The Liam Flynn-coached Nelson team's statistics mirror those of the Wellington Saints.
A multi-NBL title-winning coach, Baldwin hastens to add keeping one's head out of the clouds is not just his job but primarily a preoccupation for all NBL coaches.
"It's by no means unique to me but the role of coaches so I don' t see it any different."
He draws on the conversation he had with a franchise sponsor and bed maker the other day when the wellwisher asked if Baldwin must be "very happy" with where the Hawks are roosting. "I said I was not unhappy," Baldwin remarked, before drawing the analogy of dropping the tools of his trade to admire a half-made bed.
"No, I told him he would only be happy if the bed was a finished product and sold because that bed looks good so far but it isn't complete."
Parallels aside, the wise one does make sense because in previous seasons not so long ago the Hawks went through unbeaten spells only to succumb at the crucial stages of their campaign.
"It is where everybody wants to be [on top of the table] but the job is only partly done," Baldwin says, adding if the second half of their campaign turns to custard then the delirious moments of a first half of the season will rapidly dissipate. Consequently, the PG Arena faithful will cut Baldwin and his men some slack for focusing on the immediate task at hand - the Giants who will pose a similar test as the Saints but also different in that neither side have played each other this season.
"We have proven we can win on the road so we need 100 per cent preparation and bring on the game."
The Hawks are free of injuries, bar young bench centre Shaquille Hohipa-Wilson who rolled his ankle during training this week so he isn't in the equation.
Enter guard Matt de Marcus.
Having played back-to-back double headers, Baldwin doesn't see the breathing space between this game and the next (the Hawks hosting the Giants at PG Arena on Saturday, May 31) as a respite.
In fact, he is wary of his troops tripping after the rigours of a seven-game month.
"People say relax but we don't really want to do that," Baldwin says.
Everyone in the NBL has an opinion about everyone else's benches.
Frankly, Baldwin doesn't care much about others' perceptions and doesn't wish to be drawn into casting opinions on them.
Needless to say if anyone suggests his predominantly youthful bench isn't deep then he'll simply beg to differ.
``I'm happy with mine,'' he said.
What Baldwin is mindful of is that the Nelson Giants have a ``solid roster''.
``Most of them have been to the top,'' he says of the likes of ex-Hawk Josh Pace,
captain Phill Jones, Josh Bloxham and ex-Hawk Adrian Majstrovich.
``Only Jamal Boykin is new to the mix,'' says Baldwin of the 27-year-old US import centre.
``A lot of people don't respect their bench but I do,'' he says, adding Boykin blends in well with the Giants who will certainly be in the NBL playoffs.
The hosts tomorrow night will be in the same position as the Hawks because they are playing each other for the first time before they reload at the end of the month in Napier.
``They are technically offensively good so we'll try to focus on other players to take their roles on their roster.''
