Basketball: Imports top scorers in first NBL round

The influence of imports stood out on the scoresheets from the first round of the national basketball league.

Eric Freeman was top-scorer for the Nelson Giants in two games, with 25 points in a 71-67 loss to Taranaki and again in a 90-82 win over Waikato.

Canadian Vidal Massiah scored 17 for Waikato, who have changed their name from the Titans to the Pistons, to keep the game close at the end.

Hawkes Bay had 22 points from Field Williams and 21 from Kareem Johnson as they downed Otago 112-71, the Nuggets backing up and tiring on Saturday night in Taradale after being beaten 86-77 in Palmerston North on Friday.

Top-scorer for Otago has been small forward Nathan Connolly from the US with 22 against the Hawks and 26 against the Jets.

Connolly was top-scorer in their first game with 23 against the Canterbury Rams, who relied on imports Dennis Trammell with 29 and Sam Spann, 18, in their 92-74 win.

Naturalised American Casey Frank also starred, leading Auckland with 24 points as they beat North Harbour 82-79.

But there were some signs of young New Zealanders standing tall, Ben Hill top-scoring with 18 for the Pistons in the loss to Nelson and Nelson's Mike Fitchett with 19. Brent Charleton scored 17 for the Heat and Troy McLean 18, including five three-pointers.

The weekend's results followed predictable patterns, with Otago losing three on the road, last year's finalists Auckland and Hawkes Bay both opening with wins, the improved Saints getting over the Heat whose pre-season started much later, Nelson going 50/50 on the road including a win over Waikato, who also started late.

There are just a few players still to come into the league but they are significant additions.

The Jets have yet to sign another import, Waikato will welcome Tall Black captain Pero Cameron back mid-season, Nelson get sharp-shooter Phill Jones next month, the Airs will have Tall Blacks centre Tony Rampton next weekend.

But it looks like Canterbury and Otago will rely heavily on their import players for points, other teams also looking mainly to Americans as the go-to guys. The Hawks had six players in double figures - both their imports, Tall Blacks Paul Henare and Paora Winitana, Breakers AJ Majstrovich and Everard Bartlett.

It's only round one and they did beat a team on the back of two other games but they have to be favourites.