How is Mark Dickel going to stitch a team of strangers together and lift them to his own impossibly high standards?
The same way he has always approached the game - hard work.
The 38-year-old Otago Nuggets player-coach has always been a leader on the court, and is not new to coaching. But it is the first time he has combined the two at this level.
As far as Dickel is concerned, nothing has really changed. He believes if he can play well and lead by example, everything should fall into place. But he is also aware it will not be easy.
''When thinking about whether you are going to take on a challenge like this, the first thing you consider is what is the worst-case scenario,'' Dickel said.
''For me, that would be that I wasn't prepared or didn't give my absolute all to try and make it successful.
''My job is to make sure we are prepared and go into every game with the best chance to win.''
It is a demanding role, though, and Dickel is going to need a sharp pair of eyes watching from the sideline while he is out on court.
Who better to ask than his father, former Nuggets coach Carl Dickel?Carl is the franchise's most successful coach, having led the Nuggets to three playoff appearances during a four-year stint between 1994 and 1997.
''When I asked him if there was a chance for him to come over and help, he was only too happy. And the first thing he said was, `This is your ship, your show. You just tell me how you want me to help'.''
Gavin Briggs and Dean Ruske assisted former coach Alf Arlidge last season and will remain involved.
Carl, who lives in Australia these days, will arrive next week. His brief will be to assist his son implement the game plan.
''We'll have a regular rotation much like they do in other professional leagues around the world,'' Mark Dickel said.
''The players will know when they are going to come in and out. The only thing that will change will be whether they are not playing particularly well or get into foul trouble.
''All the assistant coach would have to do would be to follow through on the game plan.''
For the most part, that game plan will mirror Dickel's own playing strengths. The classy point guard is known for his speed, accurate passing and tenacious defence.
''That is kind of the vision I had of how we can be a threat.
''I think the easiest way to win games is to play great defence and to score before the other team is set.
''We wanted to try and have a more balanced attack and not rely on one or two players to do the scoring while the rest of us were just supporting them to do that.
''I favour an everybody-is-a-threat attack. But that is going to be a work in progress. We are asking some players who have not had those roles before to come in and do that. But that is where the more experienced players put their hand up.''
Dickel is the only survivor from last year's regular starting five and he plans to shoulder more of the scoring load.
Captain Brendon Polyblank is set to play a bigger part this season, and import Warren Carter is expected to be an offensive threat.
American Troy Payne has been signed for his defensive capabilities and Fijian international Marques Whippy for his physicality, while Tony Tolovae looks like a nice ball-handler and a willing shooter.
Two key locals, forward Sam King and point guard Micah Lepaio, will add spark from the bench.
Whippy only arrived on Monday, and Carter and Payne have been in the country just two weeks, so Dickel has urged patience and suggested the opening game against the Southland Sharks in Invercargill tonight will be a stern test of his side.
But he is also taking comfort in the Sharks' championship run last season. Southland struggled early but peaked in time for the playoffs.
In Dickel's opinion, the Sharks shape as the team to beat again.
''I think Southland deserve all the respect due to the fact they won last year. They've pretty much brought their whole team back, so they are going to be very, very difficult.
''But I look at every other team as just being the same as us. Rosters have reloaded or changed. Teams which weren't successful last year like Hawkes Bay will, I'm sure, be thinking it is going to be different.
''There are really seven or eight teams that have a great chance, in my opinion, of winning the championship, and we're one of them.''
Otago Nuggets
The draw
Home: April 12, v Rangers; April 25, v Hawks; May 2, v Mountain Airs; May 9, v Giants; May 17, v Pistons; May 24, v Saints; June 6, v Jets; June 8, Sharks; June 22, v Rams.
Away: April 4, v Sharks; April 19, v Rams; April 21, v Saints; May 31, v Rangers; June 1, v Pistons; June 13, v Mountain Airs; June 14, v Giants; June 27, v Jets; June 28, v Hawks.
Nuggets v Sharks
When: Tonight, 7pm.
Where: Invercargill.
Teams.-
Nuggets: Mark Dickel (player-coach), Brendon Polyblank (captain), Marques Whippy, Tony Tolovae, Warren Carter, Troy Payne, Micah Lepaio, Samuel King, Steve Robinson, Damon Cleverley, Oliver Smith, Sheldon McGuire.
Sharks: Luke Martin, Shea Ili, Reuben Te Rangi, Rhys Smolenski, Kevin Braswell, Brian Conklin, Sam Everitt, Leon Henry, James Paringatai, Logan Macic, Gareth Dawson, Mitchell Newton.
Head to head
v Sharks
Played: 8
Won: 3
Lost: 5
Nuggets highest score: 95 (May 2013)
Nuggets lowest score: 58 (June 2011)
Biggest win: 95-66 (29 points)
Biggest loss: 114-67 (47 points)
