PREVIEW: BNZ Breakers v Melbourne United

Friday, January 12 at 7:30pm  | TSB Stadium

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The Breakers will play United in the side’s annual clash in New Plymouth. New Zealand has won three of its four games at the venue dating back to NBL19, and all four games have been decided by single digits.

New Zealand head coach Mody Maor confirmed Finn Delany will be sidelined for another three to five weeks with a calf injury, while Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (personal) and Shea Ili (concussion) will miss the clash for Melbourne. Luke Travers will return for the visitors.

A run of four wins in five games has seen the Breakers close the gap on the top six, and a win could see them move into the six pending other results.

Matthew Dellavedova has lauded competitive spirit as to why Melbourne has not lost two games in a row so far this season. United is entering this clash following a surprise Round 14 loss to bottom-placed Adelaide.

New Zealand
102-108 loss to Perth
98-93 win over Tasmania
81-71 win over Brisbane

Melbourne
96-100 loss to Adelaide
101-85 win over Sydney
78-95 loss to Cairns

Will McDowell-White
After his breakout NBL23 season, things haven’t quite been going Will McDowell-White’s way this campaign. Hand and leg injuries have disrupted the campaign that was supposed to elevate him to the top end of NBL talent, but he looks to be back on the up and up.

McDowell-White has that rare ability to slow the game down and, no matter the situation, play at his own pace and be totally unbothered by any game situation, however that skillset hasn’t quite meshed with the rapid, all-action style of backcourt partner Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

Across the Breakers’ recent run of four wins in five games though, the pair looks to have struck a strong balance between their styles, and Mody Maor has said while his local guard is getting back up to speed, he’s not there yet.

His rebounding numbers are still dramatically down from last season, but he remains the type of player who can sneak his way to an understated yet game-winning triple-double, and McDowell-White is still one of the most watchable players in the NBL when he’s up and rolling.

If he can keep climbing, then the Breakers could well shatter the perceived ceiling that has been placed on them over the remainder of the regular season.

“Will is coming along. It’s not exactly where I want it, but it’s definitely improving.” – Mody Maor via the NZ Herald.

Tanner Krebs
A hallmark of a good team is having any number of players who can step up and prove to be a potential game-winner when the going gets tough, and even looking past United’s batch of stars, Melbourne has that in spades.

United may have fallen by four points to Adelaide in Round 14, but the efforts of Tanner Krebs almost pulled the ladder-leaders to victory in a game where Melbourne just couldn’t get itself going.

Krebs was the only member of United’s roster to score more than 13 points in the high-scoring defeat, and he hit nine of his 12 shot attempts on what was a career night for the former Saint Mary’s Gael.

After establishing himself as a key member of Brisbane’s roster last season – and even impressing as an undersized four during the Bullets’ mini-resurgence at the back end of the season – Krebs has found opportunities hard to come by for Melbourne this season, such is United’s depth in the wing positions.

There will be more minutes to go around against New Zealand due to Shea Ili’s absence with concussion, and Krebs has shown he deserves to be on the receiving end of a good chunk of those.

We’ve seen the likes of Kyle Bowen, Flynn Cameron and Ariel Hukporti shine when thrust into bigger roles this season. Now, is it Krebs’ turn?

“They just lost to Adelaide, they’ve bounced back well in the past from their very few losses this season, but they need to get this win … expect more minutes for Delly, Tanner Krebs has shown he’s ready to go, and Flynn Cameron will relish this.” – Peter Hooley on NBL Now.

Zylan Cheatham vs Ariel Hukporti
Breakers head coach Mody Maor has been complimentary about Zylan Cheatham’s first run of games back from injury, however he’s adamant the athletic big can still improve.

Cheatham opened the season as the Breakers’ starting center, but the emergence of Mangok Mathiang in his absence has seen him now alternate his time between the four and five spots. That being said, he’ll certainly lock horns with Ariel Hukporti given the absence of Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.

Hukporti will almost certainly be thrust back into Melbourne’s starting five in the absence of the South Sudanese international and has proven himself to be a genuine high-level big in this competition – Next Star status notwithstanding.

The German currently ranks third in field goal percentage of any player to take more than 60 shot attempts, and he currently ranks second in both total blocks and total rebounds on the season.

Cheatham was being discussed as a genuine MVP candidate before a foot injury kept him sidelined for two months, and Hukporti is rapidly rising in the calculations of NBA Draft experts.

Both of these players have the potential to be two of the best bigs in the competition. For Cheatham to reach that level he needs to continue to overcome his injury issues, for Hukporti, it comes down to the inexperience of youth – but there’s no mistaking the fact if one of them gets rolling, it could be curtains for the opposition.

Melbourne has won 10 of its last 11 games against New Zealand in a run that dates back to Round 8, NBL21. The only Breakers win in that period came in Round 17 last season, where Jarrell Brantley’s 18 points led the home side to a low-scoring win.

Jarrell Brantley.

New Zealand
Finn Delany – calf (TBC)
Justinian Jessup – pelvis (February)

Melbourne
Shea Ili – concussion (Round 16)
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr – personal (TBC)