The Breakers were written off. They noticed...

Just two of the experts polled in the "way too early" predictions had the Breakers playing Finals in the Hungry Jack's NBL27 Season. More had them finishing last.

It's still too early to judge those calls, but New Zealand's start suggests the club was underrated.

Five games in, the Breakers are 3-2, and DJ Vasiljevic says the whole group is playing with a point to prove.

Speaking on NBL Now, thanks to CODE Sports, Vasiljevic said the pre-season predictions didn't go unnoticed inside the club.

"I wouldn't say it was disrespectful, but a lot of people in the organisation were surprised we were picked to finish ninth or tenth," he said.

"We have a new coach and a new team, but we still have a lot of quality players with experience in this League. We've used that as motivation. Every player has a chip on their shoulder. I think Gordie [Herbert] does too. He wants to prove he's one of the best coaches in the League.

"We're doing a good job of that so far. I think we're second in offence and third in defence. We're just taking it game by game and training by training. It's all about how hard we practise and compete. The rest takes care of itself."

>> NBL27: Way Too Early Predictions (Teams)

Sunday's 88-72 win in Adelaide was another statement, and the club's first victory on the road this season.

For Vasiljevic, released by the 36ers in the off-season, that one meant a little more.

"Personally, I wanted it pretty badly," he said. "They [my teammates] wanted to get the win for me as well."

Parker Jackson-Cartwright has driven much of New Zealand's start, backing up his early MVP buzz with 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds against the 36ers.

Vasiljevic, meanwhile, is thriving at his new club, shooting a career-best 50 per cent from three (15/30) and averaging 13.4 points a game, up from 10.9 last season.

"I've always been a confidence player. I put in a lot of work during the off-season to get back to where I wanted to be," he said.

"It also helps to play in a great system under Gordie and alongside a great point guard like Parker Jackson-Cartwright. He can score, but he also distributes the ball really well. I think everyone is benefiting from that."

Vasiljevic said Jackson-Cartwright deserves to be right in the conversation for MVP honours.

"You're not going to decide an MVP in October because there's still a lot of basketball to be played. But he deserves to be mentioned alongside Bryce [Cotton] and Kendric [Davis]," he said.

"I said after the game that he's one of those generational players, like Bryce and Kendric, who makes everyone around him better.

"Because he's in New Zealand, he probably doesn't get the recognition he deserves. If he were playing for a team in Australia, the conversation might be different. Right now, though, he's playing at an MVP level."

Asked whether Jackson-Cartwright is the League's number one point guard, Vasiljevic didn't hesitate.

"Why wouldn't you? He's second in scoring, first in assists, first in steals and first in three-pointers. What more could you ask for? And we're winning games."

The Breakers continue their October road trip against the Perth Wildcats on Saturday night, live on ESPN, 9 & 9Now from 9:30pm AEDT.