Do people really think these games benefit NBL clubs at all? I am probaly not considering a variety of aspects beyond just playing, but it does interupt the season for NZ. It was really good for the NBL to get the opportunity, but is it worth persisting with at the expsense of your own season? Teams seem less willing to participate, but not sure what forces are dictating that. Unless they can schedule this before the season, I feel like it has run its race? Maybe the next step is to bring an NBA team here.

probably a good recruiting tool for getting quality imports being able to promise them a game against an NBA opponent

The Breakers need practice. Practice games without competition points on the line is invaluable.

It definitely helps with imports and Next Stars.

In an ideal world, however, would be over before season kickoff proper so as to avoid the compressed schedule that follows.

"Sources" have said Fall won't be signed beyond these games. Gillespie is safe, for now.

Hard to believe he's only in mind for the three games and not on the radar to sign for the season

Yeah Gillespie is clearly in the crosshairs. Shades of Anthony Lamb/Justinian Jessup last season.

It would be interesting to see how well a guy with such a distinct height advantage over the rest of the league does in the NBL. If it happens of course!

Not sure he's mobile enough for the style of play NZ want.

Jessop had a season ending injury, Gillespie had a one game out for doing what a ton of players have probably wanted to do but thought better of.
It was only a couple of seasons ago everyone thought Brantley & Pardon would be heading home early and look how good they turned out.
Mooney is the one with a non guaranteed contract that could be replaced but he looked sharp in that first game.

If I'm NZ fan I wouldn't want them doing this tour

Absolutely brutal NBL schedule awaits them for remainder of season, as they make up the 2-4 games they missed

Is Gillespie's contract guaranteed?

I don't see the Breakers cutting Mooney. Sure he's not a Cotton or PJC. But he looks like a solid baller. He's very similar to Barry Brown Jnr - great defence, can create for himself and others, and even has a canny snake dribble in his repertoire. He will only get better, like Brown Jnr did, with a few more weeks.

I believe Gillespie's contract is guaranteed.
Agree EssenX, Mooney looks good at both ends and I like the guard rotation of PJC, Mooney & McCarron.

LV, that's the thing. If you go 0-5 or even 0-3 in a 25 game season, it's really hard to catch up.

They shouldn't need practice, and most likley result is 20-30 point losses if NBA teams bother to get out of first gear.

I just think the concept has done what it set out to do, and now we are just doing it for the sake of it. Like I said, having only the one team represented this time could mean that clubs just are not willing to do it anymore. I have no doubt it is a great experience, and we managed to get a win and get close a couple of other times.

"Is Gillespie's contract guaranteed?"

First year import and only signed a one year deal means very unlikely. I've never heard of that in the NBL and the closest thing to it would be Jamaal Franklin's partially guaranteed contract at the 36ers last season.

Gillespie averaged something like 3 & 2 in 50 games last season for two different teams last season, he's fortunate an NBL team was willing to sign him in the first place.

On one hand they were both Euroleague teams

On the other hand, he averaged 2.4 fouls a game in under 10 minutes a game

In 14 different games he got 4 or 5 fouls

And in the Blitz he got 11 fouls in 66 minutes.

Is he the most foul prone player in professional basketball? Must be close

This signing is an ego trip for Matt Walsh trying to sell the breakers he is an ass hole

This signing is an ego trip for Matt Walsh trying to sell the breakers he is an ass hole

Taco talking up that he could stick around long term potentially: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/528994/towering-tacko-fall-says-he-s-a-chance-for-fulltime-breakers-gig

Breakers heading for a Fall LOL

Tacko to join Breakers as a practice player: https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/16/former-nba-player-tacko-fall-to-train-with-breakers-in-nz/