Mody Maor has accomplished a remarkable accomplishment by rebuilding his New Zealand Breakers roster from the bottom up for another season.
For the fifth time in club history, a previous season’s import has decided to remain for another season, with point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright signed for 2024.
Jackson-Cartwright has been re-signed for one year, joining Cedric Jackson, Gary Wilkinson, Mike Chappell, and Rick Rickert as the only imports to return to the club.
“From a basketball standpoint, this is as close to a home run as it gets,” Maor said in a statement.
“We have a focal point, a headline player, and we can now construct the team around him and optimise his strengths.
“The real bonus from this is that now we can go and build around him.”
next the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, the Breakers’ roster was nearly empty, with just centre Dane Pineau signed for the next season. Jackson-Cartwright is the club’s second signing, following the purchase of Kiwi big man Sam Mennenga from the Cairns Taipans.
Jackson-Cartwright’s return is a huge boost for the team, especially given the competition to retain guard Will McDowell-White. In a similar situation to that which they faced a year ago, the off-contract Australian is expected to have plenty of suitors.
The Herald knows that the defending champion Tasmania Jackjumpers are among the interested clubs, while the Sydney Kings’ recent hiring of Australian Boomers coach Brian Goorjian may make them an appealing landing site for the 25-year-old.
“This has been one of the tougher ones. We basically came into this off-season with a completely empty cupboard,” Moar said of the challenge ahead.
“There are still a lot of dominoes to fall, and not all of them will fall our way. There will be some obstacles in this team development, but thus far I am really pleased.”
Maor expressed hope that the deal will benefit the club in the next stages of its recruitment process.
“It is imperative to acknowledge that our prior imports have served as our most exemplary representatives and have been involved in our hiring procedure. Parker will help find the next player, and [Jarrell] Brantley helped with Parker’s recruitment.
Jackson-Cartwright is back following a standout campaign in which he led the league in points (20.6), assists (5.8), and steals (1.9) per game and was a nominee for the MVP award.
“As the season progressed, playing beside a legend in Tom Abercrombie, I took great pride in donning the number six for the Breakers. You just fall in love with the organization’s history, its heritage and its pink uniform. Nothing compares to it, according to Jackson-Cartwright.
“I re-signed with the Breakers for one simple reason – to win a championship. This club has won multiple championships and when you bring a guy back like myself and build a team that wants to win, you think ‘championship’.”
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