john doe
Years ago
According to stuff, NZ Breakers will announce his signing on Wednesday.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/122126274/breakers-set-to-sign-tai-webster-in-major-coup-for-anbl-basketball-season
Damn, if they can resign Hopson they'll be tough. Interesting to see if they can afford two imports as Tai wouldn’t come cheap after his success in Turkey.
Breakers looking good. I feel they need an import big though. It would be great if they could get Brandon Ashley back as well as Hopson.
New Zealand Breakers-Shamir
6'4 T.Webster/6’1 J.Weeks
6’2 C.Webster/6’6 T.Abercrombie
6’7 S.Hopson(I)/6’6 M.Darling
6’6 F.Delany/6’10 Y.Wetzell
6’9 B.Ashley(I)/6’11 R.Loe
DP
6’6 T.Li PG
6’5 T.Murray SG
6’10 T.Wynyard C
john doe
Years ago
Would expect Jack Salt to sign with the Breakers. Also recent articles indicate that the Breakers are after a Next Star as well.
PyroCross
Years ago
Considering Scotty Hopson was the de facto PG last season, Tai Webster's a big upgrade. Not exactly a shooter though.
Will be interesting to see how the team shakes out - I suspect they'll want Abercrombie, Hopson and Delany all to start, which would put Corey in the overqualified sixth man/scorer role. Suspect Jack Salt will hold the Pledger role and be a complement to Rob Loe, while Ethan Rusbatch's surprising absence from the NZ-NBL makes me suspect he's got a Breakers contract next season, and he's a great fit. I also wonder if we're going one import next season with Tai's salary on the books - if we don't, an affordable athletic 4/5 will do the trick. Just as long as it isn't Vodanovich.
Loe / Salt
Delany / Import*
Hopson* / Rusbatch
Abercrombie / C.Webster
T.Webster / Weeks
Plenty of DP talent available from the NZNBL as well - college seniors qualify for a DP spot right?
^ Ashley is an athletic 4/5, would be perfect for the import slot in that list. Not sure about affordable though. Hopson won't be cheap, so maybe they can only afford one import.
I don’t think Salt will be signed. Unfortunately he’s injured and won’t play NZNBL at all this season.
Should give Yanni Wetzell, returner from San Diego State, a look at the 4/5 spot. Put up 11 and 6 for arguably the best team in college basketball this past year. A athletic and mobile 6'10 who can shoot the 3. Rumours are he’s potentially heading back for NBA workouts or to Europe, but would absolutely be a pickup for any side, not just the Breakers
Problem with Ashley was he was perpetually in foul trouble.
Mystro
Years ago
Jack Salt has a knee injury, I would be surprised if NZ picked him up.
I would rather sign Brandon Ashley again, his range spaces the floor and he might adjust to the refereeing second time around.
Jack Salt's game doesn't translate very well to the NBL right now.
Wetzell was a late bloomer having picked up the game late being primarily a tennis player, from memory, as a junior. But I believe he has well and truly taken over Salt, Timmins, Wynyard and a host of other well credentialed Kiwi junior bigs. He is mobile, great footwork and I believe he could even start for the Breakers. If they picked him up to complement Loe they would not need Ashley. I think if he continued to improve at the rate he has given the few years he has actually played, he could come to the Breakers for 2-3 years then carve out a high level career in Europe.
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