LACEY LOWDOWN

If Mika Vukona is the engine that runs the Breakers, Cedric Jackson is the accelerator that controls the pace and tempo of the team.

There is no better sight than Jackson in full flight as he seizes on an opposition turnover, or gathers an outlet pass, before unleashing a teammate for an early score in transition.

Equally adapt at organizing the offense in half court situations Jackson has demonstrated he is the man for all occasions as his record at the club shows;

3 Seasons

3 Championships

10 Play-off Games

8 Play-off Victories

Fellow players and the Breakers coaching staff have openly spoken about Jackson’s competitiveness and his desire to win.

This will to win is evident at practice and burns like a beacon come game time. Prior to the play-offs it was mentioned in some quarters that Jamar Wilson (Adelaide) and Scottie Wilbekin (Cairns) had perhaps got the better of the Breakers point guard in some of the regular season games. That talk certainly acted as a spur to Jackson, in the semi-final and final, when his performances were truly dynamic.

In each game he ignited the Breakers offence in the opening exchanges helping forge early leads and putting the opposition under scoreboard pressure.

What also impressed me in the final four games was how well Jackson looked after the ball in those high-pressure encounters. For all his offensive prowess he had a turnover rate of 3.3 per game in the regular season – the highest in the NBL. However, in the play-offs, that was down to 1.8 per game with zero turnovers in game one against Adelaide and Grand Final game one in Cairns.

Jackson’s three quarter court buzzer beater in Perth has been viewed over 30,000 times on You Tube but he will be remembered by the 4,000 fans who packed North Shore Events Centre a couple of weeks ago for his outstanding all court display. 15 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals earned him the Finals MVP Award.

That display may also have done enough to earn him the 2014-15 Sky City Breakers MVP Award on Friday night. We wait with interest to find out.

Season at a glance;

• 3 seasons with the Breakers – 3 NBL championships
• 2015 Grand Finals MVP
• Led the league in Assists – 193 @6.0pg
• 2nd in the league in steals – 106 @2.2pg
• Breakers all time – 2nd in steals (232)
• Breakers all time – 3rd in assists (625)
• 2 triple doubles this season

It is difficult to find anything new to say about the fourth nomination for the Sky City Breakers 2015 MVP, Mika Vukona.

Like most basketball scribes I have run out of superlatives for the player who is the engine of the Sky City Breakers and a major factor behind the unparalleled success enjoyed since he rejoined the club in 2010.

Numbers don’t tell the full story but a couple of facts helps illustrate how much the power forward’s drive and commitment has contributed to the run of four championships in five years.

Since rejoining the club from the Gold Coast Blaze in 2010 the Breakers have played 160 games – Vukona has played in every single one of those fixtures, the only player to do so. Resolute, reliable, relentless, a player who just doesn’t seem to break down.

What do the numbers below illustrate?

• 2010-11 58%
• 2011-12 69%
• 2012-13 64%
• 2013-14 78%
• 2014-15 80%

As one who attends Breakers practice sessions on a regular basis it doesn’t surprise me that Vukona’s free throw shooting percentages (shown above) have improved markedly over recent seasons. The man is a punishing trainer, putting as much effort into practice as he does into games. The percentages above show how that practice has paid off.

At the end of the 2010-11 season he ranked 9^th out of the 10 Breakers contracted players in terms of shooting % at the foul line. This season he ranks 1st out of 10 at the foul line.

In the last 35 seconds of Grand Final Game 2, Vukona secured two, that’s right TWO offensive rebounds to set up scoring opportunities for Ibekwe and Jackson – you could see it coming.

With 12 seconds remaining he slotted home 2 from 2 free throws, when the pressure was at it’s greatest – you wouldn’t have seen that coming a couple of years ago.

Vukona is the epitome of the old adage that practice makes perfect.

He may not be quite perfect but he would get my vote for MVP!

Season at a glance;

• 5 NBL championships (4 with the Breakers) in the past 7 seasons
• 4^th in the league in rebounding – 213 @6.7pg
• Breakers all time – most wins – 153
• Breakers all time – most appearances – 268
• Breakers all time leading rebounder – 1,822

Like fellow Tall Blacks Mika Vukona and Corey Webster, Tom Abercrombie entered the 2014-15 NBL campaign with a shortened pre season preparation and niggling injuries from a long international campaign.

