Basketball: Tait gets chance to run the gameplan

The Tall Blacks arrived in Australia yesterday with coach Tab Baldwin confident they will cope with the late injection of point guard Lindsay Tait as they open the four-way tournament in Perth without their usual game-runner Paul Henare.

Starting point man Mark "Sparky" Dickel is due to arrive in Perth tonight from the United States, where he has just married. Henare's recovery from a deep thigh bruise will continue to be monitored and it is hoped he may be fit to compete for a place in the later Oceania series against Australia.

Tait had grown into the role over the past two years, Baldwin said, and had coped with knockbacks when the other two were selected ahead of him.

He had also worked on areas of his game identified as weaknesses.

"He has taken on board the advice given by the coaching staff and become a much more effective leader of the team and with that comes the benefit to the team of his productivity on the court," Baldwin said.

"This role has been imposed on him and that may be the best thing for him.

"Mark Dickel is not going to be up to speed and Lindsay is going to have to carry that role in a few games. The team is comfortable with him and confident he can do that."

Ed Book's hamstring injury had improved and he had taken full part in the late trainings, which included a game against the Breakers on Thursday, during which Tait swapped teams several times.

There are no other injury concerns. The Tall Blacks' forward line will be amongst the biggest they've had and familiarity with each other's play should be a bonus for them since the core of players has been together for some time.

"We made a lot of progress during the week. We finished strongly and we're ready to play."

Baldwin said the team to face Lithuania, China and Australia in Perth, then Sydney this week, was much better prepared than the one that went to China.

"China and Lithuania have both been playing more games and they will have improved. We need to as well.

"We have high aspirations. We need to win these games."

The Tall Blacks meet Lithuania and China, with the former having already played twice in the West Australian capital against Dillon Boucher's new Aussie NBL team the Wildcats, for one win and one loss.

Former Breaker Shawn Redhage is a late signing for the Wildcats and played against the Lithuanians.

They play Australia in Sydney on Friday night in a game which the coach has mixed feelings about, not wanting to show his hand ahead of the Oceania series in Auckland, Manukau and Dunedin this month.

"We really want to do well in front of our home crowd. Most of us have memories of 2001 [eliminating Australia from the world championships]. We don't get to play the meaningful games at home too often so it's very special for us."

* The Australian NBL estimates the games involving China, which are being broadcast into Asia, have a potential audience of 60 million.