"Whether I thought the firings were justified or not it is something I have no control over.
"I have to keep my mind on what I can control and I know best - and that is coaching - because I have no control on whether I should be hired, fired, given a pay rise or take a pay cut."
Baldwin has made a remarkable turnaround from last season, coaching the Hawks to a minor premiership bragging rights, an unbeaten stint at the Pettigrew-Green Arena and the best record, 15-3, the franchise has ever tasted.
So what's changed dramatically this year?
"We needed to make changes and, of course, I was concerned, recruiting players for any of the provinces isn't the easiest thing."
He realises winning last season, with a European up-tempo style of play, would have helped but they didn't prevail.
The PG Arena faithful rated recruits lowly, too.
Baldwin explains he this year reeled in Marco Alexander and Anamata Haku from Waikato Pistons, who were NBL cellar dwellers.
"Darryl Jones was with Nelson and a known journeyman but he was no superstar who changes franchise's fortunes," he says, adding the Hawks recruited to a style of play.
In the up-tempo brand last year the Hawks made too many errors.
"I overestimated players' skills and let them play freely so we never settled into a chemistry."
Maintaining the core of Winitana, Jarrod Kenny and Everard Bartlett was crucial as high quality players in adjusting the system.
Changing imports to fit in as cogs in the wheel was equally imperative.
Those components provided an "incredible chemistry", something that became evident at a pre-season camp where it was impressed on players failure wasn't an option.
Even Baldwin had to make changes to adapt to a new constitution.
Add to that the consultancy of Grant Dearns, the Hawke's Bay Magpies fitness guru and husband of franchise CEO Tanya, and the Hawks' tank keeps injecting fuel deep into the final quarter.
"So far it's been an excellent campaign this year," he says, emphasising two more hands of cards have yet to be dealt.
"There's no other way to coach that. We would have liked to have won the other three games."
Baldwin says having played the Paul Henare-coached Sharks only a fortnight ago into overtime in Napier will be fresh in both teams' minds.
Had they been billed to play Wellington in the semifinals, for instance, the Hawks would have had to cast their minds back two months ago.
"Paulie's a coach who came in in fourth position last year [in Napier] and won it so it's not uncharted territory for our very tough opponents," says Baldwin of the defending champions first up tomorrow.
Henare and his troops have had their share of disruptions with three players ending up in court but they have shown they are capable of putting their minds to the job through sheer grit and determination.
Hosts Pacific Jewellers Saints play Fico Finance Nelson Giants at 8.30pm tomorrow before Saturday's 7pm grand final.
