New Zealand national team (Tall Blacks)

[Saskibaloia]

Nba tv

A nice video by NBA TV of Super Kiwi: Kirk Penney

[donmar]

A nice video by NBA TV of Super Kiwi: Kirk Penney

Nice... I love to see him play again in the NBA.. maybe his old team Miami Heat.. or since he's 29, he could serve as the shooting back-up and eventually replaced Ray Allen in Boston Celtics

[Basketcase]

September 7, 2010
Nenad Vucinic v Russia (FIBA)

Nenad Vucinic v Russia (FIBA)

Scott Preston, Stuff
Tall Blacks head coach Nenad Vucinic stressed it was not the reason his team lost but, still, officiating had a large part to play in New Zealand’s exit from the FIBA World Championship for Men.

“It’s not in our nature to criticise the refs and it wasn’t the factor in what decided this game,” Vucinic said at the post-game press conference, following the Tall Blacks 78-56 loss to Russia in the eighth-finals at Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul.

The Tall Blacks were whistled for 22 fouls - actually four fewer than Russia - but it was who the fouls were called on and when that made the referees a major discussion point post-game.

Playing a style that usually walks the fine line of acceptable contact, the under-sized Tall Blacks found themselves off-side with referees Sasa Pukl of Slovenia, David Chambon of France and Marcos Fornies Benito of Brazil, almost from the start.

New Zealand’s leading scorer Kirk Penney racked up three first-half fouls, including two offensive, and was whistled for his fourth mid-way through the third period, while dogged defender and rebounder Mika Vukona picked up two quick - and questionable - foul calls at the same stage, sending him to the bench with four.

When Penney picked up his fourth at the 6:50 mark of the third, it was a four-point game - and a six-point game when Vukona sat with his fourth at the 4:55 mark - and when Penney returned late in the period, Russia had stretched the lead to 16 points, 51-35. The Tall Blacks scored just three points during Penney’s five minutes on the bench.

“Kirk and Mika are key parts of the team and to have them in foul trouble in the second half, and Kirk in the first half, really hurt us,” forward Tom Abercrombie, who finished with 13 points, said.

“I don’t know where some of those offensive foul calls came from, especially with Kirk. That happens with basketball and you have to come up with another plan and we didn’t really have an answer when those guys went off - Kirk with the scoring and Mika with the rebounding, we didn’t pick up the slack.

“You have your good days and your bad days with the refs. Throughout the tournament there’s been some calls that we’d frown on. We just have to move on and play the next play and not reflect on it. We maybe let some of those calls get to us tonight and let them linger and can’t do that.”
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Penney still managed a game-high 21 points, six of those coming in the final four minutes, but the Tall Blacks’ aggressiveness abated with two of their leading players taking seats on the bench for extended periods.

“I feel like it made us play soft,” Penney said. “It didn’t allow us to play our physical game. If we’re going against a big team we have to be physical. If you just let them get position, they’re going to out-rebound us every time. So once it was set everything was a touch foul, we were in trouble and we knew we were.

“It’s a very frustrating way to go out because you want to go out battling and working hard and boxing out and it’s really hard to play that style that got us here. It threw us a lot … if you can’t play physical, with every Tall Blacks team, you’re going to be in trouble.”

The Russians seemed to be well aware of the Tall Blacks’ physical play and exaggerated any contact on screens or from Pero Cameron, Casey Frank, Craig Bradshaw and Vukona in the post, often flailing their arms and legs, while falling to the ground.

“Of course they did,” Penney said. “That’s milking a foul and if the refs are going to give it to them, then it’s good basketball. You hope you’ve earned a little respect over the course of the tournament but if they’re going to call it, there’s not a lot you can do about it.

Russia’s American coach David Blatt, who had many kind words for the Tall Blacks, admitted the foul trouble was a decisive factor in the game.

“We really focussed and locked in on, not just their scoring, but playing inside and attacking key players and they got in foul trouble. I don’t know always because of us but some ticky-tack fouls that got called that hurt them,” said a loose Blatt, who joked with media during the press conference.

“Kirk lost his aggressiveness and lost his rhythm on-court and Vukona, he’s been one of the most under-rated players in the tournament. He does so many things on the basketball court and today he was a non-factor because he wasn’t on the court.”

While drawing attention to their issues with the officials, the Tall Blacks also put blame on themselves for not handling Russia’s physicality and defensive pressure.

