New Zealand Breakers - 2009-10

2009-10

The Breakers added Burger King as their primary sponsor after going without one for the previous two seasons. The Breakers added former NBA player Awvee Storey to their ranks in their only major roster addition of note. Phill Jones was the major casualty, departing from the Breakers for the second time.

Tipped by some as championship favourites (due to the demise of the South Dragons and the off-season surgery to the Melbourne Tigers' lynchpin Chris Anstey, the Breakers began the 2009-10 NBL season in ominous fashion, sweeping to a 95-75 win over the Cairns Taipans with Penney and Bruton running amok. However after just three games, it was revealed that star guard Kirk Penney was to be sidelined with a back injury (eventually missing nine games). The wayward Storey was then replaced by Australian veteran John Rillie in a move that did not pay dividends for the club.

The Breakers eventually worked themselves back to a 9-9 record as Penney returned to the fray, before inconsistency returned, with the Breakers blowing potential match-winning leads over a three-week period which saw them lose four consecutive games to slip to a parlous 9-13. The addition of import Kevin Braswell sparked a late-season flurry, with the Breakers winning their last six matches to finish with a 15-13 record. But the late-season winning run proved to be in vain, as the Breakers agonisingly missed the playoffs, despite finish just two wins off minor premier (and eventual champion) Perth Wildcats.

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