curltey
Years ago
Are current NZ (Tall Blacks) worthy of new NBL?
After seeing talk of a Wellington team in new league it got me thinking that New Zealand really doesn't have anymore solid international players with the retirements of Jones, Penney, Pero and the dwindling ability of Henare, Rampton, Casey Frank etc. The 2002 team had been together in one way or another for about a decade and was undoubtedly the greatest kiwi team ever but these players are mostly past it or no longer in tall blacks consideration. Are the tall blacks likely to be a thoroughly average team for the next 10 years like they were when we used to smash them in the 80's and early 90's.
Does anyone know if basketball is strongly followed in NZ? I know for instance Wellington is the equivalent of Melbourne to Australia - a stronger sporting-mad city than Auckland despite population. Were any Kiwi basketball diehards pissed off with the creation of the breakers - granted Kiwi season is in NBL offseason so player drain doesn't happen. If so would new wellington team (if not now then in the future) have any possibility to be succesful especially if made up of many undeserving kiwis.
If each team in the future could have say 5-6 local players, 2-3 players from either Oceania/Asia/southern hemisphere (Sth America/Southern Africa etc) and 2 imports would this strengthen the quality of basketball and the following?
besos a todos