Finn Delany: “We Can Win Every Remaining Game”

Star Power Forward Finn Delany is cagey about when he will make his long-awaited return from injury, but is forthright on how he sees the BNZ Breakers’ remaining eight regular season games playing out. 

“The Breakers can still 100 percent make the playoffs,” says Delany.  

“This team has a very strong belief that we can.  We’ve proven we are up with the best teams in the league.

“It’s just about finding that consistency and finding a rhythm close to the best version of ourselves.  If we can do that, then we can win every game.”

Coach Mody Maor believes the BNZ Breakers have been unlucky to lose several close games and that has increased pressure on a side which is only two wins outside a playoff spot.  It is an opinion fervently endorsed by Delany.

“This team is close and the NBL season is very compact,” he says.

“It’s a short window for things to kind of click and we haven’t managed to do that yet with guys coming in and out of the team with injuries.  It makes it difficult for us to reach our peak as a team when we don’t have the guys on the court.”

Ironically, after a swathe of injuries during the first half of the season, the only injury concern the BNZ Breakers now have is Delany himself.  

The club’s Most Valuable Player three years ago is still nursing a problem calf injury he suffered before Christmas, and will miss Saturday night’s encounter against the South East Melbourne Phoenix at Spark Arena which promises to be electric.

When the game tips off at 7.30pm, Delany will again sit courtside amongst the fans and watch the game.

“With my injury, I tore my calf about three and a half weeks ago, I was given a four-to-six-week time frame, so I am just beginning running, changing directions and basketball type movements again,” says Delany.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the injury, he can give no firm indication of when he will be back on court.

“Hopefully, I can have impact and help the team as much as possible in the last month of the regular season as we push for a playoff berth,” he says.

Delany is predicting the BNZ Breakers will win against the Phoenix this weekend and his belief comes from an unlikely source – the loss against the Kings in Sydney on Sunday.

“Some losses can sometimes really help a team, when you get smacked a lot of guys take it personally so it kind of elicits a response.

“The players have taken a large amount of ownership this year with things that haven’t gone right and have done a lot of talking about how we want to rectify things.

“The guys enjoy each other’s company, enjoy playing alongside each other.  

“From inside the dressing room, I can promise you that the team has a deep belief we can beat anyone.”

That starts with the game against the Phoenix on Saturday night at Spark Arena.  Limited tickets remain at Ticketmaster.