Breakers foward Tom Vodanovich playing against his old club the Sydney Kings. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
While Tall Black Tom Vodanovich was winning the Australian NBL championship title with the Sydney Kings last year the Breakers were collecting the wooden spoon.
Now Vodanovich has returned home to New Zealand to play for the Breakers and is in no doubt that the Auckland-based club are on the right track to get back to top and add to their four championships.
The first step towards another trophy starts on Sunday at Spark Arena when the Breakers host the Tasmania JackJumpers in the best-of-three semifinals series.
This is Vodanovich's second stint playing for the Breakers, he last played for the club between 2018 and 2020 during an era that the club was missing the playoffs.
On his return Vodanovich found some "fresh faces" he hadn't played with before and a head coach in Mody Maor who was clear about his vision.
"From the first day we had our first meeting we all knew that [the playoffs] was our goal and anything short of that we didn't do ourselves justice."
The Breakers had a 3-1 record against the JackJumpers during the regular season and had won all games played in Auckland against last season's beaten finalists.
So home court advantage for game one, and if needed game three, of the semifinals series was "massive" according to the powerful forward.
"We've had a long stretch on the road for the last month and a half it's been tough to be away from families.
"I think any chance you have the opportunity to play in a game that has so much weight on it is awesome and we've put ourselves in this position but I think we know the Breakers have been a club that have had some serious victories and some serious success over the time that they've been in the league so to have them back there [in the playoffs] and playing a home semi-final is a dream come true I think."
Tom Vodanovich and head coach Mody Maor. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
Vodanovich has had limited minutes in recent rounds but Maor singled him out for praise following the last win of the regular season over the Brisbane Bullets on 4 February.
Maor credited his scoring and his defence and the fact that was ready go when called on.
Vodanovich says he's up for as much game time as Maor is prepared to give him during the final stretch of the season.
"We've got a talented team, we've got a bunch of guys who play big minutes when they're playing really well and I've just got to be ready whenever my opportunity comes and my number is called that I'm ready to go and give the same impact that guys in front of me have given.
"The game time will come as it comes but I'm stoked to be here and I hope that everyone plays well but whatever opportunity I get I'll take full stride."
Vodanovich knows the toll it takes to get to the top and he says it's going to take the Breakers full roster to get through the semi-finals - and hopefully the finals.
"You play what could be three games back-to-back more or less and then if you make it to the finals it's five [games] and it's a grind.
"The refs are a bit more lenient, it's quite physical, there can be some hectic games so I think we'll need everyone not just in the games but on the bench and in training."
Physicality isn't something that has been missing from match-ups between the Breakers and JackJumpers this season with one game in Launceston ending with players needing to be seperated by coaches and referees - so expect plenty of feeling when the 2022/23 semi-finals tip off.
