Payback Time
Tagged in: NBL
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When Aussie Andrew Rice looks up court on Friday night, heíll see a team that didnít want him and heíll have a chance to make them pay for their mistake. You donít think every player dreams of that opportunity?
Century City Wellington Saints coach Kevin Brooks is trying not to let this mouth-watering subplot distract his outfit from their primary objective in Round Six of the Dominion Finance NBL, namely a trip up State Highway 2 to visit titleholders Easy LPG Bay Hawks in Napier.
But you know and Saints know they will be looking back down court at a man with a point to prove.
ìIf Ricey comes out and gives it to us, well, thereís a lot to said about that,î admits Brooks. ìHe was looking at Palmerston North and Otago, but at the last minute, the defending champions scooped him up Ö it was a great pick-up for them.
ìBut Iím not too concerned. We still have to focus on us and not Ricey being there.
ìI expect him to come out and play the way he played for us. He had a great game for the Hawks against Otago and we know heís going to be a handful, but we know his strengths and weaknesses, and will defend him accordingly.î
Saints initially signed Rice to a limited contract after their first choice – American centre Nick Horvath – broke a thumb during the pre-season. In six outings, he averaged a team-leading 17.5 points (51.3% FG, 40% 3pt, 65.5% FT) and 8.7 rebounds.
But when Horvath returned and Wellington looked elsewhere to fill their still-vacant second import sport, Rice was signed by the Hawks to replace injured Canadian Shane Nicely and debuted with 14 points (4/10 FG, 1/2 3pt, 5/8 FT) and 19 rebounds against the Nuggets last week.
ìWhat more can you ask?î Hawks coach Shawn Dennis told the Hawkeís Bay Today newspaper. ìThe guy is just a quality performer.î
When Rice played his last game for Saints, ironically, also against the Nugs, his replacement was sitting in a corporate box at the TSB Arena, watching. On Friday, he will no doubt make more formal acquaintance with American Bakari Hendrix.
Last week, the Californian, an actual relative of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, went scoreless through the first half against TET Taranaki Mountain Airs, but was instrumental in the fourth-quarter rally that carried Saints to an 82-79 road victory. He finished with 19 points (8/12 FG, 2/2 3pt, 1/3 FT) and seven rebounds.
ìI didnít think it was in our best interests to start Bakari with Horvath Ö two new guys,î says Brooks. ìBut down the stretch, they were starting to hurt us on the boards and I needed to get the two big guys in there.
ìWeíre pretty happy with Bakari. Heís a big guy with a pretty solid physique, he has experience, he has an inside-outside game Ö he brings something different to that position when I look around at the other big teams in this league.
ìHe stepped outside and knocked down some big shots for us in that second half, but there will still be an adjustment period.î
The Saints-Hawks showdown is an intriguing clash between two teams that should still be around at semifinal time, but that havenít yet approached peak form for a variety of reasons. Both are now somewhere near full strength and searching for the chemistry that will make them contenders.
ìThey have gotten off to a slower start than most people would have thought,î assesses Brooks. ìWe dropped a couple of games that maybe we should have won.
ìI think we match up very well against these guys, but I know it wonít be easy playing them at their place Ö itís a great venue.î
Dominion Finance NBL Guide (Round Six) (pdf 1.3MB)
