Auckland Stars v Harbour Heat
ASB Stadium, Kohimarama, 7.30 tonight
Auckland Stars coach Kenny Stone has deliberately avoided asking his three former North Harbour players about their old team's style as the cross-town rivals line up against each other tonight at the ASB Stadium.
"I'm more concerned about what we do,
executing our game plan. There is some familiarity anyway, we both know each other's systems pretty well - certainly we haven't changed much in the off-season," Stone said.
The Stars return to the Kohimarama venue where Tab Baldwin won three titles with a team that included Stone - and where Stone won his first title with Auckland in 2003, after failed ventures to the Unitec gym in Pt Chevalier then Trusts Stadium. Despite winning consecutive NBL titles, the big city team still struggles to attract fans.
Tall Black Mike Homik crossed the bridge to the Heat in the off-season while Judd Flavell, Dan Ryan and former Auckland player Daryl Cartwright chose the Stars.
"I purposely haven't asked the Harbour guys what they do," Stone said. Instead, he went to watch the Heat tumble 82-75 to Wellington at the North Shore Events Centre on Wednesday night. It was a scrappy game, starring Saints' imports and naturalised American Terrence Lewis.
Breakers development player Brent Charleton shot 22 for the Heat and their Sydney Kings guard Anthony Sujnara was good until he hit foul trouble.
Neither the Heat nor the Stars have been together long, imports and the Stars' three Tall Blacks Dillon Boucher, Lindsay Tait and Casey Frank coming late to the pre-season.
Stone said his Tall Blacks had trained well and were not showing signs of burnout, Boucher and Tait having also just completed the Breakers' season.
Hawkes Bay host Otago tonight and should have no trouble winning as the Nuggets back up after playing Manawatu last night. Nelson played the Airs in New Plymouth last night and back up in a tough ask against Waikato in Hamilton.
