KEEPING THE FAITH: Paora Winitana will miss six games because of his religious beliefs but he'll still have an input. PHOTO/NZME.
EVEN before the first tip-off in March next year, Paora Winitana finds himself on the bench of the Hawks basketball team.
That's because the National Basketball League (NBL) draws released this week have pushed Winitana to the periphery of contention.
No need for the veteran shooting guard to reach for the calculator because six of the 18 games for the Hawks in the NBL season will be played on a Sunday.
But the 39-year-old Mormon bishop's faith in his religious pursuits remain intact despite the 33 per cent handicap.
"It's the way it is," says Winitana, mindful the condensed season has the added pressure of accommodating the Olympic-qualifying tournament in Europe for the Tall Blacks.
With new coach Kirstin Daly-Taylor at the helm on a five-year contract, the Hawks begin their campaign on Sunday, March 13, at home in a 3pm tip-off at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale.
Their next outing is on Sunday, March 20, again at the PG Arena against the Nelson Giants from 1pm.
Other Sunday games are on April 3 against the South Sharks (PG Arena, 5pm), April 24 v Taranaki Mountainairs (PG Arena, 3pm), May 8 v Canterbury Rams (Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, 3pm) and May 29 v Wellington Saints (TSB Arena, Wellington, 3pm).
Winitana, a former New Zealand Breakers and Adelaide 36ers player in the ANBL, says he never played on Sundays and that will not change now.
"I'll be strategising, giving mental support and sitting on the bench even if I'm not playing."
Traditionally, Winitana contends, Sunday afternoon matches fail to find traction with crowds but "Friday and Saturday evenings are the best times".
He is hopeful the PG Arena faithful will support the Hawks throughout next year, not just on Sundays.
"People here are Hawke's Bay through and through so we always get good support."
Seven teams will vie for a playoff berth next year in a full three-round, 12-week competition with the Saints hosting Supercity Rangers in the NBL opener on Thursday, March 10.
The season will be conspicuous in the absence of "derby rivals" Manawatu Jets from the equation.
In fact, the Rangers are the only franchise based north of Hawke's Bay and are hoping to establish two "home" turfs in Te Awamutu and Whangarei to spread the word on the code in the national competition.
The Final Four playoffs will be staged on Queen's Birthday weekend in June after each franchise has hosted nine home games.
Winitana says the Hawks are simply happy to be in the NBL next season despite finding themselves "behind the eight ball" as they run against time to build a roster and begin training in the middle of next month.
With Napier Boys' High School teacher Daly-Taylor in the United States on holiday with her family, he says it's sad to see the Jets withdrawing after finding themselves in the financial doldrums "not through a lack of trying or passion but money".
The former Tall Blacks champion's accountability is the recipe for success, based on appointing competent people into positions of responsibility.
"Kevin Atkinson has been a great support and a mentor for me and he says three types of people are required - good, right and those you can trust," he says of Atkinson, whose former company IMS Payroll had naming rights last season and also is the main sponsor of the Paul Henare and Paora Winitana Academy in the Bay.
"We are trying to do that most weeks with our academy so it's flourishing," he says, adding that's why he has stepped down from major Hawks roles to focus on tomorrow's talent.
Daly-Taylor, he says, will bring unbridled passion and energy to the Hawks' campaign next season.
While the PG Arena faithful may take stock of their season based on results on the floor, the focus should centre on the growth and progress of the organisation as a whole, Winitana says.
As in previous seasons, there are a couple of double headers as well as three games in the space of four days to minimise travel costs.
The TAB has come to the party to introduce live betting on Thursday night games which will be live-streamed in a baby step to covering the entire NBL season in that manner in future years. The code has struggled to find suitors at Sky Sport, bar the coverage of playoffs in the past few years.
NBL chairman Sam Rossiter-Stead says in a statement: "Live betting on Thursday night games will add an extra dimension to the NBL, which continues to feature increased playing standards each year.
"With many high-quality rosters already taking shape for next season it's impossible to pick winners with any certainty but I'm sure many people will enjoy taking a punt with the TAB throughout the season," says Rossiter-Stead.
Simon Thomas, head of sports betting at TAB, says basketball is the most popular live betting code.
"While we have offered odds on the NBL for many years, the opportunities to offer live betting have been limited. Games played in the early evening in New Zealand will complement our coverage of the NBA perfectly and we expect live NBL to be a great success."
HAWK GAMES
All home games at Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, unless stated otherwise:
Week 1, Sunday, March 13: v Wellington Saints, 3pm.
Week 2, Sunday, March 20: v Nelson Giants, 1pm.
Week 3, Thursday, March 24: v Southland Sharks, 7pm.
Week 3, Monday, March 28: v Canterbury Rams, 1pm.
Week 4, Sunday, April 3: v Southland, 5pm.
Week 5, Friday, April 8: v Wellington at TSB Arena, Wellington, 7pm.
Week 5, Saturday, April 9: Giants at Trafalgar Centre, Nelson, 7pm.
Week 6, Saturday, April 16: v Taranaki Mountainairs, 7pm.
Week 7, Friday, April 22: v Waitakere Rangers at AUT North Shore, 7pm.
Week 7, Sunday, April 24: v Taranaki, 3pm.
Week 7, Monday, April 25: v Rangers, 3pm.
Week 8, Friday, April 29: v Rangers, 7pm.
Week 9, Saturday, May 7: v Sharks at Stadium Southland, 7pm.
Week 9, Sunday, May 8: v Rams at Cowles Stadium, 3pm.
Week 10, Saturday, May 14: v v Canterbury Rams at Cowles Stadium, 7pm.
Week 11, Saturday, May 21: v Nelson Giants at Trafalgar Centre, Nelson, 7pm.
Week 12, Saturday, May 28: v Taranaki Mountainairs at TSB Stadium, New Plymouth, 7pm.
Week 12, Sunday, May 29: v Wellington Saints at TSB Arena, Wellington, 3pm.
Week 13: Final Four series.