Australian point guard Jarrad Weeks has signed a two-year deal with the Breakers to form a lightening quick NBL backcourt to complement fellow point guard Shea Ili.
Jarrad Weeks playing for former club Cairns Taipans in the ANBL Photo: Photosport Ltd 2016 www.photosport.nz
Melbourne-born Weeks has played with Sydney, Illawarra and for the past two seasons the Cairns Taipans in the NBL and will play for the Southland Sharks in the NZ NBL this winter.
The 28-years-old has gone beyond the 100-game milestone and is looking to enjoy his best years with the Breakers.
"The culture at the Breakers is awesome, they have been in the finals over the past ten years and have always been at or near the top. I am coming over to learn how to win a championship which is going to be very valuable, hopefully I can bring something to the table as well and we can get a win in that last game of the season."
Weeks was quickly encouraged to cross the Tasman after initial conversations with Breakers manager Dillon Boucher, then new head coach Kevin Braswell who laid out the direction of the club for the upcoming season.
"He builds a platform focused on individuals and sharing his knowledge from the NBL and Europe, which is a very exciting prospect for me. I like the way the Breakers are going to play, it will be a fun, up-tempo style of basketball and I think it's going to be an exciting year." says Weeks.
"The club has a winning culture, you can tell from the outside they are a tight knit group, they are solid and know their roles and play to their potential. They have had some great players over the years, but they all know how to play with each other and fit into the system."
Braswell can't wait to work with Weeks, saying the prospect of the Ili - Weeks partnership is an exciting one.
"To have both these guys is unbelievable. I have been watching and admiring Jarrad for years, he has always been exciting. He brings tempo to the floor, he is electrifying, and he will complement Shea in what he does." says Bracewell.
"Equally, both are growing and maturing as players and will bounce things off each other and push each other, and that is exciting too."
Braswell does caution against a one-dimensional approach though, saying both players will need to adjust on the fly.
"You can push the tempo anytime you like, but you have to have smart players to execute within that tempo and make adjustments quickly and intuitively and execute in the half court as well. Both Shea and Jarrad have shown they can do that."
Weeks averaged 8 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds in 19 minutes per game with Cairns last season, with his strong form seeing him as the preferred starting point guard.
As free agency continues, the following players are now contracted to the Breakers for the 2018/19 season, with more announcements expected in the coming days and weeks.
Alex Pledger, Tom Abercrombie, Shea Ili, Finn Delany, Jarrad Weeks