“I thought the refs did a great job. Russia pushed us out of what we wanted to do and maybe we settled for outside shots a bit early. It wasn’t easy to get the shots we wanted,” Cameron, who played in his final game for the Tall Blacks, said.

Phill Jones, also playing his final game for New Zealand, added: “We’ve coped with teams that size before. It was more their physicality. They pushed us off everything, off all our on-ball screens, off all our hand-offs and when we tried to fight back we got called for offensive fouls. Not trying to blame the refs or anything like that because Russia just out-muscled us throughout the game.”


Well, it was good while it lasted, they played good quality basketball, just wasn't good enough that day, well get them next time

[donmar]

September 7, 2010
Nenad Vucinic v Russia (FIBA)

Nenad Vucinic v Russia (FIBA)

Scott Preston, Stuff
Tall Blacks head coach Nenad Vucinic stressed it was not the reason his team lost but, still, officiating had a large part to play in New Zealand’s exit from the FIBA World Championship for Men.

“It’s not in our nature to criticise the refs and it wasn’t the factor in what decided this game,” Vucinic said at the post-game press conference, following the Tall Blacks 78-56 loss to Russia in the eighth-finals at Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul.

The Tall Blacks were whistled for 22 fouls - actually four fewer than Russia - but it was who the fouls were called on and when that made the referees a major discussion point post-game.

Playing a style that usually walks the fine line of acceptable contact, the under-sized Tall Blacks found themselves off-side with referees Sasa Pukl of Slovenia, David Chambon of France and Marcos Fornies Benito of Brazil, almost from the start.

New Zealand’s leading scorer Kirk Penney racked up three first-half fouls, including two offensive, and was whistled for his fourth mid-way through the third period, while dogged defender and rebounder Mika Vukona picked up two quick - and questionable - foul calls at the same stage, sending him to the bench with four.

When Penney picked up his fourth at the 6:50 mark of the third, it was a four-point game - and a six-point game when Vukona sat with his fourth at the 4:55 mark - and when Penney returned late in the period, Russia had stretched the lead to 16 points, 51-35. The Tall Blacks scored just three points during Penney’s five minutes on the bench.

“Kirk and Mika are key parts of the team and to have them in foul trouble in the second half, and Kirk in the first half, really hurt us,” forward Tom Abercrombie, who finished with 13 points, said.

“I don’t know where some of those offensive foul calls came from, especially with Kirk. That happens with basketball and you have to come up with another plan and we didn’t really have an answer when those guys went off - Kirk with the scoring and Mika with the rebounding, we didn’t pick up the slack.

“You have your good days and your bad days with the refs. Throughout the tournament there’s been some calls that we’d frown on. We just have to move on and play the next play and not reflect on it. We maybe let some of those calls get to us tonight and let them linger and can’t do that.”
Ad Feedback

Penney still managed a game-high 21 points, six of those coming in the final four minutes, but the Tall Blacks’ aggressiveness abated with two of their leading players taking seats on the bench for extended periods.

“I feel like it made us play soft,” Penney said. “It didn’t allow us to play our physical game. If we’re going against a big team we have to be physical. If you just let them get position, they’re going to out-rebound us every time. So once it was set everything was a touch foul, we were in trouble and we knew we were.

“It’s a very frustrating way to go out because you want to go out battling and working hard and boxing out and it’s really hard to play that style that got us here. It threw us a lot … if you can’t play physical, with every Tall Blacks team, you’re going to be in trouble.”

The Russians seemed to be well aware of the Tall Blacks’ physical play and exaggerated any contact on screens or from Pero Cameron, Casey Frank, Craig Bradshaw and Vukona in the post, often flailing their arms and legs, while falling to the ground.

“Of course they did,” Penney said. “That’s milking a foul and if the refs are going to give it to them, then it’s good basketball. You hope you’ve earned a little respect over the course of the tournament but if they’re going to call it, there’s not a lot you can do about it.

Russia’s American coach David Blatt, who had many kind words for the Tall Blacks, admitted the foul trouble was a decisive factor in the game.

“We really focussed and locked in on, not just their scoring, but playing inside and attacking key players and they got in foul trouble. I don’t know always because of us but some ticky-tack fouls that got called that hurt them,” said a loose Blatt, who joked with media during the press conference.

“Kirk lost his aggressiveness and lost his rhythm on-court and Vukona, he’s been one of the most under-rated players in the tournament. He does so many things on the basketball court and today he was a non-factor because he wasn’t on the court.”

