reliable defensive team could get very wobbly in a hurry.
There’s also a very real question about the depth in this team. Reuben Te Rangi was the highest-scoring New Zealander in the NZ NBL this season (22.4 ppg on 54.1/35.9/71.0 shooting splits for Tauranga Whai) so maybe he’ll bring some upgraded form to the party. Izayah Le’Afa will surely raise the bar on a stumbling season last time, and you know he’ll bring the heat defensively, but that erratic shooting isn’t often trustworthy. We shall see. Even with Vasiljevic and Noi, there’s a reason they were both available. Both are coming off down seasons by their standards and the Breakers are banking on bounce-backs from both. Frankly, there’s a lot resting on whether Carlin Davison is capable of another boost too. The Taranaki native is one of the most enthralling players going around, though part of that enthralment is because you never know what you’re going to get as he ranges from the silly to the sublime. By no means is he a foundational player. The imports and the veterans set the baseline as always. But Davison’s performances could be the barometer that determine how good the Breakers can be since he’s the bench guy with the most room to exceed expectations.
Additionally there’s the question of whether Preston Le Gassick, a dual national Aussie point guard (his mum’s kiwi so he could play Tall Blacks if he wants), who only finished up his NCAA career earlier this year and who hasn’t played higher than NBL1 in the professional scene, is capable of taking any pressure off Jackson-Cartwright as the lead ball-handler and playmaker. Doesn’t have to be much but this team being capable of winning those minutes with PJC off the floor would be massive.
There’s PJC and there’s PLG covering point guard for this team. One is a league-wide favourite (who sometimes has a tendency to do too much, though at his best is absolutely scintillating) and the other is a complete unknown at this level. Izayah Le’Afa will help with some of those duties too... but there’s no natural alternative to PJC and that could make them a bit too predictable, as well as over-reliant on Jackson-Cartwright who is a small guard who plays at a hundred kilometres an hour and is therefore always susceptible to an injury. That’s another reason why it’d make sense to try frame the offence around Sam Mennenga even more.
But as ever, it’s all speculative until the ball starts bouncing.
The Niche Cache can only do what we do thanks to the fine folks who support us on Patreon, Substack, and Buy Me A Coffee... don’t be shy if you appreciate the yarns
Also helps to tell your mates about us, whack an ad while you’re here, and do the social media stuff for the algorithms