Jets ready for tip off
The Manawatu¯ Jets squad is finally together in Auckland ahead of this week’s revamped National Basketball League.
The one piece in the Jets’ jigsaw yet to fall into place is late addition, American guard Nelson Kirksey, who flew to Auckland from Australia at the weekend.
Kirksey wasn’t picked up in the NBL draft, but replaces Tom Power, whose US college hasn’t given him the go ahead to play.
Hailing from Pittsburgh, Kirksey played last year for the Broadmeadows Broncos in the Big V League in Melbourne, Australia.
He’ll have two weeks of isolation before hooking up with the Jets about July 4 or 5.
Jets coach Tim Mctamney said it appeared other teams weren’t willing to take a chance on Kirksey in the draft because of uncertainty about his availability.
But Mctamney had spoken to the 28-year-old about playing for the Jets, even if he arrived late, and was keen to have him.
The Jets, while still a young team, have picked up two Tall Blacks in the draft, forwards Tom Vodanovich and Hyrum Harris, as well as point guard Jayden Bezzant and forward Taane Samuel, who had signed with the Wellington Saints after playing for the Jets last year.
The Jets begin their campaign against the Otago Nuggets on Wednesday at 5.30pm.
The Nuggets are returning to the competition after six years out and, similar to the Jets, have a roster full of local talent other teams might not know too much about early on, as well as a few familiar faces.
Headlining the Nuggets is draft pick
Jordan Ngatai, a Tall Black and Breakers forward and three-time NBL champion with the Saints.
Veteran Tall Blacks point guard Jarrod Kenny and towering forward Jordan Hunt also line up for the Nuggets.
Mctamney said for the first three or fourmatches the Jets would focus more on their own plans rather than the opposition.
The Manawatu¯-based Jets had been training together for months and met their new team-mates on Friday.
‘‘They’ve got some very recent experience at a very high level, which has been good for the young guys. Already it’s made a difference. You can see it in the way they are training.
‘‘The new guys we’ve got are fantastic blokes. That’s more important than anything else in fact. [They are] tough, uncompromising players and they are tremendous team guys,’’ Mctamney said.
Manawatu¯ Jets: Tom Vodanovich, Hyrum Harris, Jayden Bezzant, Taane Samuel, Nick Fee, Haize Walker, Tia Temata-frost, Ashton Mcqueen, Matangirei Hipango, Josiah Laracy, Kalib Mullins, Nelson Kirksey.