Tom Abercrombie will miss away games for the Breakers. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
A pre-season poke in the eye is still troubling Breakers captain Tom Abercrombie on the eve of the Australian National Basketball League season which tips off this weekend.
The Breakers will be without their veteran leader who can't fly for seven weeks as he recovers from surgery for a torn retina picked up in an incident in a pre-season game against Brisbane.
Abercrombie still only has 50 percent vision out of his left eye - thanks to a stray arm from former NBA player Aron Baynes just 46 seconds into the game 10 days ago.
Baynes is back in Australia suiting up for the Brisbane Bullets this season but Abercrombie still has no clear idea on when he will be back on court.
"Unfortunately, they had to put an air bubble in the eye to help it heal, extending the recovery a little bit longer," Abercrombie said.
"I could theoretically go and play right now but I just can't see anything so it needs to get to a stage where essentially I can see well enough to play.
"I am hoping that will be maybe in a few weeks time if [the air bubble] is half the size it is now I'll be able to see enough to play basketball but I really don't know anything until I get there but unfortunately there's nothing I can do to take it out our hurry it up it just sits there as my friend in my eye."
It is the second consecutive season that Abercrombie will miss the start of due to a "freak" pre-season mishap - after a side strain kept him sidelined last season.
"I am in the best shape I've been in in years and was ready to get stuck into this season and I spent five days lying on my right-hand side unable to do anything and spent a fair bit of time wondering why me but I am on the road to recovery now and I'll be back as soon as I can."
The NBL has not done the Breakers any favours after spending two seasons based in Australia. The Auckland club is on the road to open the season against Melbourne United on Sunday and has six of their first 10 games on the road.
Abercrombie is grounded on this side of the Tasman until the middle of November something he admits is frustrating for him and a challenge for the team.
"It's obviously not a very favourable schedule for us to start with we're on the road a lot in October which doesn't suit me very well but going on the road now has a different feel to it because we know we're coming home.
"It's also different as well, as the guys found out going to Darwin [for the NBL Blitz] it isn't easy travelling from New Zealand, every road trip is a long trip and we haven't done that for a little while so it's a bit of an adjustment getting used to that travel regime again."
Import Barry Brown is not at full fitness leading into the season. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
New head coach Mody Maor is also facing a squad in disarray days before round one.
Along with Abercrombie's injury, Will McDowell-White and Barry Brown are injured and a bout of sickness took out the team's three imports from Thursday's practice session.
Maor says the injuries have come at a bad time.
"You want to have your core, you want to have your base and your foundation. You're still in building mode at the beginning of the season and this is not when I would want the injuries to happen but you don't choose them, they are when they are we just adjust to the circumstances."
Maor says the club won't look to bring in a replacement player as cover for the injuries.
"We like our squad, it's deep, we have players who can step up and do more, Sam Timmins and Dan Fotu. This is what an opportunity looks like if you're a young player and you're ready and you did the whole pre-season you did your work this is when you take advantage of the situation."
Until Abercrombie returns, his minutes are likely to be taken by French Next Star Rayan Rupert - who is currently ranked number 22 on ESPN's most recent mock draft for next year.
"Rayan had a fantastic pre-season; probably our best player out there," Abercrombie says.
"The kid works harder than anyone I've ever seen. If he can keep building on that and improving, it will be fantastic for us; he's a terrific talent."