NBL veteran rates Breakers on par with golden group

Experienced swingman Tom Abercrombie rates the current New Zealand Breakers line-up every bit as talented as the teams that dominated the NBL during the club's golden era.

But they don't have the rings to show for it - at least not yet.

The Breakers won four championships from five grand final appearances over six years under Andrej Lemanis and Dean Vickerman from 2011 to 2016.

A veteran of almost 400 NBL games, Abercrombie is the last player left from that group as the Breakers head into a first title decider since that glittering period of success.

The Auckland-based outfit take on the defending champion Sydney Kings in the best-of-five series, starting on March 3.

"The game has changed a lot in seven years," Abercrombie said.

"This is obviously as good a team as we've ever had but that means nothing going into the finals.

"It's a battle in itself once you get into a finals series."

Abercrombie was in his third season when he won the grand final MVP award in 2011, leading the Breakers to their maiden NBL title with victory over the Cairns Taipans.

The Perth Wildcats were then slayed twice as New Zealand claimed a hat-trick of titles and the Taipans were beaten again in 2015, before the West Australian side exacted some revenge on the Breakers in the 2016 decider.

Vickerman's departure at the end of that season brought about a gradual decline and the Breakers missed the finals for four straight years before Mody Maor took over as coach this season and sent the club back to the future.

"As it was before, the backbone of this team and our identity and culture is a real strong point," Abercrombie said.

"It's something that's carried us through the tough times this year and I'm just very excited to be back on that stage.

"To get a chance to represent this club in a finals series again is a really, really cool moment to come full circle.

"(After) the last couple of years I never thought I'd be back in this position, so I don't take it for granted. I'm going to enjoy this moment and go out and have fun."

Abercrombie puts the Breakers' strong culture down to the people involved.

"Culture's not really something you can just wave a magic wand and create, but you put the pieces in place and those pieces are people," the 35-year-old said.

"Mody and the staff have done a terrific job of putting good people in place.

"Even when you do that it doesn't necessarily all work out.

"But the chemistry from day one of pre-season was like a team that has played together for a very, very long time."

Abercrombie noted one element he and the Breakers have never confronted in an NBL grand final series - the best-of-five format.

Each of the Breakers' five previous championship deciders were best-of-three.

"Best-of-five's a different animal," Abercrombie said.

"You've already got tactical battles and back-and-forth in a best-of-three and I'm sure in a best-of-five it gets taken to another level."