The bus conductors will collect tickets at each stage of a cold-comfort journey, not just to the end of the season when new general manager Jay Bratschi moves into office but well beyond that into the 2016 season.
No doubt, some of the squad members will hop off at certain stages for whatever reasons but, significantly, Hawks co-skipper Jarrod Kenny and his men will have to restore a modicum of order in their house.
It will come down to collectively identifying their greatest needs, tackling their biggest weaknesses and what it will take to get the job done so they can hang out with the rest of the front runners on the NBL landscape.
The primary factors will incrementally come under scrutiny on a huge dose of realism for a team that more often than not make the playoffs.
Any talk of their proud history will give way to simply getting within distance to the days of reckoning, never mind any intoxicating goal such as adding another NBL crown to the franchise's solitary bragging rights under former Australian coach Shawn Dennis.
The pressures pertaining to pulling out knuckle dusters to question each other's pedigree in the Final Four next year will be dealt with accordingly.
The house, PG arena, is not in order and, similarly, the road will only come into play when a step-by-step DIY manual is in place within the constitution.
Winitana attests and is not mincing words although the mission of winning every game this winter remains.
"It's more than a win right now. We have to work as a unit," says the former Tall Black of a roster that found itself "at a point of no return" in its working relationship with Flynn, leading to a declaration that the Aussie coach wasn't "the right fit" in a poor chemistry.
Winitana finds comfort in the words of Ford Motors founder Henry Ford: "If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself."
But many tricky roads will have to be negotiated for the Hawks' wheels of attainment to find traction.
He is mindful Taranaki, who they have beaten on the road, will try to exploit the instability to break their NBL drought with the unthinkable tonight.
After last week, when the Hawks also lost to the Wellington Saints and Manawatu Jets (3-0) on the road post-Flynn, Winitana spies an opportunity to come together.
"I'm happy with the boys in defeat although it's two more than to our liking."
Bar the first quarter, he points out the battle against the Saints saw the Hawks leave nothing in their tank as opposed to the games leading up to them where his troops seemed "happy to just roll over".
Having sat out the Saints' match to give younger players more court time, Winitana got off a physiotherapist's table to rack up 31 points against the Jets the following day. It was double anything he has managed this year although injury and his religious beliefs have limited his contribution.
"I didn't even realise I'd done that but while George [Galanopoulos] and the boys were going wow, I had only had like 12 or 13 shots," he says of the American assistant coach who Flynn appointed.
"It was a good night for me but it means nothing because we lost and it's always about the team."
Winning, he stresses, gives way to "happily giving it up to anyone who can beat me after I've given my everything". The Hawks, he is sure, will do the same.
Bench forward Morgan Natanahira personifies that quality and spirit for Winitana.
"Morgan led the way. His energy was good [against the Jets] even though we lost by something like 15 points."
Ditto, Nigerian import power forward, Suleiman Braimoh whose nobility also has not gone unnoticed.
"Su's a day by day process but he's not looking that good," he says of the American-based double-double merchant who has pushed through the pain barrier to eventually listen to his body in the Jets game.
"He's always saying he's ready and it's very noble for him to put his body on the line but we need to be careful with how we use him," he says but accepts he is the best judge when it comes to looking after his body.
He lauds the versatility of bench players Darryl Jones and Anamata Haku in Braimoh's absence.
"It's another opportunity to step up. DJ is someone I fully respect as a soldier when he slips on that black shirt. Morgan and Ana, too."
Winitana is finding his dual role "pretty intense" but is taking it in his stride and enjoying the additional responsibilities of analysing and scouting.
"There's a bit more pressure but it's a role I love and enjoy."
He acknowledges the significance of Galanopoulos and a bench "who you can trust".
"When you're in an offensive position you can see everything but everything in defence you can't," he reiterates, urging fans to turn out tonight to boost their drive.
