Preview: New Zealand vs Cairns (Round 1)

Saturday, September 30 at 5:30pm AEST at Spark Arena

Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo Sports (Sky Sports in New Zealand) - International viewership details
Box scores: Download the free NBL App

Following back-to-back bottom two finishes in NBL22 and NBL23, little was expected of either Cairns or New Zealand in NBL23. That’s changed this season though.

Both sides have lost established stars over the course of the off-season. Keanu Pinder and DJ Hogg will both play against their old side later in the season for Perth and Sydney respectively, while New Zealand’s vaunted import trio of Dererk Pardon, Jarrell Brantley and Barry Brown Jr have all moved on.

Both sides have re-tooled though, and young coaches Adam Forde and Mody Maor will each be hoping to throw their hats in the ring as genuine title contenders again this season, and prove their team’s NBL23 heroics were not just a flash in the pan.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Parker Jackson-Cartwright in 30 seconds: <br><br>? Layup<br>? Steal<br>? Assist<br><br>Oh ... and Zylan Cheatham is still dunking everything ?<br><br>Watch every game live &amp; free via Kayo Freebies ?<br><br>Outside Australia? Watch via ?? <a href="https://t.co/8LoWsbR7E4">https://t.co/8LoWsbR7E4</a> <a href="https://t.co/ULaxuVUdHk">pic.twitter.com/ULaxuVUdHk</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1704810356579635241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hungry Jack’s NBL Blitz fixtures used for recent form

New Zealand

89-93 loss to Perth
85-92 loss to Tasmania
101-75 win over Adelaide

Cairns

90-108 loss to Illawarra
100-95 win over South East Melbourne
95-102 loss to Perth

Tom Abercrombie
In his pomp Tom Abercrombie was one of the best players in the NBL. He may be 36 years old and entering his 16^th NBL season – and no longer be a nailed-on starter for the Breakers – but the celebration of a club legend’s 400^th career game is more than worth keeping an eye on.

The thing about Abercrombie is despite the presence of younger teammates, Mody Maor still trusts him to lock down the opposition’s best player whenever he’s on the court.

He’s been a consummate professional since hitting the NBL floor for the first time in 2008, and the roar from the Auckland crowd when he hits the floor for the first time this season will be unparalleled.

“Tom Abercrombie is the Breakers, he’ll always be the Breakers. He’s a guy that’s come from the academy and gone through the experiences of winning a championship, and through the build. For me, I’m really proud to see somebody like that achieve this. It’s massive milestone.” – Mika Vukona via Breakers Media

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SCENES! ?<br>TOM ABERCROMBIE IS CLUTCH! <a href="https://t.co/6z9VYosASJ">pic.twitter.com/6z9VYosASJ</a></p>&mdash; ESPN Australia &amp; NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ/status/1369560475818721280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bobi Klintman
Adam Forde presented his Next Star with one of the NBL’s best nicknames when praising him in pre-season – 'the prototype', and being a natural wing at 6’10”, Bobi Klintman’s physical attributes have NBA scouts salivating.

With so many Taipans players under injury clouds heading into the opening game of the season, there’s added pressure on Klintman to hit the ground running in his first professional appearance.

He’ll likely have any combination of experienced pros Tom Abercrombie, Finn Delany and former Next Star Justinian Jessup matched up on him at any time during the game, but he has the potential to explode for Cairns this season.

“He’s the current NBA obsession. He’s the prototype. He’s got so many intangibles that are going to create so many mismatch problems for the opposition ... it’s going to be really fun,” Adam Forde

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With NBL24 almost here, we introduce another one of the eight Next Stars in the Class of 24, Bobi Klintman ?<br><br>Watch the full video ?? <a href="https://t.co/ExaaDcNsV6">https://t.co/ExaaDcNsV6</a> <a href="https://t.co/l4XcYIzqFs">pic.twitter.com/l4XcYIzqFs</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1702534295141900298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Zylan Cheatham vs Sam Waardenburg
Sam Waardenburg’s rise since entering the NBL has been spectacular, and after an off-season that featured a stint in Germany and an NBA Summer League gig, expectations on the inaugural Next Generation Award winner are going to be sky-high.

His first real test of the season has come in the form of one of the new fan favourites of the league in Zylan Cheatham, but make no mistake – the Breakers import is far more than just a dunker.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Zylan Cheatham, my goodness ?<br><br>Catch the second half live &amp; free via Kayo Freebies ?<br><br>Outside Australia? Watch via ?? <a href="https://t.co/8LoWsbR7E4">https://t.co/8LoWsbR7E4</a> <a href="https://t.co/tjFakHOWQY">pic.twitter.com/tjFakHOWQY</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1704798159585583200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The fitness cloud hanging over backup big Josh Roberts could see Waardenburg shifted to the centre position for parts of this contest – much like he was last season when Keanu Pinder went down injured, but the presence of Sam Mennenga and AK Gak means he should play the bulk of his minutes at the four.

Like Waardenburg, there are huge expectations on Cheatham to perform this seasonn. Not only has he come to the NBL with some level of NBA experience and as a former Team USA representative, but he’s the like-for-like replacement for NBL23 star Jarrell Brantley.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sam Waardenburg made a big impression in his first NBL season, earning the first ever Next Generation Award presented by Champion ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheGazeys?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheGazeys</a> live on ESPN + the NBL social channels ? <a href="https://t.co/F671PoUjlc">pic.twitter.com/F671PoUjlc</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1622898156831928322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Expectation is the name of the game in this battle, and you can expect both players to be crucial to their side’s chances.

The away team has won each of the last six games between Cairns and New Zealand.

Last season the Breakers took the regular season series 2-1, but the largest margin of the three games was an 11-point win in late November.

NBL22 was a similar story, but it was Cairns who took the season series 2-1. Once again, only one of the three games was decided by double digits, a 10-point win in early April.

The last time the home side won between these two teams in their final game of NBL21. The Breakers emerged as six-point winners, off the back of 23 points from Tai Webster.

Tai Webster playing the Cairns Taipans in 2021.

New Zealand
Will McDowell-White – hand (test)
Mantas Rubstavicius – groin (TBC)

Cairns
Bul Kuol – wrist (test)
Tahjere McCall – hip (Round 3)
Josh Roberts – ankle (test)
Kian Dennis – shoulder (tbc)
Taran Armstrong – ribs (test)
Patrick Miller – hamstring (test)