Basketball: New Zealand Breakers imports coming up short in ANBL

The NZ Breakers imports haven't had the instant impact the team had hoped.

With three losses and two wins, the new campaign is lacking in contribution from its American stars.

The Breakers season is going nowhere fast, with questions asked about coach Kevin Braswell's foreign legion.

"I myself was an import, and you don't come out and set the world on fire in the first couple of months," Braswell said.

American's Armani Moore and Patrick Richard are struggling to find their feet, although compatriot Shawn Long is bucking that trend, leading the team in rebounds, as the trio deal with added expectations.

"I don't put too much pressure on myself," Long told Newshub. "I'm just playing the game I've always played since I've played basketball and I think the rest will take care of itself." 

Their coach is more than prepared to be patient.

"You find your role with the group and then you start to make a bigger impact-their time will come," said Braswell.

The coach acknowledges he now needs to integrate his imports with the Breakers' local talent.

"You do have a lot of people who can play basketball," he said. "It's just about trying to get a lot of players all on the same page."

That begins this weekend with two games in three days and attention to detail is vital.

"Even with myself, that's what I'm thinking about every day," Long said. "I'm just trying to get those little things.

"It's hard, especially after long practices - it's easy to drop off."

And losses to Cairns and Brisbane would see the Breakers drop further from the playoff hunt.

Newshub.