Saints Surge Into Finals
Tagged in: Competitions, NBL
Reeling in early March with a 1-2 record, coach Doug Marty admits the playoffs, let alone the 2008 Dominion Finance NBL Finals, seemed some way off.
The Century City Wellington Saints had just been out-played, out-hustled and out-rebounded in an 18-point round two blow-out to Devon Dynamos Taranaki in New Plymouth, resulting in soul-searching at management, coaching and player level.
“We were definitely under the gun at that point in the season . . . we were getting a hard time in the press, and rightfully so,” Marty said ahead of game one of the NBL Finals on Tuesday night in Te Awamutu.
“We had quality guys then and I was still confident that we could compete.”
Leon Henry, American centre Kevin Owens and American forward Ernest Scott were added to the roster soon after, with then-import Nick Horvath leaving for his wedding sabbatical and import Marquis Webb let go.
“We not only added a five (centre) but we also started rebounding as a team. Our guards started to do a better job with their responsibility.
“I always thought we could be here. I didn’t think we’d be able to add so many quality players to the roster and we were fortunate to be able to add that depth to compete for a title.”
If the loss to Taranaki was a low-volume music wake-up call, then the embarrassing 26-point loss to the Easy LPG Bay Hawks on national TV in round five was a jolting beeping alarm at five in the morning.
Since, the Saints went 11-1 to finish the regular season, putting together separate five and six-game winning streaks and completing an undefeated 9-0 season at home.
Horvath returned and Tall Blacks Brendon Polyblank and Lindsay Tait were added to the mix as the Wellington franchise won their third regular season title and now take a seven-game winning streak into the best-of-three Finals.
There they will meet a Pistons club the Saints split the season series with, allowing their import backcourt to score 72 points and getting banged and bruised inside in a 101-89 overtime loss in Hamilton, Wellington’s only loss since March.
“We’ve learned that they’re a heck of a good basketball team. They have a lot of weapons, a lot of experience and they play hard. We’re going to have to be on top of our game to take it out.”
With Jason Crowe and Brian Wethers dominating the Saints last time out – Crowe with a triple-double and Wethers with 42 points – Marty was stressing a team defence philosophy to shut-down, or at least limit, the pair.
“I think more than anything else we’re going to have to play good team defence. The energy level, the effort level and the awareness level is going to have to be very high.
“We’re going to have to play with a lot of smarts at the defensive end. They can go to second and third options off their stuff and they’re good in transition as well. We’re just going to have to get after it.”
“Because Crowe’s so good in the open court, we’re going to have to set up road-blocks to get those guys slowed down, and their big guys are such good three-point shooters, (Pero) Cameron and (Ben) Hill in particular.”
And despite the Saints getting 73 percent of more than 350 votes in basketball.org.nz’s championship poll and talent-packed roster, Marty, the Saints first-year American coach, was keen to flip the game one advantage to the Pistons.
“I don’t see undue pressure on either side because both teams have had success during the regular season. I don’t think anyone’s a clear favourite.
“But by them playing the first home game it gives them an advantage. There’s a little more pressure on us because they’re playing at home. When it comes down to best-of-three it’s important to be prepared every night, you can’t give away a game either way. Every game is important.”
Wellington last made an NBL Final in 2003, winning the franchise’s fifth championship, defeating the Waikato Titans 97-88 in overtime, and the first since 1988.
Dominion Finance NBL Finals Guide (1.15MB pdf)
