NZL - Otago still searching for Nuggets

AUCKLAND (NBL) - Head coach Don Sims has been through similar before but maybe nothing quite to the extent of the Cartridge World Otago Nuggets.

In his coaching career - which has included stops in his native USA, Canada, England, Portugal and Colombia - Sims has succeeded in taking over struggling and beleaguered programmes and turning them around in quick time.

It is something he did with Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, taking the Trojans to two straight Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national tournaments – losing the national final in 1989-90, and it was something he did with Middlesborough in England.

And now it is something Sims has ahead of him with the Nuggets in the 2008 Dominion Finance NBL.

"Sometimes in coaching you can get stale, I looked for a challenge and that's what I've got here," Sims said, his words dripping in understatement.

"Everything is new but that was understood when I got the job. But we wanted to go in a different direction, a lot of new players and a lot of young players . . . the enthusiasm and energy is high so things are positive at the moment."

The Nuggets front office has again cleaned house after last season's dismal 2-16 record, with only Jamie Blake, Darryl Jones and Shaun Tilby surviving from the Rick Castle era onto Sims' roster.

Gone are high-scoring imports Justin Bailey and Branduinn Fullove, along with rebounding beast Miles Pearce back to the Manawatu Jets, Jamie Barnett, Brooke Pearce and Nuggets regulars Matt Gillan and Cowan Finch.

Plugged in to the gaps come American imports Rashaan Smith, a seven-footer with plenty of international experience, and Jay Anderson, a sweet-shooting product of the University of Oregon - both players Sims was familiar with from his last coaching job with the Seattle Mountaineers in the International Basketball League.

Harbour Heat recruits Brent Charleton, a New Zealand Breakers development player, and Nat Connell, an NBL title winner with the Waikato Titans in 2001, have also made the migration South.

"They're going to be very crucial to the success that we have," Sims said of the pair. "They've played in the league, they know the league. The can add some stability and some knowledge about the league and be able to impart some of that onto the young guys."

Big man Jason Greig, one of only four players on Otago's roster with more than 50 games NBL experience along with Blake, Jones and Connell, and Steve Robinson have returned to the Nuggets camp after sitting out the 2007 season.

Filling out the Nuggets line-up is Jahlal Ibraims and six up-and-comers aged between 17 and 23, all set to make their NBL debuts.

Sims, who will be assisted by Gavin Briggs and Zach Hosseini, has been in Dunedin three weeks, acclimatising, and evaluating the young talent in the region, making final cuts last week. Smith and Anderson have both landed in Big D while Charleton is the only other player yet to arrive.

"I guess the best way to describe this team is that we're a dark horse because no-one knows exactly what we'll be like. I don't even know what we're going to get but we've got a lot of new guys and enthusiasm.

"After another two weeks of practice and one or two games, we'll have a much better idea of where we're at."

Sims, who will be assisted by Gavin Briggs and Zach Hosseini, was aware of the Nuggets past futility - without a playoff berth since 1997 and the league's worst record the last three seasons – but was not putting the pressure of playoff expectations on his inexperienced squad.

"As I've told the players, our goal is to win the first game and then we'll worry about the next game.

"We're excited down this part of the country and hopefully we can make some noise."

Cartridge World Otago Nuggets
2007: Missed playoffs, 10th (2-16) in regular season
Coach: Don Sims
Assistants: Gavin Briggs, Zach Hosseini
Imports: Jay Anderson (USA), Rashaan Smith (USA)
Returning: Jamie Blake, Darryl Jones, Shaun Tilby
Additions: Anderson, Smith, Brent Charleton (Harbour), Nat Connell (Harbour), Tom Allen, Pete Burgess, Jason Greig, Steve Robinson, Jahlal Ibraims, Mitch McRae, Josh O'Connell, James Ross, Tom Rowe
Losses: Justin Bailey (USA), Branduinn Fullove (USA), Miles Pearce (Manawatu), Jamie Barnett (Waikato), Callum Brookes, Stu Carruthers, Cowan Finch, Matt Gillan, Chris Hepburn, Brook Pearce, Sam To'omata (Nelson)


Scott Preston