With the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup tipping off in Spain on Sunday, sports reporter Robert van Royen singles out one player the Tall Blacks will come up against from each of their five group opponents.
USA
While that is hugely debatable, he is probably the best all-round player the Tall Blacks will face in Spain.
Harden, who earns almost $US15 million a year playing for the Houston Rockets, averaged 25.4 points per game last season.
While listed as a shooting guard, the two-time all-star is not just a one-trick pony.
Harden possess a quality jump shot and is equally effective attacking the hoop and dishing assists.
It was Harden's trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Rockets before the 2012-13 season which saw Steven Adams ultimately end up in OKC.
Harden was traded for a Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and three draft picks. The 2013 first round pick (12th overall) resulted in Adams joining the Thunder.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Francisco Garcia (32) is a shooting guard for the Houston Rockets.
He was the Sacramento King's first round pick (23rd overall) in 2005 and has played eight of his 10 seasons in the NBA for the Kings.
He recently signed on for a second season with the Rockets.
Garcia is predominantly a bench player at NBA level, having started just 137 of 535 career games. However, the Tall Blacks will need to track him, as he is known for his ability to shoot from deep. In the 2007-08 season, Garcia shot 39% from deep for the Kings, landing 113 three-pointers.
He averages 36% from beyond the arc in his career and will no doubt punish opponents who leave him open in Spain.
TURKEY
Omer Asik (28), also known as the ''Turkish hammer'' and ''Asik and destroy'', was recently traded from the Houston Rockets to the New Orleans Pelicans for a 2015 first-round draft pick.
The Pelicans are the third NBA roster Asik has featured on, after stints with the Chicago Bulls and Rockets.
The Turkish hammer is a perfect example of how good performances at the basketball world cup can net big-time NBA deals.
Asik helped his side win silver four years ago at home, and it was not long before the 2.13m centre was plying his trade in America.
The 2012-13 season was Asik's most successful.
The big rig started all 82 regular-season games for the Rockets, averaging 11.7 rebounds and 10.1 points per games.
Dwight Howard's arrival in Houston last season saw Asik's minutes cut significantly.
He started in just 19 of his 48 regular-season appearances, and his move to the Pelicans came as no surprise.
FINLAND
Hanno Mottola (37) was the first Finnish player to crack the NBA when he was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2000.
He only played there for two years, before going through six European teams in as many years.
The 2.09m power forward retired from basketball in 2008, before returning in 2009 to play for Torpan Pojat in Finland, where he still plays.
Mottola, who is a cousin of NHL players Jarkko and Tuomo Ruutu, will give the Tall Blacks plenty to think about in the form of a rugged, veteran inside presence.
UKRAINE
Artem Postovyi (22) is the tallest player anyone will come up against in Spain.
He, Iran's Hamed Haddadi and France's Rudy Goubert are all 2.18 metres tall. Postovyi is not a renowned name in basketball, yet.
He was not picked in this year's NBA draft and now plays for Khimik Yuzhny in the Ukraine league. Postovyi has a colossal reach of 2.83m and a wingspan of 2.24m.
New Zealand's tallest player is Rob Loe at 2.10m.
The main reason this monster has not broken into a major league is his inability to put on weight.
While he has a decent jump shot, he is not considered strong enough inside to mix it with the big boys.
Perhaps the world cup will be the platform he needs to take the next step.
- by Robert Van Royden
