Mooney open to staying in NBL

Matt Mooney isn’t sure if the New Zealand Breakers might want him back, he's also not totally sure if he's better as a one or a two guard, but he does know he loves living in this part of the world and the NBL.

If you take out the fact the Breakers have won just 10 of 28 games this season following Saturday night's win at home to the Cairns Taipans, where he had another 24 points and eight assists, and Mooney has had the best experience of his basketball career.

However, he is a natural competitor and the passion and spirit he has is obvious to anyone that's watched him this season so that has got in the way of how fondly he will reflect on this first season in the NBL.

The travel is something he could perhaps do without too, especially in that first half of the season when the Breakers went to the Gold Coast, then Perth, then back to Auckland and then embarking on the United States trip for the NBLxNBA tour ahead of coming to Brisbane and going back home.

That was all in the space of a month but overall, Mooney has loved the experience of living in Auckland and playing in the NBL.

"I was talking to my wife about the season and I said that if we had won more games this would be the best place that I've been in my career, and the most enjoyable," Mooney said.

"But losing kinda makes it hard and it's not enjoyable, and you're just constantly thinking about the games and what I could do differently when I'm laying in bed.

"I've really loved New Zealand, I love the people and I just wish we would have won more games which has been disappointing."

Mooney's season has almost been in two distinctive parts. When playing in the back court alongside Parker Jackson-Cartwright, he was predominately an off the ball guard to be that scorer first.

However, in the games with Jackson-Cartwright suspended and now injured, Mooney has been the point guard and main ball handler.

The numbers back that up too. In 21 games with Jackson-Cartwright, he's averaging 14.5 points and 3.5 assists while without him, that's 23.1 points and 7.1 assists.

"I like playing point, I like playing two and it kinda depends on who else is on the court with me," he said.

"When Parker's on the court he can really create and play make, so I like to play two and having stuff run for me to score but I also like to have the ball in my hands and play pick-and-roll, and if I have scorers around me then it's easier to play point.

"I'm not like Parker where I can just break a guy down and create for others, I use angles and craft which is just a way to say that I'm not all that athletic so that's how I do it and try to make the right reads and use my shot to set it up.

"I go back and forth with that question too and I can call myself a combo."

As for his future, Mooney has no idea if the Breakers would like him to come back but if they did come to him with a deal, he'd certainly weigh it up.

"I definitely would be open to returning if they want me back but some stuff's going to have to be discussed, and nobody's said anything to me and I have no idea if that's even an option," Mooney said.

"I've enjoyed playing for coach (Petteri Koponen) and I respect him, and I know he was a great player himself and a great shooter so I respect how he carries himself.

"I have really enjoyed the people and the place here. This is a vacation destination, it's beautiful. Auckland and the whole country is beautiful so I would be open to it."

Mooney would also be open to considering playing elsewhere in the NBL if the opportunity came up too.

"I like the league and I don’t want to say too much, but I do like the league and the short season is nice," Mooney said.

"For us travel has been a little tough and we're on the road so much, but Australia is a beautiful country as well and the English speaking is really nice, the food's good and it's a modern lifestyle.

"This has been my favourite place to live for sure and these guys give me a hard time because I talk a lot of trash about Europe, but I didn’t like living there too much and I like living here way better than anywhere I was in Europe."