Turner Gone For Good
Tagged in: NZ Breakers
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The Harvey Norman NZ Breakers are seeking a replacement for American import Wayne Turner, who has been ruled out for the rest of the Hummer Championship NBL season with a thigh injury.
Turner has not played since suffering the injury making a lay-up in the win on the Gold Coast 15 days ago and an MRI last Friday confirmed he has a quad tendon tear that requires surgery.
Breakers general manager Richard Clarke said the club is devastated for the popular point guard and won’t be hurrying him on to the next USA-bound plane.
“Wayne has made a huge impression on his team mates and the club and he will be staying in Auckland for the rest of the season to continue his rehabilitation,” Clarke said.
“He will have a role assisting the coaching staff and acting as a mentor for Ryan Kersten, a development player in the same point guard spot.
“He can also help his replacement settle in and speed up the process of learning plays and getting to know our systems.”
Clarke hopes to finalise Turner’s replacement in the next 24 hours, but there is no chance of that player being available for Thursday night’s home game against the South Dragons at the North Shore Events Centre.
It will be the second successive home match where the Breakers will be without both American imports.
Big centre Rick Rickert is on compulsory leave, resting at home, after being diagnosed with a disc problem that is affecting his lower back and a hamstring. His recovery progress will be evaluated late this week.
Kersten said it was “tough to see a team mate hurting” and the players were all in shock to see “Burner” gone for the season
“It’s gut-wrenching,” Kersten said. “Wayne has been an inspiration for me this season and it’s sad to see him go as he’s such a great person. He was starting to play great basketball too.”
Kersten said having Turner as a mentor for the rest of the season was one bright spot and he was desperately keen to step up and help plug the loss of a key on-court general.
“I definitely view this as an opportunity,” he said. “It would probably be more pressure if I hadn’t been playing, but I’ve had more court time than expected because of injuries to Wayne and Paul Henare, who missed the first five games of the season.
“I now have a feel for the NBL, I kind of like playing at this level and I want more, particularly if we’re playing in front of awesome crowds like we got last Thursday.”
The Breakers are currently fourth in the 13-team NBL with an eight-win, six-loss record.
