The Huddle - 2025 Season Preview

Huddle Newsletter, March 2025

Kia ora, NBS Nelson Giants fans and welcome to the first of our (semi) regular updates from Giants HQ. This club newsletter is where you'll be updated with squad news, what's up next and opportunities and offers to get involved with the Giants in Sal's NBL season 2025!

There has been a fair bit happening over summer … read on.

INS AND OUTS

Each off-season sees change and head coach Mike has been working hard to assemble a squad we think will compete in what is a 12-team league in 2025.  We were tough to beat in 2024 (except on our home court, something we aim to remedy this season) but contending with the likes of the Tuatara, Saints and the back-to-back champions from further down the island, the Rams, has seen the arrival of new faces in the 7010.

Starting with Giants who have stayed, captain Sam Dempster fronts up for a remarkable 17th season,  relatively pain free and good to go. Point guard Alex (Naughty) McNaught is up to his sixth campaign with the Giants after another summer in the Breakers' environment, while we have retained the core of our champion Rapid League side in Aston Inwood, Kaleb Chamberlain, James Matthews, Coen Williams and Hayden Jones – who will be with us until later in the season, when he starts a Div 1 college scholarship in Wisconsin. A new face hoping to crack the Rapid League rotation is shooting guard Cooper Adams, who's been with Waimea College until this year, when he moved over to Nelson College – he's impressed as a quick learner through off-season training.

Then we add these guys … Hayden's international age group team-mate Lachy Crate, from the Manawatū Jets and another with a Div 1 future ahead of him this year; Jets team-mate Liam Judd, a bouncy small forward who has just finished competing in India's pro league and another age group international in former Waimea College and Rams big man Will Blight.

Talking of big bodies, there are few larger than Callum McRae, at 2.15m big Cal is the epitome of a Giant. He was with us for half of the 2023 campaign, endured a tough season in Southland last winter but will be welcomed back to the TC in late April when he's completed his commitments in the Japanese leagues. Cal is a deft passer with a soft scoring touch and has been racking up solid numbers for his Japanese club.

With Callum McRae a late arrival, coach Mike has reeled in another large Callum, Aussie big Callum Dalton, who has dominated in Australia's NBL1 and seen time with a couple of ANBL clubs, joining the Brisbane Bullets recently before heading off to the Indian pro league. He'll hold down the middle until the other Callum can join us.

Joining him in the front court is Brice Johnson, a former first round draft pick by the LA Clippers and a college first team All American at the University of North Carolina. You'll spot Brice pretty easily … he is the 6'9”guy who's hyping his team constantly – and catching lob passes for dunks.  He's coming off an achilles injury and long rehab but players of Brice's calibre rarely come this way and we are looking forward to seeing him get to work.

That leaves one import spot – don't panic, it has been filled by a shooting guard out of the US, the paperwork is almost done and an announcement is due in the next day or two, Giants fans. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.

Summer sessions have been full on for more than a month with Jerome Sinclair, Rico Varricchio, Elijah Inwood and Jack Mellor in the wider squad while the “glacier from Haast” Ernie Kerr has been putting in the work but now faces an extended absence due to knee surgery. Adam Barton and Nic Davidson are doing their thing at their respective US colleges and we are unlikely to see them in Giants colours in the near future. There's one other name missing, with Tom Ingham hanging up the kicks but, never fear, Ingy's still near and will add his insights to the TV commentary in the Hangar this season.

 IT'S THE BLITZ 

Coach Mike will have most of his bodies in NBS Giants blue and white for the pre-season Westside Blitz in Westport and Greymouth this coming week. Organiser Kelvin Fisher and his team have built on what they started last year and the popular tournament has added more games and more teams in 2025.

Mike says the goals in pre-season are always the same with the initial focus on integrating new players, minus McRae and Judd, and with the American guard potentially getting a run later in the programme.

“It's team bonding, we are looking to build chemistry – we don't stress the score too much although you want to see progress with each game.”

 THE REEFTON COACH

Amid the new faces, there's a very familiar one helping Mike on the sidelines this year with Phill Jones replacing Ben Sheat to join Tom Gargiulo as assistant coach. Phill's playing career is well documented and his Giants jersey is suspended from the rafters in the Hangar but he's also fashioned a handy coaching record and was named BBNZ's male coach of the year a couple of campaigns ago. We wish Sheaty all the best back home in Christchurch, but we are still aiming to tip you and the Rams over in round one.

 BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

The Giants are excited to welcome another sporting high-achiever to the team with former Black Caps player and NZ Cricket selector Gavin Larsen taking on the role of commercial manager.

While we are proud of our association with naming sponsor NBS and our family of supporting partners, Gavin is still looking for businesses who want to get alongside the Giants in their unmatched 42nd consecutive season in the NZNBL. There are still corporate table opportunities available, along with player partners (align your company with a Giants squad member for the season) and a range of other opportunities. Contact Gavin Larsen at gavin@nelsongiants.basketball and find out what the Giants can add to your business.

On an individual note, we have tickets available for our first four home games … get into it at www.flicket.co.nz

And we will have merch! Dress like a Giant with a range of apparel available soon. Check our socials soon for the latest on where to buy.

TROPHY TIME

It's March and the first of our home games is less than three weeks away, Thursday March 20 at 7pm (Rapid League from 6pm) against the old foes from across the strait, Wellington Saints.

Each time we meet the Shallcrass Family Trophy is at stake – the Giants won it last season but the Saints have misplaced it! Rest assured, we will be looking to defend the trophy (wherever it might be) and make a solid start to our 2025 Sal's NBL home stand with a strong showing in the TC.

 We can't wait – can you?