Veteran guard Matthew Bardsley returns from paternity leave for the game against the Nelson Giants at the Edgar Centre tonight.
The 30-year-old became a father in the past week. He skipped the Nuggets’ season opener against the Southland Sharks in Invercargill to be at the birth of his son.
He has clocked 108 games for Otago since his debut in 2020 and will bolster the Nuggets’ perimeter defence. The "Slippery Eel" has established a reputation as an elite defender and an impactful player off the bench.
New Zealand 3x3 player Christian Martin also returns to the lineup.
Martin helped New Zealand book a spot at the Fiba 3x3 World Cup in Poland when he nailed a buzzer-beater from beyond the arc in overtime to clinch a dramatic 19-17 win over Brazil.
Martin showed a lot of potential in his rookie season for the Nuggets last year and it will be interesting to see his development.
The pair will add depth to the bench and give coach Jeff Sparrow a few more options.
The coach was mostly pleased with the Nuggets’ 95-68 win over an under-strength Sharks team.
"We’ll take an early win, and we learn from that film, and we continue to grow," he said.
Sparrow sets high standards on defence. While he was not worried about the ease with which Sam Timmins made his way to the hoop to collect 30 points, there were areas they needed to polish up.
"You’re always going to give something up, and we knew going in Timmins was going to be a focal point, but we wanted to eliminate the [three-pointers].
"So, our game plan went pretty much according to plan.
"We did try to double him once they put in non-shooters across from him. But, yeah, I think we did our job."
Import guard Buay Tuach shone on offence — he poured in 28 points — but Sparrow felt his defensive effort was not as strong.
"I think we all believe that he could have been a lot better defensively, and he believed that as well," Sparrow said.
"Twenty-eight points is great, but he has to grow in the rebounding area and the off-ball rules and principles of what we do.
"He has room for growth, and that’s a beautiful thing when you have a 30-year-old import that knows he still has room to grow. That’s a positive thing for all of us."
Bardsley’s return will help with the perimeter defence, and Martin is another outside shooting option alongside import Michael Henn, captain Ethan Rusbatch and Tuach.
Canadian point guard Alain Louis played the role of facilitator. He collected eight assists and scored nine points.
He turned the ball over four times, though. He also looks reliant on his left hand when he drives at the basket.
Louis was rated as the most efficient player on the court in the official statistics.
"I thought he played phenomenal, especially defensively.
"I think Mike Penn is super versatile. He had great looks all night.
"He’ll knock them down as the games come. He also had five assists, and he’s a facilitator."
The Giants lost 86-85 to the Canterbury Rams in Nelson.
Centre Tohi Smith-Milner (20 points, nine rebounds) and guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt (25 points) shape as the main threat, while seasoned forward Sam Dempster added a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.
NBL
Dunedin, 7pm
Otago Nuggets: Michael Henn, Zach McKenzie, Ethan Rusbatch, Buay Tuach, Alain Louis, Isaac Miller-Jose, Caleb Smiler, Matthew Bardsley, Christian Martin, Tyson Thata-Paese, Harrison Bezett, Oak Chisholm.
Giants (possible): Alex McNaught, Kruz Perrott-Hunt, Sam Dempster, Tohi Smith-Milner, Liam Judd, Elijah Wood, Joshua Nickel, James Matthews, Zach Rampton, Jerome Sinclair.
