‘You want to go to World Cup with a loaded gun’: Tall Blacks coach eyes

TALL Blacks coach Pero Cameron wants to take a ‘‘loaded gun’’ to the World Cup in Asia later in the year, and will give his most explosive firepower all the time they need to figure out their availability.

At present Cameron is completing the final World Cup qualifying window with a squad bereft of a major chunk of New Zealand’s top male talent, though still with enough ability to get the job done. On Friday night in Christchurch the Tall Blacks walloped Saudi Arabia 110-63, and they will wrap up against Lebanon in Wellington tomorrow (7pm tip) in a contest that will decide the Group E winner. The games are all but irrelevant with the 7w-2l Tall Blacks having long ago sealed their spot at the tournament, though Cameron never underestimates the value of time together in the international arena, nor the chance to impress in front of home fans.

Where it gets interesting now is just who among New Zealand’s leading players puts their hand up to play at the global event to be held in the Philippines, Japan and

Indonesia from August 25 to September 10. Or, more to the point, who doesn’t.

Europe-based stars Finn Delany and Yanni Wetzell have not been part of the qualifying process at all, but will be automatic selections if keen. Likewise the Webster brothers and Melbourne-based point guard Shea Ili. Breakers standouts Izayah Le’afa, Tom Abercrombie and Rob Loe would also be close to that category, while there would always be a place for NBA star Steven Adams should he rethink his availability for the national team.

On that score, Cameron was saying little on the Memphis Grizzlies centre’s status for the World Cup, other than that the lines of communication were open with the big Kiwi. Stuff understands, however, that the situation is as positive as it has ever been, though complicated by the long-term knee injury that’s kept Adams out of

NBA action for the last month.

Regardless of the status of New Zealand’s only NBA player, Cameron still has plenty of options at his disposal – arguably the deepest pool of talent the national programme has ever had. At centre alone, beyond Adams he has Wetzell, Loe, Sam Timmins, Tyrell Harrison, Tohi Smith-Milner and collegian Callum McRae all jostling for spots.

It’s a similar story at power forward where the Japan-based Isaac Fotu and Delany, who plays his hoops in Germany, are certain selections, while Sam Waardenburg, Sam Mennenga (at Davidson University), Tom Vodanovich, Hyrum Harris and Ben Gold (Marquette) are competing for maybe one more spot in a 12-strong squad.

Cameron is well aware of the