AUCKLAND (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - New Zealand won't have Alex Pledger for the next six weeks in the build-up to the FIBA Basketball World Cup with a foot injury forcing the veteran center to the sidelines.

The Tall Blacks will have NBA hopeful Rob Loe, however, as they set off for Asia and Europe to continue their preparations for Spain 2014.

The sharpshooting big man is joining the team after his Golden State Warriors summer league team commitments.

Coach Nenad Vucinic saw his Tall Blacks side wrap up a 2-1 home friendly series victory over Korea in Auckland over the weekend with an 89-81 triumph at the North Shore Events Centre, despite being without Pledger, who tore a tendon in his foot 48 hours earlier in Tauranga.

The 26-year-old had only recently returned to the court after battling back from an ankle operation.

Vucinic isn't going to rule the 26-year-old pivot out of the World Cup, though.

"We really feel for him, he has worked so hard after surgery on his ankle and now this, it is such an unusual injury too, it really was bad luck the way he came down on someone else's foot," he said.

"We still don't discount him because we will give him time to recover but it will be a race against time for Alex."

Vucinic is going to take both naturalized players in the preliminary squad, Nick Horvath and Casey Frank, with the team on its tour.

"It is a crucial decision as both of them are also carrying niggling injuries, but at this time we have looked at what is best for the team and that means experience," Vucinic said.

"It is not a time for developing players, so for now they will both travel and we will make a decision closer to Spain."

Frank, 36, played at the 2006 and 2010 FIBA World Championships, the 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013 FIBA Oceania Championships and the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Horvath, 33, who played at Duke University for USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, hasn't represented the Tall Blacks in an important event since the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

One player that is full of promise and will accompany the team to Asia but is just 16 years old is Tai Wynyard.

His presence underlines the immense talent that is emerging for the Tall Blacks.

"I am excited, really excited," said veteran forward Mika Vukona.

"I have said it before but it is worth repeating that the quality of the young players coming through is fantastic and paints a bright future for the Tall Blacks."

One cause for optimism ahead of Bilbao - where New Zealand will play Group C games against the United States, Ukraine, Turkey, the Dominican Republic and Finland - is the form of Kirk Penney.

The scoring machine poured in the points in the three games against Korea and led all players with 26 on Saturday.

In addition to Pledger, Jack Salt, Tohi Smith-Milner and Josh Bloxham have been told by Vucinic they will not be with the 14-man squad on the trip to Asia.

Salt was in the Tall Blacks side that played Australia in last year's FIBA Oceania Championship.

Tall Blacks squad: Thomas Abercrombie, BJ Anthony, Everard Bartlett, Issac Fotu, Casey Frank, Nick Horvath, Jarrod Kenny, Rob Loe, Kirk Penney, Lindsay Tait, Mika Vukona, Corey Webster, Tai Webster and Tai Wynyard.

FIBA