THE 2023/24 National Basketball League (NBL) is right around the corner, with the fixture set to kick off on Thursday, September 28.

The season is shaping up like no other, with an unprecedented amount of young and international talent complimenting the homegrown players set to suit up in the nation’s premier basketball competition.

The landscape of the league looks as even as ever, with the title up for grabs after a period of dominance from the Sydney Kings. As the New Zealand Breakers and Cairns Taipans proved last season, any side could climb the rankings and the player movement has ensured there is no clear favourite.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at each side and how they are shaping up ahead of the season’s commencement, with some intriguing outfits around the NBL.

Kicking off the teams for this week are the New Zealand Breakers, who stunned everyone with a stirring rise up the ladder last season, and will be eager to take that one further.

New Zealand Breakers

2022/23 record – 18 wins, 10 losses

The Breakers were the talk of the town last season when they made an appearance in the grand final after a bottom-placed finish in the season before. It was one of the most remarkable turnarounds in NBL history, but now New Zealand will have teams hunting for its success, in a different outlook coming into the season.

Roster

Alex McNaught, Cameron Gliddon, Carlin Davison, Dane Pineau, Daniel Fotu, Dominique Kelman-Poto, Finn Delany, Izayah Le’afa, Justinian Jessup, Mangok Mathiang, Mantas Rubštavičius, Max Darling, Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Thomas Abercrombie, William McDowell-White, Zylan Cheatham

Key question – With the big three gone, what do the Breakers look like?

Much of last season’s success can be put down to the import trio of Barry Brown Jr., Jarell Brantley and Dererk Pardon. However, all three players departed the Breakers over the off-season, which makes things extremely interesting moving forward. Brown Jr. was the team’s go-to scorer, while Brantley and Pardon owned the frontcourt defensively. The loss of these players leaves a significant hole on the team’s output on both ends.

The team added Jessup, Jackson-Cartwright and Cheatham over the past few months, who are all set to play key roles. Cheatham has impressed during the NBL Blitz, showing enough versatility on both ends to suggest he could close games at the centre position. While these players may or may not reach the heights of last year’s imports, having William McDowell-White as the team’s point guard will help bring it all together.

One to watch – Zylan Cheatham

Cheatham is one of the most exciting players in the entire NBL, having demonstrated himself as a human highlight reel during preseason hitouts with the Breakers. The 27-year-old went viral after throwing down a few posterizing dunks in the Blitz, and will ensure New Zealand is worth a watch on a weekly basis given he could produce a thunderous slam on any play.

A three-level scorer, Cheatham will be a big part of Mody Maor‘s rotations with his versatility and elite engine that allows him to make an impact both offensively and defensively. He can guard multiple positions, making him extremely valuable on the floor given his ability to defend switches. Expect him to play big minutes this season and deliver a highlight or two in the process.

The Breakers may have changed a large portion of their roster over the past few months, but with a plethora of local talent and Maor at the helm, expect New Zealand to be competing for a spot in the finals for a second consecutive season.