Year 1 for the Whai set a solid foundation on both sides of the ball. They have maintained as much roster continuity of anyone in the competition but will that be enough to get the crew from Tauranga their first taste of Sal's NBL postseason action?
2024 Position: 8-12 (8th place on points percentage)
Head Coach: Matt Lacey (2nd season)
Departed: Demarcus Holland (import), Vance Jackson (import), Ira Lee (import), Phil Carr (import), Zion Anderson (Bulls)
Incoming: Sean Bairstow (import), Chris Jones (import)
Predicted Starters: Chris Jones, Sean Bairstow, Kruz Perrott Hunt, Denhym Brooke, Import TBD
X-Factor: Kruz Perrott-Hunt
Watch For: Carter Hopoi
Wanted Headline: Whai It Up!!
Unwanted Headline: Didn't Whai it Up...
The Straight Shot
Season one for the Northern Group Tauranga Whai was full of turbulence with a revolving door that kept giving and pulling top tier talent to and from the team.
Welcome Sam Mennenga. Goodbye Sam Mennenga, we hardly knew ya.
Welcome Vance Jackson. Goodbye Vance Jackson
Welcome Ira Lee. Goodbye Ira Lee.
And that was just the imports. Featuring a rarely at full strength lineup, a first year NBL head coach in Matt Lacey and a group of locals who were largely unproven at the NBL level one could be forgiven for thinking that the Whai would bend to the pressure and capitulate. Instead Lacey was able to find an offense that worked, by eschewing most opportunities at post ups and drives (and largely free throws) and bombing away from deep with 599 3 point attempts (second only to the Saints) that combined with a stingy defense (giving up the third least points overall) the Whai found themselves in the Final 6 conversation through to the last weeks of the season. Certainly a success on many levels for the franchise, but one that left the pang of what could have been with a bit of roster luck.
A local core that benefited from the opportunity that season one provided and they mostly return. Perrott-Hunt could provide increased production from his 13ppg and 2.3 apg from his first season at the helm of the squad. Jayden Bezzant makes a potent backcourt mate when the ball is swung to the second side while Te Tuhi Lewis was a flamethrower off the bench who grew in confidence as the season went along.
In the frontcourt Denhym Brooke proved ability in spot duty as a starter and has the ability to be more of a threat from deep when given the opportunity but it may be young Carter Hopoi who can most affect things in the paint. His ability to play above the rim on both ends of the court has been blossoming and if he can continue his upward trajectory his minutes load could increase in his second year. But overall the strength of this position will be determined by the talent level (and availability) of the import player they have recruited for this position.
Most importantly for the Whai, the foundation seems set with a core of talented locals who play hard and buy into Coach Matt Lacey's gameplan. If they can find a couple of keepers in the restricted player spot and continue to play at a high level defensively this will be a team that is in the mix for the top 6.
Our Experts Say
Casey Frank: Year 1 began with a bang, taking victory on opening night against the Hawks, but then things went slightly sideways as the Whai dropped 5 of their next 6 games. But the Whai steadied the ship and found a way to pick up some wins and stay on the periphery of the Finals chase until the penultimate round of the season. To improve upon last season's offering I'm looking for a higher level of offensive output, crucial for a team that averaged the least points per game (78ppg) in the competition. This was by design, as the Whai slowed the game down to get a better chance to win ball games they need to top 84 points more than the paltry two times last year. I love the local guards and see both Bezzant and Perrott-Hunt as players capable of closing out games with the ball in hand. If they can land an import big that can bring it on both sides of the court the Whai have the look of a team that will find itself in the elimination finals for their first taste of postseason action in the Sal's NBL.
Justin Nelson: Anyone who labels the Whai’s inaugural 2024 season anything but a success doesn’t appreciate how tough the Sal’s NBL competition is. Across a rollercoaster season, the Whai only just missed the playoffs and amongst a few import issues and the pre-season loss of Sam Mennenga, year one was very commendable under a quickly rising coach in Matt Lacey. Additions for 2025 include the long Australian Sean Bairstow, American guard Chris Jones and a yet to be named import who may not hail from the U.S. – it’s a real global mix, which I like to see. A core of emerging Kiwis return, and they will all be better for the 2024 experience. For me, Carter Hopoi is a young gun on the rise, and I think he will take massive strides this year – he fears nobody, has a real air of confidence and a competitive thirst – grab your tickets and watch this young man fly. For me, the success of the Whai this season rests on the ‘togetherness’ of the group – if the imports fit and buy-in, then the likes of Bezzant, Perrott-Hunt, Brooke, Thompson, Boucher and the sharp-shooting Te Tuhi Lewis (I hope he got a pay rise) will ensure this crew plays with passion, pride and defensive fierceness every time they step on the floor. I think the Whai are a sneaky chance at making the playoffs.
