Basketball: Collectivism paramount

Paora Winitana says it's business as usual even if he's not on court.

Dropping baskets has absolutely nothing to do with luck, if you ask Paora Winitana.

"It's a confidence thing and I don't care if you're taking the best shots at training," says the 39-year-old, before playing his first game for the Indigo Hawks this season when they host the SIT Zerofees Southland Sharks in Napier today.

"If you have no confidence then you might as well pass it [the ball]. It has nothing to do with luck," said Winitana, who has missed the first two losses against the Wellington Saints and the Mike Pero Nelson Giants at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, before the 7pm tip off today, to break that drought.

The former Tall Black and ANBL guard doesn't play matches on Sundays because of his religious beliefs and is going to miss one-third of the NBL season this year.

Last year's captain, he took over the reins of coaching towards the end of last season after the former Hawks franchise fired Australian and ex-Giants coach Liam Flynn in a mediocre campaign.

However, a new franchise appointed Kirstin Daly-Taylor coach who, in turn, installed US import Chris Porter and Aidan Daly as co-skippers.

But Winitana doesn't see his sideline presence as a setback.

"It's business as usual. You have to be a professional... " he said, emphasising players needed to contribute in other ways when not on the court.

"I want to get out there to play but Sundays are the holy father's day," said the shooting guard, who harbours no regrets in opting out in his career from the time he made his Hawks debut in 1996.

No doubt, if he was sidelined injured he would be "shred to bits". Tonight he's simply excited to start his season.

He agreed defence was vital but only one aspect of what needed to be done properly. "You can look at the last two games as warm-up ones but you can only have so many to warm up."

Mental fortitude, he said, was crucial to show fans what that "excitement" is.

The franchise has opened the game to a gold-coin donation for the rest of the season after securing sponsorship.

While the mantra is on defence, Winitana feels it's equally imperative to reflect on the glass.

"We played patches of excellent defence but that amounts to nothing if you can't get rebounds," he said, stressing 32 points in the first half, as the hawks did against the Giants last Sunday, was unacceptable.

However, he argued posting points shouldn't be an individual crusade but a collective one.

"Just ask guys like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and they'll tell you that."

The challenge for players, he said, was to evaluate how best they could fit into Daly-Taylor's equation and then accepting that responsibility to fulfil their roles.

Winitana said fans often looked at the end result but other factors, such as efficient screening, all added to that comfort zone where shooters could find love with the rim.

"Kirstin's passion and attitude are contagious and the guys have to feed off it," he said, adding the Sharks would be "beasts".

Many people were expecting the Hawks to finish last and winless but the Hawks' goals were set high.

He saw his role as mirroring that of Giants guard Phill Jones, 42, who inspired the young with timely input on and off the court.