If you think Gilas Pilipinas had it tough heading into the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers’ Quezon City window, think again.
The Tall Blacks may have swept the window with an average margin of 38.33 points. Still, it does not reflect how hard it was for Pero Cameron and Basketball New Zealand to just put up a team, let alone practice.
(C) Paul Ryan Tan/FIBA Asia
“It’s hard with the quarantines and the bubbles, but this is life. It’s making the connection within the group tough because everything is done through Zoom, email, or phone,” recalled Tall Blacks head coach Pero Cameron.
“So, actually getting together in training and becoming better is tough, especially when you’re trying to navigate logistics and deal with these different interruptions. It’s obviously tough.
“You have to pass tests, protocols, government things, more tests… It’s all sorts of things going on that you have to be able to manage and move forward before going into the court.”
When Basketball New Zealand revealed its 21-man pool for the Qualifiers on February 14, it consisted of a list of who they thought they could bring in from there, Australia, and Europe.
Out of the 21, only 14 received clearance.
However, the Tall Blacks faced another problem – how to get the players in New Zealand.
Out of the 14 players, Dion Prewster (Melbourne), Taane Samuel (Brisbane), Taylor Britt (Perth), Hyrum Harris (Adelaide), and Brayden Inger (Cairns) were in Australia. Meanwhile, Taki Fahrensohn was coming from Germany.
(C) Paul Ryan Tan/FIBA Asia
“The challenges we had is with the leagues going around the world that our players involved, just guys being available,” said Tall Blacks assistant coach Daryl Cartwright.
“We are really fortunate we’ve had players involved in the NBL, who put their hands up to make themselves available while their clubs are still playing.”
Meanwhile, the NZ-NBL pros in the team have yet to play in a competitive game since the season ended back in August of last year.
(C) Paul Ryan Tan/FIBA Asia
“That’s a challenge too because the guys who played in our domestic league hadn’t played since August. So that’s quite a long layoff for them,” continued Cartwright. “The guys who have been involved in the Australian NBL are more conditioned. They have been playing or at least training from October until now.
“Those guys have more basketball than those guys who are playing in New Zealand. So that’s the challenge for us.”
Once everyone arrived in New Zealand and cleared protocols, the Tall Blacks could only have two practices before leaving for the Philippines on February 21.
Despite the predicament they faced in just forming a team, the Tall Blacks offered no excuses. Instead, they just played their heart out.
The Tall Blacks defeated India, 101-46, to open the window. Then they whipped Gilas, 88-63, three days later. To close out the window, New Zealand scored another rout of India, 95-60.
Not bad for a team who only had four total practices – including the ones inside the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“It’s just nice to have the Tall Blacks back on the court again. This is our first international tournament in two years,” said Cartwright. “And all our guys came out hungry to play, keen to do well for each other and for New Zealand.”
And it took a bunch of like-minded people to make it possible.
(C) Paul Ryan Tan/FIBA Asia
“It’s a squad effort.
“In this unique, changing environment, certain players and staff cannot be available for all the FIBA windows. So [we] must build depth chart and a squadron and just put out the planning,” shared Cameron, a FIBA Hall of Famer.
“Hopefully, you have a capable team of players that can step up to the mark and also a capable group of coaches and support staff that can help you succeed. Every team is going through this.”
