Basketball: Baldwin wants noisy Dickel

By PETER JESSUP

Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin has no fears that vocal guard Mark Dickel will be a volatile liability during the series against Hungary starting at the North Shore Events Centre tonight.

His noise on court in whipping along his team-mates was one of the reasons Baldwin elevated Dickel over vice-captain Phill Jones when usual skipper Pero Cameron was ruled out with injury.

"I wanted to get a vocal, and even a volatile player, into the role," Baldwin said.

"Pero has been a leader by example and has the respect of the team. But what I wanted was not so much someone to lead the team as someone to drive the team."

Dickel, always a live-wire, has the nickname "Sparky" and will certainly do that.

He played three years for the University of Nevada Las Vegas and was a stand-out in his senior year. He has been with Otago, North Harbour and now Wellington in the local league and is returning to Australian side Victoria Titans when their season starts.

He has always told his team-mates to believe in themselves and to believe they can win.

Baldwin's problem will not be enthusiasm, rather it might be combating height and skill. Cameron, with a calf injury, will be court-side with Sean Marks who is recovering from surgery on a torn finger.

Centre Ed Book and forward Willie Burton have also been playing on calf injuries. Out of the series is Tony Rampton, who is recovering from ankle surgery.

Aucklander Kenny Stone looks likely to get plenty of court-time as Baldwin decides on who to cut before they go to Europe and the United States.

The world championship allows only one naturalised player in each 12-man squad so Baldwin has to choose between Stone, Book, Burton and Canterbury guard Terrence Lewis.

The one thing he is not short of is guards. Judd Flavell, Jones and Paul Henare all have the ability to control the pace of the game. Dickel's work is more likely to be inside, driving the big men.

At distance, Kirk Penney may be the team's star shooter. He and Jones are both adept at three-pointers and that inside-outside option has to be a part of Baldwin's plan.

The coach expects Hungary to be skilful shooters, athletic and intelligent. In European Championship qualifying games they have beaten Poland 101-86, Belarus 69-64 and Estonia 94-71. They lost to France 81-73 and Latvia 96-87, which means they are second-tier on the continent.

Marks said the Tall Blacks' trainings had been intense.

The finger injury has restricted his physical involvement but the experience he has brought as the only NBA player was highly valued.

Baldwin credited the drive from Dickel for some "exceptional practices" in camp this week.

The home team has the advantage of that time together when they start at the North Shore Events Centre tonight.

The Hungarians are without five first-liners. They arrived only on Wednesday and will struggle with fatigue tonight and when they back up for the second test 19 hours later in Palmerston North.

The series then goes to New Plymouth on Monday, Nelson on Wednesday and Christchurch next Friday.

The Tall Blacks 12 for the world championships will be decided before the team leaves to play two tests against France in Toulouse on August 11 and 12, then Yugoslavia, Lithuania and Germany in a Super Cup tournament in Braunschweig from August 15-17.

They have two tests against Canada on August 20 and 21 in Ontario on the way to Indianapolis for the championships. A final build-up game is planned against Brazil.

Their world championship campaign begins with Russia on August 29. Argentina and Venezuela are also in their pool and the top two from each of four pools progress to the second round.

Marks has re-signed at the Miami Heat for two years but could not squeeze a play guarantee from the club. He can resume full contact in two to three weeks.