Nelson make giant strides in self-belief
On top in the early rounds of the National Basketball League and with a fan favourite in the wings, the Nelson Giants are walking tall again.
Don’t buy the silverware polish just yet, but the Mike Pero Nelson Giants have already secured a small victory in erasing memories of a forgettable last season.
The Nelson-based franchise ended last year’s National Basketball League with a 4-14 record – the second worst record in franchise history.
Eight games into the 2018 season, the Giants lead the NBL table with a six-win, two-loss record, including three each at home and on the road.
Ahead of a home fixture with the Hawks at The Hangar tonight, Giants captain Sam Dempster said the despair of last season had given way to a new culture of self-belief that had manifested on-court.
Returning Melbourne point guard Kyle Adnam and the established combination of Finn Delany, Tom Ingham, Ali Granger, Dempster and Bronson Beri have led the charge in creating a new winning environment.
The arrival of Australian head coach Jamie Pearlman, fellow Cairns Taipans imports Jerry Evans Junior and Damon Heuir as well as Tohi Smith-Milner from the Canterbury Rams has injected a stronger new dynamic into the team.
‘‘Our vibe is pretty positive . . . obviously a huge turnaround from last year and we’ve got a great group of guys and a great coach,’’ Dempster said.
‘‘Last year was tough with a lot of disruptions and stuff but we had a team behind the scenes who were sorting things out, so we have been looking forward to this year.’’
Dempster said the influence of Pearlman, in particular, offered ‘‘a bit of everything’’ in getting the best out of players.
‘‘He has an amazing brain for the game.
‘‘He came in early during the pre-season, worked on our individual skills, got to know us as players and just developed us into a strong team. He’s brought in a lot of systems and rules that we play by.
‘‘He’s an exciting coach to play for and everyone wants to play hard out on the court and that’s a compliment to what he brings.’’
Dempster said the team had worked hard to bounce back from back-to-back losses to Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay in rounds three and four.
‘‘I think we definitely went into that game underestimating [Canterbury] a little – they’re a really talented side with some good imports and some young guys that work really hard – so that was a good wake up call for us and even the Manawatu game – we were lucky to sneak away with it but we didn’t play as well as good as we could have.
‘‘We had a good week at training and addressed the things we needed to as a team and came back stronger . . . hopefully we keep getting better each weekend rather than have another drop-off like that.’’
As if the team needed any more firepower, this weekend will see Tall Blacks captain Mika Vukona make his first appearance for the Giants since 2015.
Vukona arrived in Nelson on Tuesday and attended his first training on Wednesday. Dempster was looking forward to having one of the country’s finest back in a blue singlet.
‘‘That’s a pretty huge player to bring in when we’re already doing as well as we are, so I think everyone’s excited to have him come in and add a bit of experience to a young team.’’
Keen to avenge the May 19 defeat to the Hawks, Dempster was confident of a full house to welcome Vukona back to the Trafalgar Centre.
‘‘We’ve always been pretty lucky that our fans have stuck by us – that’s something that makes us play harder at home.’’
He said running out of the changing rooms still blew his mind even after 11 years.
‘‘It’s an amazing feeling and hearing the crowd, you just can’t beat it anywhere else in the country.’’
‘‘Last year was tough with a lot of disruptions and stuff but we had a team behind the scenes who were sorting things out ...’’