Kirk Penney's return pushed back

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Bad news Breakers fans, star shooting guard Kirk Penney is still three weeks away from stepping on-court again.

Breakers head coach Andrej Lemanis confirmed that reality on Friday, meaning the reigning Australian National Basketball League MVP will not likely suit up in black and blue until the home game against the Cairns Taipans on November 26 at the earliest.

Penney suffered twin annular tears in discs in his lower back three weeks ago during practice, reducing him to a spectator for the Breakers last five games. During the stretch the Breakers have gone 3-2, with a road loss to the Wollongong Hawks and home loss to the Gold Coast Blaze.

"He's still three weeks away," Lemanis said. "According to the medical staff, that's what they're telling me."

"They're telling me that the injury itself is healing and is fine but the muscle is feeling pain and until the muscles stop giving him pain it put a limit on the amount of rehab he can do. Once the muscles stop giving him pain, then we can rehab him and get him back into game shape."

Originally slated to be out for four weeks, Penney's injury recovery looked to be ahead of progress when he took a limited part in a training session on October 19. However, considering the injury and value of Penney to the Breakers late-season title aspirations, Lemanis and the Breakers have taken the conservative approach in bringing the Tall Blacks captain back.

In three games, Penney averaged 22 points per game and 48 percent on three-point attempts as the Breakers started 1-2.

In the franchise player's absence, two young Tall Blacks, Tom Abercrombie and Corey Webster have helped fill the scoring and two guard gaps. Abercrombie scored a career-high 20 points in the 99-91 win over the Adelaide 36ers on October 29, while Webster had eight points in Thursday's loss to the Blaze.

"We're taking steps forward, well two steps forward and one step back," Lemanis said. "I think we're find ourselves and that takes time.

"Playing five out of eight games without last year's league MVP and to be 4-4 is pretty good," Lemanis said, before adding that he wanted the team's offensive output, currently 84 points per game, and consistency at both ends to increase.

Penney is not the only injury concern at Atlas Place, with 2.13m (7ft 1in) Tall Blacks centre Alex Pledger, a Breakers development player, out for two-three weeks with a knee injury suffered earlier this week. Pledger has seen single-digit minutes off the bench, providing genuine shot-blocker in the second unit.

- © Fairfax NZ News