It is expected Star Shooting Guard Corey Webster will be out for four weeks as he continues to recover from a knee problem, but specialists say he will play again for the Sky Sport Breakers this season.
“I feel devastated,” says Webster from the team’s base in Melbourne. “I feel like I’m letting the team down and I don’t feel good about it.”
It is a shock setback for the kiwi sharpshooter who has been dominating the NBL alongside his brother Tai following his successful return from a hand injury at the start of the season.
Even with limited feeling in his left hand’s ring finger, the 32-year-old has been playing nearly 29 minutes a game, averaging 18.1 points, shooting 50 percent from the field, in his nine outings this campaign.
Webster’s injury is the latest setback in a luckless 2021 in which the Breakers have to play all their games away from home in a Covid ravaged season.
Star import Lamar Patterson also remains injured and is still at least three weeks away. At the same time, Tall Back Centre Rob Loe has returned to New Zealand for personal reasons, as has assistant coach Chanel Pompallier.
Breakers Management is now moving quickly to fill player gaps, with two-thirds of the NBL21 regular season still left to play.
Highly regarded Australian Guard William McDowell-White, who has just completed two seasons playing for the Houston Rockets in the NBA’s G-League, has signed to cover for Webster.
The 22-year-old is expected to leave Los Angeles in the next 24-hours and will complete the two-week quarantine in Australia before joining up with his new Breakers team-mates.
At 6’5” or 1.96m, McDowell-White is currently in the exceptional Australian Boomers 23-man Tokyo Olympic Squad.
He has previously represented Australia at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
“We are very happy to add Will McDowell-White. He just finished his second season in the G-League and is in good shape,” says Head Coach Dan Shamir. “He’s a very capable player; all the components are there, he’s got size and good court vision.”
“Will’s not replacing Corey, he’s someone who can step on the court straight away and eventually play alongside Corey and Tai (Webster) and Tom (Abercrombie) and the rest of our backcourt.”
Shamir sympathises with Corey Webster, who has already come back from injury this season.
“Corey’s been a little bit unlucky this year”, he says.
“He looked like he was going to lead our team, and now there’s a little setback, but we are hopeful it’s not going to be too long, and he’ll be back on the court. Obviously, it adds up together with Lamar’s injury and the departure of Rob Loe, but we are in the process of solving those problems.”
In another problem solver, former Adelaide 36ers Guard Jeremy Kendle will join the Breakers later today as temporary cover for Lamar Patterson while the All-Star works his way back to full fitness.
Welcome Will McDowell-White and Jeremy Kendle to the Breakers!
Find out more about our new signings and the latest with the team at the link below.
🔗 https://t.co/RfcG5XrcqB#UNBREAKABLE pic.twitter.com/AzidjxKXMx
— Sky Sport Breakers (@NZBreakers) March 13, 2021
