KEY POINTS:
When Tab Baldwin walked away from the Tall Blacks at the end of last spring's world championships, his avowed aim was to continue his coaching career in Europe.
It still is.
Baldwin may still be waiting for another chance in Europe but, while he does, he has the small matter of running the Auckland Stars NBL franchise to occupy his time.
A part-owner since he released the Stars' coaching reins in 2001, Baldwin has this year taken sole ownership of the ASB Stadium-based club.
So far, from the outside at least, the front-office efforts of one of the finest basketball minds ever to grace this country have been, well, a touch underwhelming.
With the days ticking down until the first tip-off of the NBL season, Baldwin had yet to fill the side's second import slot (United States graduate Tashaan Forehan-Kelly being the player to have signed so far); had seen bench player Darryl Cartwright defect across the bridge; and allowed fellow pine-warmer Reece Cassidy to try his luck at Manawatu.
Having seen the club in recent times lurch ever closer to a financial black hole, Baldwin is unapologetic about the tough calls he's made so far.
"We've got guys who we consider to be the core of our roster like Casey Frank and Dillon Boucher and we will take care of those guys," says Baldwin.
"That puts pressure on having enough money to put together a good bench. This year we have tightened things up a bit [budget-wise] and some players who might have been on our bench probably felt there were greener pastures elsewhere."
While Baldwin concedes that, beyond the starting five, the club is light on experience and size, it doesn't mean one of the competition's perennial contenders won't be among the title favourites this time around.
"If we stay healthy and our coaching staff and experienced players are able to bring the younger guys through then I think we'll be a pretty tough unit and I think we'll pick up enough wins along the way to ensure we are a challenger for the play-offs," he says.
"I'm optimistic we can have a good season and have a good crack at a championship."
Perhaps the biggest surprise this year is that the club, which will once again be coached by Kenny Stone, are not the defending champions.
After dominating the 2006 regular season with a 16-2 record (including a 9-0 mark at home), the Stars were surprisingly turned over by the Bay Hawks in the final.
It's a result that surely rankles a touch.
"We had a great regular season last year and we were a team going into the play-offs who looked to be a strong contender, maybe even the favourite coming off winning the championship the year before," says Baldwin.
"But you just have to take your hat off to the Hawks. We were beaten by a better team at that part of the season.
"Anytime you are playing in a format where if you lose you are [out] then anything can happen. I certainly wasn't discouraged by the performance of the team last year, I was really encouraged. The fact that we didn't win the championship just provides a bit of motivation for this season. And certainly we've got some players there who will be going out to rectify that situation."
Baldwin's decision to take full control of the club was a close-run thing. He nearly walked away all together.
"I wanted to get a bit more control of the situation. I was either going to get out of it entirely or run it entirely. I guess the coin flipped in my direction and I've sunk my teeth into it.
"I'm confident that, off the court, we'll get the job done. We need to rebuild the reputation of the Stars off the court and maintain the reputation on the court.
"When you have total control you don't have to look at anyone else, you just have to look at the decisions you make.
"What's evolved over the last couple of years is an organisation that has been very successful on the floor under Kenny's coaching but one that has struggled off the court financially.
"There have been a lot of reasons for that but the bottom line is, now I have control of it, it is my responsibility. The decisions will be mine and mine alone.
"I'm running this as a business and, as a business, I don't want it to lose money. I'm not interested in making money, I just don't want to lose any. And I want it to be successful."
Baldwin might be occupied, but running a club is no substitute for his true love - coaching. Given that, wouldn't he find it hard as sole-owner to sit back and let stone handle the on-court side of things?
"No, I don't find it hard. There is a very simple answer to that: as a coach I understand what it feels like to have an administration that meddles in your affairs.
"I know that it is not only very unpleasant, it is also counterproductive. There's no way I could, in my right mind, get Kenny to do the job he is expected to do and then go in there and meddle in his affairs.
"He has a mandate to perform in a certain way: first, to be an ambassador for the organisation and, second, to try and win championships.
"He's obviously done a great job of both of those things but, if and when the day came that I felt he wasn't doing that, I'd have no hesitation in making a change."
Stone has a tremendous coaching record in his own right but, one thing is certain, it's unlikely he'll be able to pull the wool over the new boss' eyes should things go awry this season. Then again, given the pair's track record of success, it's highly unlikely things will come to that.
MEET THE NEW BOSS
Name: Thomas Anthony Baldwin ('Tab')
Born: Florida, US.
Clubs coached: Otago Nuggets, Auckland Stars, Banvitspor (Turkey)
International: New Zealand Under-20, New Zealand
ACHIEVEMENTS
* Won five NBL titles with Auckland from 1995-2000.
* Won 2001 Oceania Championships with Tall Blacks including historic victory over Australia.
* Took the Tall Blacks to the 2002 world championship semifinals
* Won silver medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games
* Three-time NBL coach of the year
* Two-time Halberg Awards coach of the year
