Nuggets still in 5th place after losses

A two-game slide has not taken the Otago Nuggets too far from the playoff race.

The side remains fifth in the National Basketball League, taking a three win-three loss record one-third of the way through its season.

It finds itself in a congested mid-table and has played one less game than the Southland Sharks, who are one win ahead in fourth.

However, five of the Nuggets’ six games have come against the bottom three teams on the table.

That includes the two most recent games - a thrashing from the Taranaki Mountainairs and an overtime loss to the Nelson Giants.

The Nuggets’ opening night opponents, the Wellington Saints, remain the front-runners.

They are unbeaten after five games and the 22 points they beat the Nuggets by has been one of their closer games.

Only the Canterbury Rams, who lost by 21, have got closer to the Saints.

The Auckland Huskies, Hawke’s Bay Hawks and Southland Sharks trail on four wins each.

Preseason favourite the Hawks have played only five games and were unbeaten until an injury-ridden team was beaten by the Huskies on Saturday.

It is a good position for the Hawks to be in at this stage.

They still have significant pieces in Jarrod Kenny, Jordan Hunt and import Jordan Hunter to join them from the Australian NBL.

At full strength they will contend with the Saints for the title.

The Huskies rode temporary import Jeremy Kendle’s class for the first three games.

The guard led the league in scoring and assists to help them to a fast start.

However, their win against a Hawks side missing three of their stars on top of their NBL players is their only victory since his departure.

The Sharks have played seven games and have done well to win the ones they should, although they have looked well off the pace against the likes of the Saints and the Hawks.

Four teams, including the Nuggets, trail on three wins.

Both the Rams and Franklin Bulls are in that mix and both will get significantly better.

The Rams have guards Taylor Britt and Joe Cook-Green to add back in, as well as dynamic forward Max Darling.

Meanwhile, the Bulls have a top duo in Breakers forward Isaac Davidson and stretch forward Matt Freeman to join them.

The Giants are on three wins from eight games, although they have had a tough draw and are potentially better than that record suggests.

The Manawatu Jets and Mountainairs languish at the bottom on one win each.