FIBA Basketball
NZL - Breath of fresh air
AUCKLAND (Primo NBL) - After a summer of discontent, the NZCT Taranaki Mountain Airs have emerged as the surprise packet of the National Basketball League and are poised to take another step up with
AUCKLAND (Primo NBL) - After a summer of discontent, the NZCT Taranaki Mountain Airs have emerged as the surprise packet of the National Basketball League and are poised to take another step up with the signing of new import.
Sitting mid table with a 3-2 record, the New Plymouth franchise has come along way since losing their naming rights sponsor and the guts of their 2005 roster in the off-season. They were rescued by the New Zealand Community Trust, bolstered by an injection of new blood and while he's not building his team up as potential champions, coach Warren Osborne is quietly hopeful they can snatch a post-season spot.
Their thrilling 88-87 overtime victory over Waikato Pistons this weekend, only achieved after Pistons scoring leader Ben Hill missed a pair of freebies with time virtually up in the extra period, was still a positive step in the right direction.
Osborne fired American Jackson Bain during the week, but replacement Cody Toppert was unable to gain the necessary clearance to dress for Saturday's outing, but the Airs enjoyed standout performances from veteran Link Abrams (33 points/13 rebounds), American Garry Hill-Thomas (27 points) and the Rampton brothers - Tony (18 points/16 rebounds) and Damon (five points/11 rebounds/seven assists).
The performance of the younger Rampton, in particular, was a revelation. Since attending the 2002 FIBA World Championships with the Tall Blacks, he had produced several mediocre seasons which saw him disappear off the national team depth chart altogether.
"After sending Jack Bain home, someone had to step up and it had to be Damon," says Osborne. "We drummed that into him all week and he did perform really well.
"It was amazing to see him, Tony and Link going after the boards ... we really have some amazing rebounding strength."
Osborne refers to his frontcourt as simply the best in the league and it's hard to argue. Tony Rampton (18.8 points, 57.7% FG, 11.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks) currently heads the league player power rankings and rebounding race, while Abrams (21.2 points, 61.3% FG, 10.8 re bounds) is also in the player rankings' top five and third for rebounding. Taranaki led the league in offensive rebounds entering Round Five.
Still, it is probably guard Hill-Thomas that has lifted the Airs to a level higher than last year, when they finished 9-9 in sixth spot on the league table.
Taranaki seemed in dire straits when they lost their staring backcourt of Willie Banks (retirement) and Aussie Brad Davidson (to Manawatu) over the summer, but Hill-Thomas has solved the predicament.
He seems just a decent jump shot away from playing at a far higher level than this as he leads the league in scoring with 27.6 points (48% FG, 62.3%
FT, 1/5 3pt).
"Garry is a special person for us, who has integrated very well," says Osborne. "He is certainly an outstanding player and one of the quickest here at the moment.
"Defensively, he has done a great job for us. We are leading the league in converting off steals and much of that is due to Garry's athletic presence
in the passing lanes."
What Taranaki have lacked is a reliable outside shooting threat. They have trailed the league in three-pointers made (3.5) and percentage (26.4%), and
this almost cost them the game against Waikato. While the Pistons shot 14/31 (45.2%) from the arc - Hill went 5/9 3pt - the Airs were just 3/13 (23.1%).
sborne hopes Toppert will provide the answer.
"We were looking for Jack to do that as well, but unfortunately he never showed the form nor the quickness for a long range game," he says. "We hope this guy will and after seeing him shoot around on Saturday, the earlier indications are positive."
Toppert graduated with a business degree from Cornell University last year and played in the NBA Development league with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, where he encountered Hill-Thomas in a game against the Roanoke Dazzle. Hill-Thomas busted through a screen set by Toppert, leaving him with a spilt lip and a missing tooth.
"But Garry told us he was definitely a shooter."
Basketball New Zealand
Sitting mid table with a 3-2 record, the New Plymouth franchise has come along way since losing their naming rights sponsor and the guts of their 2005 roster in the off-season. They were rescued by the New Zealand Community Trust, bolstered by an injection of new blood and while he's not building his team up as potential champions, coach Warren Osborne is quietly hopeful they can snatch a post-season spot.
Their thrilling 88-87 overtime victory over Waikato Pistons this weekend, only achieved after Pistons scoring leader Ben Hill missed a pair of freebies with time virtually up in the extra period, was still a positive step in the right direction.
Osborne fired American Jackson Bain during the week, but replacement Cody Toppert was unable to gain the necessary clearance to dress for Saturday's outing, but the Airs enjoyed standout performances from veteran Link Abrams (33 points/13 rebounds), American Garry Hill-Thomas (27 points) and the Rampton brothers - Tony (18 points/16 rebounds) and Damon (five points/11 rebounds/seven assists).
The performance of the younger Rampton, in particular, was a revelation. Since attending the 2002 FIBA World Championships with the Tall Blacks, he had produced several mediocre seasons which saw him disappear off the national team depth chart altogether.
"After sending Jack Bain home, someone had to step up and it had to be Damon," says Osborne. "We drummed that into him all week and he did perform really well.
"It was amazing to see him, Tony and Link going after the boards ... we really have some amazing rebounding strength."
Osborne refers to his frontcourt as simply the best in the league and it's hard to argue. Tony Rampton (18.8 points, 57.7% FG, 11.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks) currently heads the league player power rankings and rebounding race, while Abrams (21.2 points, 61.3% FG, 10.8 re bounds) is also in the player rankings' top five and third for rebounding. Taranaki led the league in offensive rebounds entering Round Five.
Still, it is probably guard Hill-Thomas that has lifted the Airs to a level higher than last year, when they finished 9-9 in sixth spot on the league table.
Taranaki seemed in dire straits when they lost their staring backcourt of Willie Banks (retirement) and Aussie Brad Davidson (to Manawatu) over the summer, but Hill-Thomas has solved the predicament.
He seems just a decent jump shot away from playing at a far higher level than this as he leads the league in scoring with 27.6 points (48% FG, 62.3%
FT, 1/5 3pt).
"Garry is a special person for us, who has integrated very well," says Osborne. "He is certainly an outstanding player and one of the quickest here at the moment.
"Defensively, he has done a great job for us. We are leading the league in converting off steals and much of that is due to Garry's athletic presence
in the passing lanes."
What Taranaki have lacked is a reliable outside shooting threat. They have trailed the league in three-pointers made (3.5) and percentage (26.4%), and
this almost cost them the game against Waikato. While the Pistons shot 14/31 (45.2%) from the arc - Hill went 5/9 3pt - the Airs were just 3/13 (23.1%).
sborne hopes Toppert will provide the answer.
"We were looking for Jack to do that as well, but unfortunately he never showed the form nor the quickness for a long range game," he says. "We hope this guy will and after seeing him shoot around on Saturday, the earlier indications are positive."
Toppert graduated with a business degree from Cornell University last year and played in the NBA Development league with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, where he encountered Hill-Thomas in a game against the Roanoke Dazzle. Hill-Thomas busted through a screen set by Toppert, leaving him with a spilt lip and a missing tooth.
"But Garry told us he was definitely a shooter."
Basketball New Zealand