KEY POINTS:
Taranaki coach Trent Adam has reservations how Auckland's expulsion from the National Basketball League (NBL) playoffs has been handled.
However, he will happily put them aside because his team have been gifted a lifeline as they replace Auckland for tomorrow night's quarterfinal against North Harbour.
The NBL board yesterday expelled Auckland from the league for failing to make their final league entry payment, originally due in February.
That left Adam scrambling to contact all his players in time for their departure today from New Plymouth for the playoffs game at North Harbour.
Adam said the prospect of Auckland being excluded from the playoffs was first raised before Taranaki's last regular season game, against North Harbour, in New Plymouth last Saturday.
Taranaki officials sought Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) advice from as early as last Friday, when the extended payment deadline expired for Auckland.
Despite repeated calls they did not receive confirmation of Auckland's exclusion until yesterday afternoon, leaving Adam scrambling to contact all his players and arrange for them to get time off from work.
Tall Blacks international Tony Rampton has had to adjust his plans to head to Australia while American import Keith Salscheider has cancelled a sightseeing tour of the North Island which he had planned to make before heading back to the United States.
"It is great to have the opportunity but it would have been greater to have a better timeline on it," Adam said.
He admitted to some frustration how BBNZ handled the issue.
"Our board told BBNZ we needed to know what was happening before our game last Saturday at 5pm.
"No one returned any phone calls and everyone seemed to ignore the situation.
"No one would return any calls. When that happens I figure there are no issues."
They tried again the next day as the Taranaki players and their partners gathered together for a function, only to again be left in the dark.
Confirmation of Taranaki's inclusion for the playoffs was finally forthcoming yesterday afternoon.
"It has left us incredibly short of time in which to organise transportation and accommodation," Adam said.
- NZPA
