Will Tacko fill Breakers' appetite?

It will be a new look New Zealand team when they take on the Illawarra Hawks on Thursday night, after the club announced the the signing of import Tacko Fall this week.

The 7’6” big man will replace Freddie Gillespie on the roster, in a move that has raised eyebrows from fans, as the team currently sits second on the NBL ladder.

First-year head coach Petteri Koponen spoke to New Zealand media around what Fall could bring to the team.

"It can be against us or it can be really good for us, time will tell,” he said.

"He's a really interesting player with his size and what he brings to the table. He's a special kind of player and now it's our job to try to find ways to be effective with him on the floor," Koponen said.

When Gillespie found his opportunity in Italy, he left the Breakers as the league-leader in blocks per game. After being suspended in the pre-season for a headbutt on Shaun Bruce, he quickly found his feet in the NBL and became a key piece to New Zealand’s success.

Now for Koponen, it’s all about finding their advantage with Fall going forward.

"With his length with his size he's going to change shots, he's going to protect the rim and take the rebounds. The challenge with him, especially from the beginning, is he needs to be ready to run up and down. This is a really fast league."

Having only practiced three times in the last month due to a quad injury, it is expected that Fall will be managed carefully as the team looks to integrate him into their game plan.

"We have to be patient. It's not going to be perfect from the beginning 100 per cent, but step-by-step Tacko is getting in better shape and he can do more things."