Basketball: Baldwin passionate for Tall Blacks

Baldwin says he learned plenty. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin arrived back from his stint in Turkey yesterday fatigued, uncertain of his employment future, but sure he had a handle on player form leading into the World Championships in two months.

Baldwin's Banvitspor team lost 3-1 in the best-of-five finals series against eventual league winners Ulvitspor.

"It was a huge challenge, we put together a team that no one thought could achieve much," he said.

But despite lifting the club from the doldrums, it appears his services will not be required next season because of internal club politics.

Baldwin believes he learned plenty in the day-in, day-out professional environment and said he will look elsewhere in Europe if unwanted in Turkey.

"Here, you are always having to do so many different things [within a club] just to make ends meet."

His Tall Blacks contract expires at the end of this year, but he wants more and will negotiate with the new chief of Basketball New Zealand when the organisation decides who replaces David Croker. "I still have a passion for the Tall Blacks, that's very much a focus for me."

He has been corresponding with assistant coach Nenad Vucinic daily by email and with overseas-based players Kirk Penney, Phill Jones and Mark Dickel.

The severe wrist injury to Lindsay Tait was worrying, Baldwin said. There were places open in the 12-man squad to Japan. Casey Frank might be the best American resident but there may be New Zealanders, not least Otago's Miles Pearce, who could push him out. He wanted to see local players including Pearce, Manawatu's Aaron Nowell and Canterbury's Jeremy Kench in action before cutting the already-named 30-man squad to 20 for a selection camp.

Fourteen players will go from that camp to contest the four games against Australia starting on July 12 in Napier. That core will be retained for the trip to South America for games against Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela.

Baldwin said he knew they faced some "beat-ups" before their first World Championship game against Spain on August 19. The Aussies are bringing their best team in many years, with an all-NBA front line including Andrew Bogut.

"They're not looking at New Zealand, they're looking at the World Champs. They are in a tough pool but they think they will win a medal."

Chemistry was the one big advantage New Zealand had, Baldwin said, the core of his side being together since the Sydney Olympics and having now contested three major world competitions.

"Inertia is working for us now. Pero Cameron, Phill Jones, Mark Dickel, Kirk Penney, Paul Henare - when those guys get together they expect the best of one another.

"We will still have to play above our talent and experience to do well but we know how to prepare, we feel we can play above ourselves and we expect that of ourselves now. We know we'll take our knocks along the way but by the time we face up to Spain we'll be ready and we'll be thinking we can beat them."

The Tall Blacks assemble on July 3, the Monday after the national league final.

* North Harbour have injected their fifth import this season, Alan Thomas, hired to replace Canadian Mike King who departed unexpectedly without giving notice. King attended practice on Wednesday and flew out that day without informing his teammates.