When you send a developmental squad to the regional champs, you sort of have to temper expectations. The Tall Blacks weren’t exactly at full strength at the last Asia Cup – in 2017, the first time that the former Asian Championships and the Oceania Championships were merged into one – but even that squad looks like men against boys compared to who coach Pero Cameron and his crew chose to take to the 2022 edition in Indonesia. The thing about that, though, is you really don’t wanna underestimate the quality of players emerging out of Aotearoa these days.

In 2017 the Tall Blacks finished fourth. Qualified for the quarters as the top team in their group after wins over Kazakhstan and Lebanon followed by a one-point loss to South Korea left them in a three-way tie on points but their head to head differential was ever so slightly superior. In the quarters they smashed Jordan 98-70 but then came up against fellow tournament debutants Australia in the semis. They lost 106-79. Then were beaten by South Korea once again in the third-place playoff, going down 80-71.

That was the benchmark set by a more experienced team. Fourth place. This time around circumstances kinda dictated that they’d have to send a lesser team. The scheduling was a little awkward with a few blokes in the wider squad involved in a heap of 3x3 tournaments recently (World Champs, Asia Cup & Comm Games all in a row). The NBL is in full flow and heading towards its final rounds, most of the contending players getting pay-checques there. Very few Australian NBL contractees seemed to be considered as they do their offseason things. It is what it is.

Plus also, keeping it realistic, the Asia Cup is good fun but it’s got no involvement towards World Cup or Olympic qualification. It’s merely a stand-alone tournament of no other relevance. Thus a reasonable decision was made to use it as an opportunity to blood a few more youngsters. Give some otherwise fringe dudes key player responsibilities. Really test out the depth in Aotearoa men’s basketball.

I mean, just look at the international cap tallies here...

That’s quiiiite a bit different to the blokes who smashed the Philippines by 46-points at the end of June in Auckland. Only Britt, Cameron, Timmins, and Smith-Milner remained... and Flynn Cameron was on debut in that game. Fans who rocked up to Eventfinda Stadium that night (most of them Filipino by the look of it) were blessed to witness the likes of Shea Ili, Corey Webster, Finn Delany, etc. Eight of those twelve guys had Aussie NBL contracts last term and of the four who weren’t, three had played at that level in the past. There was still a decent amount of Aussie NBL talent in that Asia Cup squad... but a different kind of experience. Development players and depth options rather than award winners like Ili, Webster, or Delany.

(Btw, the dozen players from the Asia Cup longlist who didn’t make the cut were: Jayden Bezzant, Joe Cook-Green, Richie Rodger, Dan Fotu, Tafara Gapare, Ben Gold, Dominique Kelman-Poto, Akiva McBirney-Griffin, Jordan Ngatai, Taane Samuel, Mike Karena & Tai Wynyard)

Here’s a comparison of the 2017 and 2022 squads, ranked by minutes played at the tournament itself...

Only two dudes from the previous squad repeated. Currently Sam Timmins is the lone guy contracted for the next Australian NBL season (with the NZ Breakers). Most of the rest have been playing kiwi NBL with the notable exceptions of a quartet of top tier USA college prospects: Flynn Cameron (Riverside California), Kruz Perrott-Hunt (South Dakota), Sam Mennenga (Davidson College) & Taine Murray (Virginia).

Right, now, that oughta paint a picture of what we were dealing with here. First game up was against India and this one was an easy expected victory, a helpful easing into proceedings. The Tall Blacks were 6-2 down very early on and yet finished the first quarter up 30-12 (so... a 28-6 run over roughly eight minutes). They then restricted India to just nine points in the 2Q and were able to run out the full squad in the third and fourth. Everybody got at least 10 mins except Kane Keil, who had to settle for 4:52. A remarkable seven different hombres scored 10+ points led by 20 year old Sam Mennenga with 21 (he also led the team with 9 rebounds). 100-47 was the final score.

Game two was always gonna be tougher up against Lebanon. And it was. Despite 21 points from Taki Fahrensohn the kiwis trailed for most of the game, missing too many shots (particularly threes and frees) and committing way too many turnovers. They were up 20-13 with a couple mins remaining in the first but once they lost that lead they lost it for good and were in deficit for the entire second half. Did get it back as close as 62-60 with 7:19 left in the match, threatening to make a great finish of it... only to get blown out the rest of the way as Lebanon hit a flurry of triples. That’s the rub.

86-72 was the final score. Along with Fahrensohn there was also a 10p/5r effort from Kruz Perrott-Hunt as well as 8p/9r from Sam Timmins. However Max Darling would only be able to play a very limited role and then missed the rest of the tournament with injury. Salt in the wound, there.

That defeat didn’t matter too desperately, it simply meant they’d need to win their next match against the Philippines in order to advance. The same nation they’d smashed in Auckland a few weeks earlier with a very different squad. The Gilas, on the other hand, were almost identical with only two blokes missing from the lot that took the court against the Tall Blacks in that earlier game. But despite the change in kiwi personnel, a lot of the same advantages were still there. Especially offensive rebounds, swarming defence, and general physicality. The first four points coming from the free throw line and that soon spread into shot making as the TBs led 30-16 after the first quarter.

