Breakers banking on Mennenga for Ignite payday

With how dominant Sam Mennenga was in his return on Thursday, the New Zealand Breakers have every reason to feel confident about their Ignite Cup chances.

Coach Petteri Koponen is buoyed by the performance, and even Mennenga’s former team, the Cairns Taipans, couldn’t help but be left in awe.

Mennenga’s rise across three NBL seasons, from a promising stretch power forward to an almost unstoppable force at the five, has come as no surprise to Koponen. The 24-year-old’s relentless work ethic has set him apart, with the Breakers coach saying he has rarely seen a young player work harder over the past two years.

That commitment was evident again after Mennenga defied his projected recovery timeline from the fractured wrist he suffered on January 23. Not only did he return on Thursday night, he produced a career-best display, pouring in 32 points to go with nine rebounds and three assists on 15-of-19 shooting, with the Taipans unable to contain him.

He now shapes as a pivotal piece in Sunday’s Ignite Cup final against the Adelaide 36ers, but for Koponen it all comes back to the fire that drives Mennenga.

"I think the biggest thing with him is his work ethic," Koponen said.

"With Sam I always talk with him and he has this fire to be better as a player and when you are a young player, that's the only way how you can improve."

"Even us coaches we try to tell the players that we can help you, but if you don't have that fire it's hard to get to that next level.

"He was pretty good already last season and then we talked a lot about consistency, and this season he has been amazing for us and has found that consistency with how he can be really good every night.

"It's just great to have him back, but now Sunday is going to be another challenge and it will be (Isaac) Humphries, (Zylan) Cheatham and big and good defenders. It's going to be more difficult, but with the work ethic Sam deserves it."

Back in his first NBL season with the Cairns Taipans, Mennenga showed flashes primarily as a stretch four, averaging 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds. His standout performance came with 22 points and six triples against Melbourne United, hinting at the upside to come.

He then joined the New Zealand Breakers in NBL25 and, like much of the roster, had to adjust when Tacko Fall arrived mid-season. Even so, he lifted his output to 11.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

This season, he has climbed another rung. Mennenga is averaging 17.7 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting an efficient 63 per cent from the field, establishing himself as one of the league’s most reliable interior threats.

"He has had an amazing season and his mobility and how he can find those spots," Koponen said.

"He's getting stronger and his finishing has got much better this year with the right and left hand, and how he plays sometimes with that ferocity.

"He's definitely one of the best offensively especially bigs in this league."

While Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde might not have enjoyed watching Sam Mennenga torch his side for 26.5 points and 7.5 rebounds across their four meetings, he always believed the talent was there.

"Right now his touch is amazing and he's got that balance of being able to put it on the floor, the short game, the rip and they are different athletes and players, but I compare him to what made Keanu Pinder so dominant as such a dynamic centre and he can play at power forward too," Forde said.

"We had no answer for him tonight and we tried three different individuals, and started trying to trap it, and it worked one time successfully, but his offensive game right now is just on another level."

For a coach who saw Mennenga up close early in his career, the performance was less a surprise and more a confirmation of how far he has come.

New Zealand takes on Adelaide in the Ignite Cup Final on Sunday, live on ESPN and 10 from 4.30pm AEDT (3.30pm local), with $300,000 up for grabs for the winning team.