Basketball: Show some desperation, Tall Blacks told

Tab Baldwin

New Zealand coach Tab Baldwin has told his players to leave any inflated opinions of their ability on the sideline when they face Japan in today's crucial basketball world championship match.

The Tall Blacks will forfeit any chance of advancing to the top-16 knockout phase if they lose to the hosts in Hiroshima.

Heavy losses to Spain, Germany and Angola have left Baldwin's under-performing team on the verge of an early exit, four years after they finished fourth in the championship.

They now need to win today and against Panama tomorrow to advance further.

Baldwin knows that on their home court the Japanese present a significant challenge.

"Japan are very, very quick. They remind me of the Tall Blacks a few years ago, they're definitely here to prove something," Baldwin said. "They're a little bit light on size but their biggest weakness is experience."

He said his players needed to start showing some desperation.

"We've got to start playing like it's our first time here and we're out to prove something.

"If we go out there swaggering and feeling like 'they're the little kids and we've been here done that', then we're going to be in for a long day and a very sad face afterwards.

"We've a very good chance to win this game and I believe we should win this game."

Baldwin is at a loss to explain the Tall Blacks' flat performances to date.

They barely competed with a highly efficient Germany and the athleticism and unpredictability of Angola was too much for them.

"I think we've lacked a bit of emotion, I don't know why," Baldwin said. "We've talked about bringing the typical Kiwi mentality and toughness to the table to play these games and it's been lacking a little bit ... in certain areas and certain players more so than others."

That cannot be allowed to continue against Japan.

He is thankful to have Mark Dickel back after the experienced point guard completed the 10-day suspension imposed by the International Basketball Federation for cannabis use. He has clearly been missed.

"We'll have a full-strength team and we'll be able to do tactically everything that we've planned to do for the last six weeks," Baldwin said.

If anything, Baldwin was concerned the guard might be too anxious to make up to his teammates for the self-inflicted time out.

"I just hope that Mark doesn't come in and try to win the whole thing on the first possession because I know he's going to be like he's shot out of a cannon when he goes out on the court."

- NZPA