The lead would fluctuate from there but the NZers always remained on top. Huge rebounding advantage of 61 to 28 (including 22 to 6 in the offies!). Much better from the three point line. And a beautifully well distributed scoring threat too with Taine Murray hitting four triples in his 16 points, bouncing back strong from the Lebanon game, whilst Kruz Perrott-Hunt, Tohi Smith-Milner, and Isaac Davidson also got into double figures.

However the main man on this day was the fella who debuted against the Philippines last time: Flynn Cameron. This was the first of several next level performances at this tournament, scoring 18 points on 6/8 shooting (5/5 from FT) with 4 rebounds and 3 assists to go with it. Dude was fantastic right from the start. Tall Blacks won it 92-75.

Meaning a play-in game against Syria for a place in the quarter-finals was required. And, well, quite frankly it wasn’t even a contest. The Aotearoa defence limited Syria to just 6 points in the first quarter whilst their offence scored at least 25 points in three out of four quarters. 97-58 was the final score. All eleven active players got at least 11 minutes of action which meant nobody got to truly pad out the stats... though Taine Murray scored another 16 points while Flynn Cameron added 14p/8r/4a in just 14 minutes. Taylor Britt was really great as well with 10 points and 6 assists, a flawless 4/4 from the field (and 2/2 from FT). That’s a Chris Paul stat-line is what that is.

Serving up a clash with South Korea in the quarters. You know, the team that beat them twice at the previous event? When the TBs sent over a stronger squad than this one? Sure... but Flynn Cameron wasn’t playing back then. This game was sheer Flynnsanity as old mate delivered 22 points, 9 rebounds & 8 assists including 14 points in the final frame to guide the kiwis to a truly brilliant victory.

It was a proper back and forth contest, the Tall Blacks taking an early head start with some fast-paced shot making but South Korea matched them as the lead changed nine times throughout – each team spending at least 15 mins in the ascension. Standard big rebounding advantage for the kiwis (24 vs 12 in terms of offensive rebounds) but neither team found it easy to score once the game settled down. The Tall Blacks led by two with just under three minutes remaining. Then Flynn Cameron scored nine further points as the TBs finished on a 12-4 run. He was superb.

Flynn Cameron was ably aided by 16pts/7rebs by Taki Fahrensohn and 14pts/5rebs for Tohi Smith-Milner. Sam Timmins also added 14 rebounds. Guna Ra kept South Korea plugging away all evening with 19 points though he needed 21 shots to get there. 88-78 was how it ended. Tall Blacks into the semis. Get in there!

Australia were lying waiting in the semis, feet up and margaritas in hand. Aussie had won all three group games by at least 18 points and then beat Japan 99-85 in the quarter-finals. Plus they were defending champs having won the 2017 title. The Aussies also had an experimental squad but you already know what their depth is like. They made it to the semis on the back of great numbers from the likes of Thon Makur, Mitch McCarron, Sam Froling... and Breakers guard Will McDowell-White.

The annoying thing about this one was that the Tall Blacks were always just a little behind the eight ball, so to speak. They never again held a lead after the Boomers went up 8-5 mid-1Q but every time it looked like the classy Aussie team had a little too much in the tank, the NZers would claw it back within range (but no closer). The lead got as high as 16 points in the midst of a terrible end to the second quarter – it had been 28-26 to AUS with 7:35 to go and was 49-33 to AUS with 1:49 to go - and yet with 3:37 left on the clock in the fourth quarter it was only a two-point game.

Timely triples from Jordan Hunt certainly helped. His best game of the tournament, scoring 16 points including 4/4 from deep. Alas this was one game where the otherwise mandatory rebounding advantage was nowhere in sight and thus the high number of turnovers that the TBs had been offering up all tournament finally got punished (17 to 2 in terms of points from turnovers). Aussie also expectedly had much more bench depth although they did miss a number of free throws to leave the door open.

A bunch of Sam Timmins finishes inside had spurred the 4Q comeback but then you know what happened? Thon Maker hit a three. Tall Blacks turned it over and Will McDowell-White made a three. Timmins got blocked at the rim by Mitch McCarron before Smith-Milner missed a three. TSM would drill one soon afterwards but WMW responded a couple possessions later and by then there just wasn’t enough time on the clock left to mount a response. 85-76 to Australia who went on to beat Lebanon 75-73 in the grand final to go back to back with Asia Cup gold.

Sam Timmins had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Flynn Cameron delivered 15p/7r/4a. Kruz Perrott-Hunt scored 11 with 4 assists. Jordan Hunt’s 16 points obviously. Also Smith-Milner’s 8p/7r doesn’t scream off the box score but he did have a +6 on-court mark which made him the only Tall Black in the positives. This was a pretty strong performance overall, to be fair. They just came up against a better team.

