Mario Dugandzic: Breakers assistant coach discusses second win of the season ahead of Sunday's game

The Breakers picked up their second win of the season and clawed their way off the bottom of the ladder last night, defeating the Jack Jumpers however they face a short turn around. They take on Melbourne United over the ditch on Sunday afternoon. 

Adam spoke with Breakers assistant coach Mario Dugandzic to discuss the win as well as look ahead to Sunday afternoons matchup. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Dancy
Waldegrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Let's talk Australian Basketball League.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Now.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Great result for the Breakers and an important result for
them last night too at Spark Arena at home eighty
two sixty five over the Tasmania jack Jumpers and for
the Breakers that lifts them off the bottom placing on
the ladder. So I'm sure a when that they are
delighted with and a good sort of benchmark to continue
to build on. Let's get into the Breakers camp now

(00:34):
looking back on last night and of course for their
quick turnaround tomorrow as well for the next game. Assistant
coach Mario du Ganditch is with us. Mario, good morning
to you, thanks for your time.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Good morning, Adam, how are you.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
I'm good and very delighted to see how things played
out last night. You and the team must be as well,
given I guess a little bit of a slow start
to the season.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
Yes, absolutely, we're glad that you know, last night we
actually showed that we can complete a full game, full
forty minutes of you know, competing and actually yeah bringing
it home, the game home and actually shine also that
we after the last couple of games we were in

(01:14):
the game for thirty thirty twenty five minutes that we
are able to bring it home. So it was good.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Rebound battles really went well in your favor. You had
a lot of possession. How did you ensure that would happen.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
Yeah, obviously this was one of the topics that we
had on the agenda, to take care of the glass
and limited the offensive rebunds for the opponents. Then especially
also the turnovers where we had twenty one ton I
was in the game before and this time, you know,
we only had two. So if you add all that up,

(01:49):
it's no surprise that we end up with more possessions.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
I guess from the arc you look at some of
those stats and still say, is that a bit of
a work on? I guess you know, great that despite
you know, two of twenty six from from there, you're
able to still have a pretty dominant victory.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
It's an amazing step to be honest, in order, you know,
to shoot the ball that poorly and still still come
out with the wins. That's I haven't seen that before,
but we take it. I guess you know, this is
something that we have to keep on working on and
you know guys are confident taking their shots and they
should be. You never know. This is just how how

(02:29):
also the league works. Sometimes you get punished, sometimes not
and LUCKI Lee last night we didn't get punished for that.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
It's very uncommon not to see Parker Jackson Cartwright features.
You know that the prominent Breakers player on the score sheets.
How is assistant coaching you kind of working with him
and hautsing his game, making sure he is you know,
given those those influential performances every single game.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
Look, as a point guard, you have you probably have
the most task on your plate, right. He has to
manage the team, he has to manage the tempo, he
has to get everybody involved. And on top of that,
see that he could you know, get his his yeah
scores or or baskets. I think he's a in a
situation now where he's trying to get everybody going, which

(03:13):
is something that we also emphasize. And he was. He
was amazing last night as well, you know, given the
Temple attacking all of the time and transition, and I
think this is what what suits also Parker. Sometimes he
goes for for scoring, you know, other nights he's just
controlling the tempo and getting everybody else involved, and I

(03:34):
thought overall, this was really a very complete game from
from him.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Is it a thing for you guys to celebrate getting
off that bottom place on the ladder? Is it something
you look at and think, hey, that's a bit of
a boost now where we're not in that position, or
are you more focused on you know what lies ahead,
including that game tomorrow against Melbourne.

Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yeah, that would be very naive if you celebrate now,
you know, something like that is It's more we were
were acknowledged that we actually, like I said earlier, completed
this this full game. Right. We're thinking in processes at
this point. And if you're taking consideration last week games
were two and one, we should have also won a
few games before we were you know, we were up

(04:11):
against perfor instance. We couldn't you know, complete it. And
I think we are still in a in a fine
founding phase finding face how do you call it? And
I think there's nothing to celebrate at this point, but
we shouldn't be We shouldn't be down either, and so
many more games to play and we are still kind
of finding our constellations and rotations which are pretty clear.

(04:36):
But you know, guys, guys are actually yea working for
their performances, and yeah, last night it really worked out well.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
And Mario, we're lucky to have you in New Zealand.
Working with the break has given your experience. What what
are you sort of trying to inject on this team
at this early stage in your time working under pay
three with the Breakers.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah, well it's luckily it's my second year, so now
processes are a little bit easier than last year. Last
year was more adjusting and understanding. As I say always,
it's basketballs global, so you fit him right away and
you just have to adjust and understand what's current at
this position. But I'm really enjoying it. I love New Zealand,

(05:16):
love Auckland, and also the league is very competitive, so
I think this second year is smoothly, more smoothly than
last year, and I think that we are that we
are going to be pretty fine, brilliant.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Well, look forward to it. Mario, thanks for your time
here on news Talks. He'd be is always and go
well for the rest of the weekend.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
Thank you, Adam at the Best For more from the
All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Waltergrave. Listen live to news
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