Basketball: Tall Blacks lament short time together

The New Zealand men's basketball team are desperate to get more practice time together before next month's tour to Taiwan and September's Olympic Games.

The Tall Blacks have been buoyed by twice extending the powerful Russian team, who went on to beat Australia 100-79 in the final of the Slam Down Under tournament in Sydney on Sunday.

However, the benefits of the Sydney experience could be undone if the team cannot be brought together more often.

Each of the Tall Blacks' opponents in Sydney - Australia, Canada and Russia - are in camp permanently until the Olympics.

"We haven't started yet. We are so underdone," coach Keith Mair said, adding that the team needed at least a week together before going to Taiwan.

"A number of players are frustrated at the lack of time we have been able to spend together. Our lack of preparation showed up at times."

In one of the close games with Russia, six or eight of New Zealand's shots were blocked because of bad options taken by the Kiwis.

"It is time on the practice floor that counts," Mair said.

The players are constrained by their national league commitments and the perpetual funding problems suffered by both the men's and women's national teams.

The side in Taiwan will be without NBA player Sean Marks, who heads back to the United States today, and Pero Cameron, whose partner is due to have a baby.

"Sean definitely added something to the team. His shot-blocking and rebounding was very good, but at the offensive end he struggled," Mair said. "The offence we run is unusual by world standards and is different to the NBA."

Mair was delighted with the way some of the previously marginal players stepped up. In that category were Paul Henare, Brad Riley and Tony Rampton, while Ralph Lattimore, despite a late start to playing, was the fittest of all the players.

- NZPA