Fresh off inking a one-year deal with the New Zealand Breakers, Dejan Vasiljevic has explained how excited he is for the upcoming Hungry Jack\u2019s NBL27 Season.<\/p>\n
The two-time champion joins a Breakers organisation that has a rich history of success, having won four titles and the first-ever Ignite Cup last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt [the move] is just exciting,\u201d Vasiljevic said on NBL Now.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, they’ve had a rich culture, and obviously Dillon Boucher [current Breakers President of Basketball Operations] has been part of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve spoken to a lot of different players [around the Breakers]. Daryl Corletto, whom I’m actually catching up with later on in the week, reached out and wants to meet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe number of past and present players that have said, \u2018whatever you need, we’ll take care of you\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cAuckland’s a great place and I’m excited because I feel like it’s going to be like another Adelaide situation where I’ll get to connect with not only just the community, other networks outside of the basketball world and obviously play my game at a top-tier level, which I think I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
As he alludes to, Vasiljevic believes he can be a benefit to the Breakers organisation, but also its stars, including Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Sam Mennenga.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been talking with PJC about how he likes to get in the paint and pass it out to shooters. [In the same vein], I can make space for him to drive,\u201d Vasiljevic said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen obviously Sam Mennenga, he can roll, he can dunk, he can do everything. Having a mobile big like that is exciting.<\/p>\n
\u201cI read an interesting stat that they [Breakers] were dead last in three-point percentage and shots taken from the three.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can space the floor a bit more for both of them to go to work, while also bringing my leadership, which is something they\u2019ve missed a little bit the past two seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was saying to Dillon [Boucher], New Zealand can always be a top three or four team in this League, as long as they stay healthy, which wasn\u2019t the case the past two years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m excited to play with two of probably the best players in the league, and for what the future holds for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t wait to get over there and wear the New Zealand Breakers colours and hopefully represent them to the greatest standard possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
This sudden move to the Breakers, after three seasons with the 36ers, comes after Adelaide decided to part ways with the Australian Boomer and release him from the final year of his contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn’t have a say in it all, as it came as a surprise to me, but it\u2019s all part of the business of sport,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey wanted to go in a different direction, and we parted ways, but I was [proactive] on the open market to see what teams would be interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was fortunate enough to sign a deal with the Breakers, after some really positive chats with Dillon about their plans for both the team and me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I feel it\u2019s similar to Adelaide, where I\u2019ve been brought in to change the culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a fresh start for me in New Zealand, and [at the end of the day] I want to be known as a winner. I don’t play for the individual accolades, rather trying to win more championships than anything else, which is my motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vasiljevic joins a core at the Breakers which features Jackson-Cartwright, Mennenga, Reuben Te Rangi and Izayah Le\u2019Afa.<\/p>\n
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