Breaker betrayal? Or something less sinister?

MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy's View from Downunder) - The draw for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs) are out, and New Zealand Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare's wish to be Philippines-bound was granted, with France and the host nation their group opponents.

Perhaps his next wish will be to have a full team on deck in July, something that has come under serious question in the past week.

In this column seven days ago I mentioned reports circling amongst professional basketball circles Downunder of internal disharmony at the New Zealand Breakers.

I received some pushback from within the Breakers organisation for including that in my story, but in the interest of Breakers and Tall Blacks supporters this is a lead that should be chased down. 

So this week I spoke to coaches, players and past players from around the NBL to find out what had turned the league's greatest dynasty into whipping boys.

While most people I spoke to understandably didn't want to be named, former Tall Black Casey Frank was happy to discuss the issue. He played countless internationals with the core of this Breakers team and watches them closely as an analyst on Sky Sports New Zealand's NBL broadcast.

"I think it's been evident for a while now that they're just not really happy playing together, they just don't have a lot of enthusiasm for the game," he said. "There's certainly some kind of chemistry issue going on there."

The Breakers' meltdown seems linked with the breakdown of shooting guard Corey Webster's marriage, just as his wife is expecting their first child. Sadly, this all played out very publicly on social media, with what appeared to be thinly-veiled accusations of impropriety levelled at the dead-eye shooter. 

I'm not interested in going into the details, but the negative on-court impact on Webster has seriously impacted the Breakers.

Reports of Webster missing sessions have been confirmed, while the out-of-training work ethic that has honed his world-class scoring game is also said to have waned. This is backed up by his shooting percentage dropping a whopping 12 per cent in his past seven games, and his scoring sliding from 23.8 points per game to 16.4.  

The effect on the team has been just as pronounced. The marital issues came to a public head around mid-December, at which point the Breakers had won nine of their previous 11 games. Since then they have won just two of nine, getting thrashed by 24, 18 and 23 points in three of those losses. In their previous 53 contests, New Zealand had only suffered four defeats by more than 15 points.

Multiple sources suggest there has also been a betrayal in the relationship between Webster and Cedric Jackson which has impacted their on-court double act. More than one opponent confirmed the body language of the pair was noticeably poor, and that there was a sense of detachment amongst the team.

One opponent said of the Breakers "they gave up, there was no fight", another believed "Cedric Jackson has been very distant from the group", one felt "it was like they didn't even want to be together", while another commented that "you see them pointing fingers".

However, Webster appears to have put paid to the suggestion a personal rift has affected team performance.

"As far as I'm concerned the team's in a great place, that's Corey, the senior guys, everyone," Henare said. "They haven't fractured, they haven't turned their back on anyone or are dogging anyone, so I don't read too much into any social media… 

"Corey's life is Corey's life, no matter what anybody does everyone's going to have their personal opinions, but in terms of that affecting the team there’s nothing going on there."

One former NBL player told me that when these kinds of breakdowns happen - whether they originate in nightclubs, poolrooms, bedrooms or elsewhere - coaches are often the last to know. He also said players' partners often become close friends, and if they are disgruntled that can significantly impact the team.

I have little doubt Vickerman and Henare speak honestly, and their words make it clear the team is able to function on a day-to-day basis. On the surface it seems like business as usual at the club's Atlas Place HQ. But something has derailed the once-irrepressible Breakers train, and the timing of their fall coincides with Webster's public marital spat and some relationship-based issues of a teammate. 

Is it simply a case that difficult times have caused Webster's performance to drop markedly and the team hasn't been able to fill that void? Could a change in attendance at, and attitude in the workplace have put his teammates off-side and damaged the Breakers’ on-court drive? Or has there been a personal rift between Webster and Jackson that's subtly broken the family spirit this team is known for and led to some of their least competitive performances in recent history?

We may never know, and in this context it isn't all that important. What does matter is the impact it has on the court.

It has all but ended the Breakers' title defence, and it threatens the upcoming campaign of the Tall Blacks, both in terms of whether it has damaged the national team's usually-outstanding spirit and the ability of Webster to contribute to his usual, brilliant level.

One quality Tall Black has reportedly said he won't play at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Manila unless the situation is dealt with, and any continued fallout may influence others. 

While the Kiwis have a tough draw - as all teams do - if Webster, Tom Abercrombie, Kirk Penney, Mika Vukona, Isaac Fotu, Steve Adams and Alex Pledger get together in the black and white they will be a fearsome unit… if united.

For worried fans, Frank has some good news, believing whatever has happened at the Breakers can be put aside for the good of the national team.

"I've always seen the Tall Blacks as its own thing, the guys have been able to put other things aside," he said. "Something we've pointed to as a great strength, if not our greatest, was our ability to come together and have the parts equal more than the whole, that working in unison and sacrificing."

Let's hope he's right and the Tall Blacks can rock Manila and join the Boomers in Rio.

Paulo Kennedy

FIBA

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