Draft League producing b’ball ‘with an edge’

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Basketball by Ben O’Brien-Leaf

It’s not about reinventing the wheel.

It is about basketball with an edge.

Every game in the GBA Draft League is played hard. And tonight at 5.30pm and 7pm, the YMCA will again play host to emotional roller-coasters on a grand scale.

Team Tom, under coach Thomas Tindale, will look to make it two wins from three games when they take on Team Keenan, coached by Keenan Ruru-Poharama.

In Week 1, Team Tom lost to Team Reg 74-68 then outgunned Team Sparks in Week 2.

Former Rising Suns great Reggie Namana’s Team Reg outfit has drawn Team Sparks tonight,

Team Keenan won a tense, last-play battle 77-72 v Team Sparks n November 2 but lost 71-54 to Namana and company in their next outing.

Such is the state of play in the first-ever Gisborne Basketball Association Draft League with two weeks remaining.

Team Tom have an experienced, prolific front-court with scoring firepower.

Carl Riini (33 points), Scott Muncaster (29 pts) and Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown (18) were all in form against Sparks.

They have the ability to run and drop three-point bombs and in unison are hard cover.

Tindale, however has a healthy respect for tonight’s opposition:

“Keenan’s team has some athletic forwards in Will Collier and Paora Dewes, and a solid point-guard in Dom Wilson.

“We need to pressure Dom and ensure that we take care of their bigs.

“Offensively, we want to run and attack the hoop.”

With turnovers having been a major factor in the clash with Team Reg, Keenan Ruru-Poharama has ball security on his mind.

“We need to look after the ball better to create good looks and finish on those opportunities.

“We also need to be more aggressive — secure defensive boards.”

Namana will be juggling three things at courtside.

“Our plan is to improve our half-court defence, take more shots at the basket and shoot a higher percentage than Team Sparks.”

Daley Riri and Holden Wilson’s quickness is a great asset.

Last Tuesday, but for gravity, Team Sparks’ athletic 16-year-olds Sebastian Wilson and Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson would have made spectacular dunk shots in the open court.

Had those been made, momentum would have been with Sparks.

It wouldn’t do to forget that one of the purposes of this Draft League is to allow youngsters to look to try — and to do — new things in the club ball post-season.

Former GBA president Adrian Sparks, a forgiving coach and great character of the game himself, said: “We can’t rely on individual skill. We have to work as a team on defence and offence to find a good open shot.

“A champion team can beat a team of champions.”