One of those injuries forced Abercrombie to miss the opening game of the season in Perth. He missed another couple of games mid season but thereafter he was extremely consistent, averaging 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game.

Always a defensive linchpin with the ability to defend any opponent from the one to four spot, the swingman’s perimeter shooting was of the highest quality throughout the campaign.

This highly proficient shooting was produced when most needed by his team – Grand Final Game 2 when he converted 7 of 12 shots from the field. Importantly he scored 8 points in the final quarter that included a long three with 2:11 remaining, the basket that provided the impetus the team needed to overhaul the Cairns Taipans.

Abercrombie’s experience shone through in the play-offs where his shot blocking, defensive rebounding and lock down D complimented his sweet shooting.

Abercrombie boasted the second highest three point shooting percentage (47%) in the NBL, only Melbourne centre Daniel Kickert (51%) shot the three ball at a higher clip. Perhaps the only minor surprise was that the small forward didn’t put up more than the 3.6 shots per game, from behind the arc, that he attempted.

Abercrombie may not have quite done enough to carry off the MVP title this year but with four NBL Championship rings safely tucked away he can head off to his upcoming wedding a contented man knowing he played a major roll in bringing more glory to Atlas Place.

Season at a glance;

• 4th NBL Championship
• 2nd in the league in 3P shooting percentage – 49/104 shots @ 47.1% This is the second highest 3P% ever shot by a Breakers player in a single season
• Breakers all time – leading shot blocker (157)
• Breakers all time – 2nd in points scored (2,233)

The Sky City Breakers Awards night will be held next Friday when the team, management, sponsors and supporters will celebrate the club’s fourth NBL Championship in five years.

But who will take out the club’s MVP Award? We examine the merits of the five premier contenders. First up is Corey Webster the maverick shooting guard who has enjoyed a breakout season in the NBL.

As one who has followed Webster’s career since his primary school days there has never been any doubt about his ability to rack up points in a hurry.

Webster has just finished his 6th season with the club, easily his most productive. His first two years were spent as a Development player before signing his first full time contract in 2010-11.

During those first five seasons Webster was very much a bit-part player providing the coaching staff with scoring punch behind established performers like Kirk Penney, Kevin Braswell, CJ Bruton, Daryl Corletto and Cedric Jackson.

His scoring output did increase over the seasons but not at the pace he would have liked. 7.6ppg in 2012-13 to 8.5ppg in 2013-14 has been followed by a quantum leap this season. Entrusted with a starting spot by coach Dean Vickerman, Webster has repaid the faith with a team high 491 points at 15.3 points per game.

Webster’s first outing of the season wasn’t overly encouraging, he managed just 4 points in Perth as the Breakers toppled the defending champions 80-70. Webster shot just 2 from 7 that night but 7 days later at Vector Arena he knocked down 23 points against Adelaide and his season was up and running.

23 points equaled his Breakers career high, a figure he would better three times during the season culminating in a 27 points haul in the second victory of the season in Perth, the game remembered mostly for the Cedric Jackson buzzer beater from his own half.

That was followed by a team high 24 points against Adelaide in Semi-Final Game 1, his seventh 20+ points haul of the campaign.

Although Webster only averaged 11.3ppg in the final three play-off games he still contributed mightily to the Breakers cause. In each game he helped the Breakers get on the front foot with a fast start. In addition his defence on the likes of Scottie Wilbekin and Adam Gibson was solid and in Semi-Final game 2 he snared a career high 5 steals.

Once known for simply being a terrific scorer, Webster has made great strides in the last few seasons, becoming a much more rounded player. On the back of an outstanding FIBA World Cup campaign, his latest Breakers season has reaffirmed his rise as one of New Zealand’s premier players.

Not only will he be amongst the front-runners for the Breakers MVP Award for the 2014-15 season he will surely be a certainty for the Most Improved Player.

Season at a glance:

• 3rd NBL Championship title
• Led the Breakers scoring – 491 points @ 15.3pg
• 5th in the League in 3 point shooting – 42.0% (71/169)
• Second on the team in steals – 32 @1.0pg
• Played every game this season and has made 84 consecutive appearances in total

Cedric Jackson had a triple double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as the Sky City breakers defeated Melbourne United at Vector Arena on Sunday. Continue reading →