How would Otago look in the NBL?

By Jeff Cheshire

It has been four years since the Otago Nuggets last played in the NBL, but that has not stopped the region producing talent in the men’s game. Jeff Cheshire looks at what an Otago basketball squad might look like if it got back together.

Basketball has been going through a boom in a lot of senses over the past five years.

It is the most popular participation secondary school sport in Otago, and the Otago Gold Rush is the reigning WBC champion.

There is growing interest in following the sport and the region maintains a healthy representative programme.

Sam Timmins

Just last month 400 youngsters turned out to a camp hosted by Steven Adams — tickets sold out in minutes.

The absence of a senior men’s team is a notable void.

There are reasons for that — notably that it is simply not cheap to run an NBL team without a major sponsor’s backing.

But if the region’s talent could be brought back together, there would be a handy player base to work from.

The side would need imports, as every NBL team does, and it would likely be size that it would target in those.

Others from around the country may be lured as well, although the emphasis should be on local players.

The backbone of the Otago under-17 team which won the 2013 national championship would be a good starting point.

Sam Timmins and Joe Cook-Green are two of the best prospects the region has produced.Both have two seasons left at college.

They would provide genuine quality in the big and guard spots if they could be lured back for 2020.

Richie Rodger recently left for the Philippines, but had several solid showings as a guard for the Taranaki Mountainairs in this year’s NBL.

Josh Aitcheson adds length and has been the best club player in Dunedin the past two years, alongside having spent time with NBL sides.

Meanwhile, guard Josh Petermann was the most valuable player at the national tertiary championships last year, while also being one of the top club players in Christchurch.

There is also Benoit Hayman, who signed with a team in Switzerland this week and scored 36 points for Otago in a pre-season match against the Southland Sharks this year.

Joe Cook-Green

That is a handy group — these players all provide quality local options and are all in their early-20s.

Nationally Otago product Luke Aston is an NBL veteran who has played for the Tall Blacks.

He would be one to try to lure back, as he is a proven NBL quality swingman.

There is also former St Kevin’s College swingman Matt Brien, who was in the Wellington Saints squad this year — his first out of school.

Alongside that there is a solid core of local club players. James Ross, Olly Smith, Matt Bardsley — voted this year’s most valuable club player — and Darcu Knox. There could be development spots for promising school players.

There have also been several national age-grade representatives come to Dunedin for university who trailed off after arriving.

With an NBL team present, perhaps they would continue to train seriously.That is key; there has got to be an incentive.

Several club players have said they would commit to training at a higher level if the NBL opportunity was there. But very few are going to train everyday — or even twice a day as the Nuggets were doing — just to play club sport.

That extra training makes a huge difference and the players need to be judged on where they would be if they were doing that.

Of course it is a young team, and one without star quality like Shea Ili and Alex Pledger.

However, if they were surrounded with some size and athleticism in imports, it would be a solid starting point.

It is not dissimilar to what was done by the Manawatu Jets this year.

Indeed the Jets, Mountainairs and Super City Rangers are all teams Otago could compete with to begin with.

The fear is the longer Otago does not have a national senior presence, the less chance players will stay.

The players can grow in the league, but can only do that if they get to play at that level.

Now, has anyone got a big cheque book?