Mid-Season Report Card: New Zealand Breakers

With the Hungry Jack's NBL26 competition currently on a time-out due to FIBA Break, NBL Media has decided to assess each of the 10 teams and give them a mid-season report card.

During this series, one expert on NBL Now will evaluate the team's progress through the first 10 rounds, while also naming their most improved and MVPs.

Finally, they will each give the team a grade and predicted finishing spot.

The next cab off the ranks, after the Perth Wildcats, Illawarra Hawks, Adelaide 36ers, Melbourne United, Tasmania JackJumpers, Cairns Taipans, Brisbane Bullets, Sydney Kings and South East Melbourne Phoenix, are the New Zealand Breakers, with the team's performance analysed by 342-game NBL veteran Cam Gliddon.

Report card score: C-

I'll just go by their standings (5-10), but they're one game out of the finals. So I'll give them just below a pass, a C minus.

But I expect big things this second half of the year. I'm sure they're very driven and ready to right their wrongs. This franchise, with the history they have during the 2010s, they pride themselves on success. They're not just trying to make up numbers. They wouldn't be happy with where they sit right now. They would want to improve. I only see fit to give them a score that they can take on the chin and only get better from.

What you like: Internal growth and club direction

Starting with personnel, I really love when the Breakers go to Isaiah Brockington to start the game. He's so dynamic and it gets him off to the right speed, the right pace, and the ball starts getting through your hands. I love what Isaiah Brockington is doing.

Number two is Sam Mennenga's improvement. This year has really been his breakout year, and everyone can see that. He's finally found himself and is very comfortable out there on the floor, dominating his opponent usually game in game out.

Lastly, the improvement as well of Rob Baker. He started off this year slow, trying to get his footing right but the last few games, they've figured out how to use him the best as the starting four. Letting him shoot those pick and pops, those transition threes and helping space out the floor. I like where Rob Baker's at as well.

For the team, it's been a huge off-season for them with the change of ownership. The trajectory of where they're sitting right now and what I feel could possibly happen these next 10 to 12 games is exciting.

What I like right now is the optimism of where this thing could go. They probably feel it too, especially after this Tall Blacks FIBA window about how they can build and then really finish the season strong.

What needs to change: Ability to stay in the fight

Sometimes I watch them and they are a dominant team that could hang with anyone in the comp and then there's times and it's even just short patches where the wheels truly fall off.
These leads they can build in games can suddenly turn into a blowout on the opposite side of them. So what needs to change is them just becoming comfortable with being in the grind when those games aren't necessarily going their way.

They can still keep the scoreboard respectable and then when it's their turn to have a run, they can get that lead back. But it seems at the moment when the other team goes on a little run, the wheels can sort of fall off.

I'm looking to see change is just a collective buy in as to enjoying the grind, enjoying that basketball is a game of runs and your turn will come and just staying in the fight.

Most improved player: Sam Mennenga

This is an easy one, Sam Mennenga. The whole analyst panel is talking about how he's probably the front-runner for the award at the end of the year. He seems to have figured it out.

In basketball, you can have all the skills, you can have the athleticism, but you've got to put it into work and you've got to make it work with the four guys around you.

He's finally figured out when to go, when to not, when it's his turn, when it's not his turn. He's putting together quite a good season.

I'm looking at this second half of the year as he becomes kind of the focal point to stop by the opposition and how he kind of maintains his level of aggression on the game and his decision making. Is he going to force shots or is he going to make the right pass? That's the questions that remain unanswered going into this second half.

Team MVP: Parker Jackson-Cartwright

I'm not a point guard, so I'm not being biased here, but point guards the most important position on the court.

When your point guard is dynamic and has the games in his hands, if you win or lose, sometimes you feel like it's up to PJC if they win or lose. He's got that sort of pressure on him and I feel like he always lives up to it.

He might not hit the shot. He might not make the right decision all the time, but he always plays his heart out. That's why the Breakers fan base love him.

He will continue to be the MVP for this team. If they want to get to where they need to go, he needs to be the man.

Who needs to step up: Izayah Le'afa

For me, I say it with all respect, because I know how good Izayah Le'afa is. I played with him at South East Melbourne and I played with him at the Breakers.

I know how rare it is to have a guy that can defend the way he can. Sometimes he will focus on his defensive assignment and forget how good he is down the other end.

Like he can shoot the ball really well, he can get in the lane and create for others. Sometimes he locks into his defensive assignment and doesn't realise how good he is at the other end and how much of a difference maker he can be.

I'm looking for Izayah to be way more aggressive offensively the second half of the year because it's only gonna make his minutes on the court and those five on the court way better if he is that way.

Finishing prediction: Fifth

I have them finishing fifth. The first half of the season is very important but I think the lessons you learn in that first half, especially when you get a week off, gives you a chance to establish what you need to do better.

They've probably learned the most lessons out of every team, bar probably Illawarra.

If they have the right approach to it, there's only room to get better, but they definitely have to take care of home court. They dropped too many home games to start the year. If they take care of home court and can sneak a couple on the road, I believe fifth place is a fair goal for them.