Head coach Nenad Vucinic sees no need for undue risk as he eyes the longer-term goal of the Fiba World Cup late next month.
Jarrod Kenny and Casey Frank headed to hospital for scans yesterday afternoon - Kenny has an ankle tendon injury while Frank has a strained calf muscle.
Vucinic hopes both are short-term but accepts injuries will play their part on the road to Spain.
''We will await the scans before making any decisions but we will rest both of them tomorrow. There is no question of that.''
Another player unlikely to be suiting up for the Tall Blacks is Tai Webster.
The Nebraska University point guard has experienced delays in his return from the United States and only arrived in Wellington yesterday after a longer-than-planned trip back home.
Vucinic said he too was likely to sit the opening game out as he overcame the journey and reacquainted himself with his New Zealand team-mates and the playbook.
