Maor backs new-look Breakers

Mody Maor’s first season at the helm of the New Zealand Breakers brought Championship Series hoops back to Auckland. Now ahead of NBL24, he’s re-tooled his roster, in a bid to do it all again. 

The NBL23 Coach of the Year nominee had been handed the unenviable task of replacing one of the top import trios of recent memory, heading into the new season.

Defensive Player of the Year nominee and All-NBL Second Team selection Dererk Pardon has since signed for Japanese side Altiri Chiba, while star forward Jarrell Brantley has also signed in Japan – with Nagasaki Velca.

SNBL Sixth Man of the Year and All-NBL Second Team selection Barry Brown Jr remains unsigned, following an off-season stint with French side Metropolitans 92.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Barry Brown Jr ???<a href="https://twitter.com/Metropolitans92?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Metropolitans92</a> now lead 2-0 in the <a href="https://twitter.com/LNBofficiel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LNBofficiel</a> semi-final after this big bucket from Barry Brown Jr. <a href="https://t.co/3T54FnDj6j">pic.twitter.com/3T54FnDj6j</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1663668076213321728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“At this moment of time I don’t think you will find any coach who sits up at a press conference and doesn’t really like the roster he has,” Maor said on the Breakers’ first day of pre-season.

“It’s on paper. It’s the equivalent of being written in the sand, and the waves will come and wash it out.

“We believe in this group of people, but there’s a lot of work to be done.”

One of the vaunted import trio’s replacements for the upcoming campaign is a familiar face to NBL fans – former Illawarra Next Star Justinian Jessup.

Jessup proved himself to be a high-level, starting-calibre talent in his final season in the NBL, and has returned to the league following a season in Spain.

He’ll play alongside former German Basketball Bundesliga MVP Parker Jackson-Cartwright and ex-New Orleans and Utah forward, Zylan Cheatham.

“We have incredible faith in all [the imports],” Maor continued. “They fit this place from a lot more than just one aspect.

“These are individuals who bring unique traits to how they play, they’re infectious in the way they do things and I’m excited to get to work together.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SIGNED ??<br><br>Former Illawarra Next Star Justinian Jessup has joined the <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZBreakers</a> on a one-year deal ?<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/bbItqrneUS">https://t.co/bbItqrneUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/avbq1YrtIv">pic.twitter.com/avbq1YrtIv</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1689402331899822082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“Justinian is a fantastic basketball player … for us everything starts on the defensive end, so the positional size, the will to compete, the ability to defend multiple positions … he has incredible basketball IQ.

“[He’s] going to be a very important part of how we do things.”

New Zealand’s NBL24 campaign will open against Cairns on Saturday, September 30.