While drawing attention to their issues with the officials, the Tall Blacks also put blame on themselves for not handling Russia’s physicality and defensive pressure.

“I thought the refs did a great job. Russia pushed us out of what we wanted to do and maybe we settled for outside shots a bit early. It wasn’t easy to get the shots we wanted,” Cameron, who played in his final game for the Tall Blacks, said.

Phill Jones, also playing his final game for New Zealand, added: “We’ve coped with teams that size before. It was more their physicality. They pushed us off everything, off all our on-ball screens, off all our hand-offs and when we tried to fight back we got called for offensive fouls. Not trying to blame the refs or anything like that because Russia just out-muscled us throughout the game.”


Well, it was good while it lasted, they played good quality basketball, just wasn't good enough that day, well get them next time

Kirk Penney complained about the referees in the game against Russia

[Saskibaloia]

So to all the Tall Blacks fans and followers out there, how do you think the Lads went for this edition of the FIBA World Championships? Do you think they overperformed or underperformed or performed to your expectations? What do you think are the ingredients for the Tall Blacks for the future and their success? Do you think they'll ever be able to repeat that amazing run back in 2002?

[donmar]

So to all the Tall Blacks fans and followers out there, how do you think the Lads went for this edition of the FIBA World Championships? Do you think they overperformed or underperformed or performed to your expectations? What do you think are the ingredients for the Tall Blacks for the future and their success? Do you think they'll ever be able to repeat that amazing run back in 2002?

I think the boys did well.. although, I think they left too early.. thanks to the referee..

The seem to be winning or about to cause an upset whenever people underestimate them... the game against Russia, people were so confident that NZ will beat Russia (probably because of the team's three-straight win or because of their hatred to Russia or because their own teams eliminated early).. that turn out to be the wrong omen and with the help of the referee, Russia won the game..

At least Australia and New Zealand both finished with the same win-loss record

Anyway, Kirk Penney should be included in the all-tournament team..

[serbianhoops]

Vucinic should select Rob Loe, the sooner the better.

Any news about Kendrick Perkins playing for NZ ?

[donmar]

Vucinic should select Rob Loe, the sooner the better.

Any news about Kendrick Perkins playing for NZ ?

Hhhmmm I haven't heard that news yet..but basketball news here are kinda slow because of low popularity of the game... that would be good news, especially that Sean Marks refuse to come out of international retirement... I didn't even know if he (Perkins) has connection to NZ...

[Basketcase]

Kirk Penny gets another chance to play in the NBA, he will be trying out for the San Antonio Spurs, hope he makes it to the team

[donmar]

Kirk Penny gets another chance to play in the NBA, he will be trying out for the San Antonio Spurs, hope he makes it to the team

As a Phoenix Suns fan, I despise the San Antonio Spurs.. but with Kirk Penney in their line-up.. I don't know what to say...

Although, I hope he makes it.. now that Sean Marks is close to retirement...

[Basketcase]

As a Phoenix Suns fan, I despise the San Antonio Spurs.. but with Kirk Penney in their line-up.. I don't know what to say...

Although, I hope he makes it.. now that Sean Marks is close to retirement...

Ya I hope he makes it, he's getting old, 29 yrs old already.

[nikole]

I watched a bit of their second game against the Boomers a couple of weeks ago and they were nothing short of atrocious.

“It was a pressure game and it was one we needed to win and everyone was pleased to get it. It was one we needed going into the Germany game,” starting Tall Blacks forward Mika Vukona said.

[CKR13]

Pero Cameron

NBL Legend and former NZ National Team player Pero Cameron has joined the coaching staff of head coach Nenad Vucinic.

[CKR13]

NBA lockout helps Tall Blacks Olympic prospects

How an NBA Lockout helps the Tall Blacks.

The New Zealand men's basketball hopes of qualifying for the London Olympics may be indirectly boosted by the NBA lockout.

The Australian centre and Milwaukee Bucks player Andrew Bogut is unlikely to take part in the September's Oceania champships which doubles as the Olympic Games qualifying tournament.

The NBA has gone into lockout with team owners and the players union unable to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement.

As a result of the NBA lockout, the players are no longer entitled to many benefits, including the NBA's insurance cover, which Basketball Australia would use to insure Bogut for any international games.

That means Bogut won't be back playing for Australia until lockout is resolved.

-Radio New Zealand

[CKR13]

Kench out for the Tall Blacks

Jeremy Kench will not play for the National Team due to a stress fracture on his left foot.