Still, there remained a third-place game to scrap through. A bronze medal on the line as the lads took on Jordan. Here the Tall Blacks trailed by ten at the half following another poor close to a second quarter. They came back out with a 27-point third quarter as the shots began to drop more consistently yet Jordan had a knack of doing just enough to stay at arm’s length in front. It was looking like another fourth placer as Jordan led 66-51 with a couple mins left in the third. Then things got funky.

A couple Britt driving lay-ups and a Perrott-Hunt three-banger, plus a Flynn Cameron free throw, and the TBs scored the last eight points of the frame. Then they kept it going. As Jordan missed free throws and turned the ball over and botched lay-ups the Tall Blacks steadily went about their work. Smith-Milner hit on a lovely arcing three. Then Taki Fahrensohn stepped into a mid-ranger and would you know it the score was all tied up at 66-apiece. A 15-0 run from the boys. Jordan broke that run soon after but then Tohi Smith-Milner, playing with four fouls, whose shooting had been helping keep the team afloat earlier, went splash on another three and the Tall Blacks were in the lead. Then Tohi made another triple. And another one after that.

Remarkably, from 14 points down late third, they’d now gone on a 26-2 run. A couple Jordan three-balls at least put the brakes on, in fact coupled with some sloppy Tall Blacks play (that inexperience rising up alongside some tournament-end fatigue) and Jordan had a couple treble attempts that could have tied the game back up again. But they missed both and the TBs shut the door at the free throw line to claim bronze. The only two teams that beat them at the 2022 Asia Cup were the two teams that made the final. Third-place, a best ever finish for the Tall Blacks despite sending a team of international rookies over there. Hell yeah. Incredible.

83-75 was the end result. Lovely stat lines for Sam Timmins (12 points, 6/6 FG) and Taki Fahrensohn (19pts) though nobody compared to Tohi Smith-Milner on this day. 25 points shooting 7/10 from 3pters. He was absolutely on fire. Some match altering makes in amongst them too.

Smith-Milner and Timmins were the two blokes with prior Asia Cup experience. Timmins had been steadily in the grind most games but TSM probably felt he hadn’t fully delivered that veteran’s influence on the court with his previous performances. Until, that is, this match-winning shooting night which shredded all those insecurities in a blazing flash.

As a result...

For the whole tournament, TSM made 15/31 triples as well as also shooting 82.4% from FTs. The Lebanon game was the only one in which he didn’t have a positive plus/minus. His two lowest scoring games were the two blowout wins (India & Syria) where it didn’t matter and he only played limited minutes. That’s the response that Pero Cameron and his team would have hoped for. Usually a fringe player, here a key veteran. And he played like one including saving his very best for last.

Gotta love what Sam Timmins brought to the table as well. 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, shooting 63.8% from the field. Big presence down low. Meanwhile from the perimeter Taylor Britt was reliable throughout, scoring between 6-12 points in every game as well as averaging 4.3 assists. Easy mahi when he gets that scooping lay-up out of the cupboard.

But they couldn’t have achieved what they did without a few of the younger crew also going above and beyond. Taki Fahrensohn was one. The 23yo sharpshooter fluctuating a bit from game to game but regularly getting into great areas and never afraid to let loose. He averaged 11.7 points, shooting 42.9% from the field and 35% from deep. 24yo Jordan Hunt played more and more as the tourney went on and his triples against Australia kept that game competitive.

20yo Sam Mennenga was on course for a huge Asia Cup after 21 points vs India in game one. He was good in the play-in game too... but then illness ruled him out of the last three fixtures. Definitely gotta say some words for Kruz Perrott-Hunt (21yo) who scored in double-figures in each of the first three games as well as the semi-final versus Australia and some of his defensive work against Jordan was impeccable. Wasn’t the best for 20yo Taine Murray whose three-shot evaded him. He shot 11/46 from deep all tourney and he can’t yet do some of the defensive things that others could offer instead, hence he became less prominent after the group stages, but he’ll get there soon enough. Huge prospect.

However nobody broke out harder than Flynn Cameron. 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists per game. Impacting the game in all sorts of ways – there was the fourth-quarter scoring prowess against South Korea but even his lowest scoring game against Jordan saw him respond with 7 assists, still boosting things even when the shots were rimming out. He’s a busy and physical defender with an eye for a steal. Plus he shot 38.7% from 3pters across the Asia Cup which only opens the court up more for the fella. And you certainly can’t doubt the top few inches. Dude is 22 years old. Coming into his senior year at UC Riverside. Flynnsanity is for real.

Finally, the last word is this: head coach Pero Cameron, assistant coaches Ross McMains and Zico Coronel. You get a team of raw and underrated players who perform this far above expectations and the last word had better be giving credit to the coaching staff because nothing like this can happen without their guidance. From rotations to motivations, from tactics to timeouts. Can’t complain one little bit.

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