Breakers coach could do with a healthy dose of good news

Nothing has come easy for New Zealand Breakers coach Dan Shamir through his first two seasons in the Australian NBL. Year three hasn’t exactly started promisingly either, with a bout of Covid-19 laying him, and some of his players, low heading into the opening round of the new season.

Shamir is unlikely to be on the sideline on Saturday night at John Cain Arena when the Breakers open the 2021-22 season against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. He’s still recovering from the virus and yet to tick off the various health protocols required to return to full activity.

But what is not in doubt is the mindset of the 46-year-old Israeli as he seeks to disprove the notion he may not be quite the coach he was touted to be when he arrived in New Zealand three years ago.

Since then events, and results, have conspired against Shamir, with the Breakers whiffing on the playoffs in both seasons under his watch, extending their era of mediocrity to three years. They have not made the post-season since Matt Walsh’s ownership change, following a burst of four championships and five grand final appearances between 2010-16, and a semifinal run in 2018.

Shamir could point to the shocking run of injuries and offcourt dramas he had to negotiate in his first year (including the Glen Rice Jnr circus), when a brilliant 11-3 finish saw the Kiwi club miss the playoffs on countback, and the impossible hand he was dealt last season when Covid forced the Breakers to spend 154 straight days in Australia and play their first 29 games on the road.

But no one is more aware of

this record than Shamir. No one is as motivated to put it straight entering another campaign that has ‘‘deja-vu’’ written all over it.

Not only have the Breakers had to negotiate a perilous lead-in tarnished by the Auckland lockdown, but since shifting to Melbourne for the pre-season they’ve had to deal with a Covid-19 outbreak that has robbed them of much-needed game and practice time, as well as an injury to starting small forward Tom Abercrombie (out for the first three weeks).

On top of that they’re facing the prospect of another extended run in Australia after their hope of returning to New Zealand for a string of home games over the back half of the season appeared dashed by latest border plans.

‘‘I do feel like I have a lot to prove,’’ Shamir tells Stuff before his brush with Covid. ‘‘You’re asking a very personal thing . . . it’s very tough to go through two seasons without success. We love each other here, we believe in what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, but we are in professional sport, so the answer is absolutely yes.’’

Shamir believes his squad for this season is ‘‘loaded’’ and can get the job done, even if it is a little guard heavy, and a little light on rim-protecting big men. He is sure he has the talent to win ball games. He is equally sure he can marry it into an effective team.

What he could do with now is a break or two. No more Covid. No more injuries. Even some home games to look forward to. Then Shamir could go about proving a point or two.