Secondtier contest would bridge a gap

ON the surface, it seems strange.

Several major associations in New Zealand do not have NBL teams, yet an Australian state does.

Like everything, that comes back to money.

The Huskies have it and other New Zealand associations do not — at least, not enough to enter a national league team.

Once in the league, the teams with the biggest budgets dominate.

Teams such as the Wellington Saints and Southland Sharks are built around star players and few locals.

The likes of the Manawatu Jets and Taranaki Mountainairs exist to give their players opportunity at the next level, but battle year to year.

It has long been a blight on the league.

Just to have a team generally costs upwards of $300,000 a year. That is not easy money to find.

For some, it is better spent elsewhere.

Recently, Canterbury has been the only association to be strong allround. It has competitive NBL and Women’s Basketball Championship teams and strong club and school competitions alongside a wellperformed representative programme.

Otago flourishes in the grass roots and WBC, but the lack of an NBL team is a major hole. Getting a team back has to now be a priority, but Otago is not the only one in that position.

Perhaps that indicates a more financially viable alternative needs to be available.

The lack of a secondtier competition is a glaring absence on Basketball New Zealand’s schedule. Beneath the NBL there is no substantial competition — a Heartland Championship, Hawke Cup or Beko League equivalent — aside from the independently run Hoop Nation tournament.

Imagine a hypothetical second division with the ‘‘best of the rest’’.

North Harbour and Waikato are two strongholds to join Otago.

Hutt Valley performs well at youth level, while Waitakere and AucklandCounties Manukau could draw on the wealth of talent in their region.

Tauranga has indicated NBL interest and Rotorua could also fit.

Three weekends away could be paired up to reduce travel costs — Harbour and Waitakere, ACM and Waikato, Tauranga and Rotorua.

Everyone plays each other home and away — a maximum of four return flights per team.

Salaries could be capped at $25,000, as opposed to the $140,000 the Otago Nuggets spent in 2014.

It would not be a luxurious league, but that is not the point. It would be more realistic financially and it would give more Kiwis a level above club basketball — particularly as depth increases and college players return.

From there they could step up to the NBL, which is a pathway to Australia’s NBL.

For the absolute best, that is increasingly becoming a step ping stone to the NBA.

That context is important. The days of working in isolation from the rest of the world are over. Getting on the global pathway is crucial.

If players feel like they are lost in the wilderness at the bottom of the world, they will go elsewhere. The best players will look overseas anyway, but you want to create as much opportunity within New Zealand as you can.

Being innovative and adaptable to fit the new sporting environment will ensure that happens.

Perhaps admitting the Huskies could be the first step towards achieving that — time will tell.