OVER THE first few months of the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season, the New Zealand Breakers have not been able to quite get into their groove against quality teams, and face an uphill battle to make the postseason.

At the midway point of the fixture, the Breakers sit in seventh spot in the standings with a record of five wins and 10 losses, although due to the dominant nature of the teams up the top of the ladder, are only one win away from making the play-in as it stands.

However, the Breakers certainly have players capable of lifting the team for the remainder of the season, and if some of their big names can fire, it will hold their chances of moving into the top six in good stead in the coming months.

It took New Zealand until Round 4 to finally get on the board with its first win of the season, knocking off the reigning champions in a dominant performance that looked to get their campaign rolling. A few close encounters did not go their way in the weeks that followed, but the Breakers did get the job done over the Tasmania JackJumpers and the Illawarra Hawks once again to ensure the wins were still coming.

Unfortunately, they could not translate that into a winning streak, but two victories in their last three games heading into the international break sees the Breakers head into the back half of the fixture with some momentum, but the true challenge comes in knocking off some contending sides, as those wins came against the Cairns Taipans and the Brisbane Bullets.

The Breakers like to play an outside game, and find more success scoring the ball through jumpshots, with the team sitting top three for field goals made, attempted and three-pointers attempted, but last in the competition for free throws attempted per game.

As expected, import point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright has been productive with ball in hand, averaging 7.8 assists per game, which is second among all players in the NBL to go with his 16.9 points on the season. Although his scoring has been down on previous campaigns, Jackson-Cartwright has instead looked to involve others and get his teammates in on the offensive production.

One of the biggest positives for the Breakers this season has been the emergence of big man Sam Mennenga, who has elevated his game to be among the best frontcourt players in the competition thanks to a breakout campaign. The frontrunner for the NBL’s Most Improved Player, he is averaging 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 49 per cent from the field and putting together multiple 20+ point performances in a strong showing.

One intriguing factor for the Breakers during the remainder of the season will be the output of import wing Izaiah Brockington, who has struggled with inconsistency throughout his first campaign in the NBL. While he is still averaging 14.2 points per game, he has also had some quiet outings, including a four-point outing in the loss to the Perth Wildcats. Brockington’s scoring ceiling is up there with the best in the competition, and if he can improve his production, it will give New Zealand a massive boost for the remainder of the season.