The Otago Nuggets have found a solution to two of their three problems.
The arrival of Breakers swingman Leon Henry should help patch up the franchise's outside game and offensive rebounding.
The only question remaining is whether his presence will help get the Nuggets get back into the winner's circle and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
The Nuggets have lost their last four games to slip to 3-7 but would remain in the fight with wins against the Taranaki Mountain Airs tonight and the Nelson Giants tomorrow.
Normally, it would be a demanding task but the Nuggets should be fresh in comparison to their opponents. The Mountain Airs will be playing their third game in four nights and the Giants will be playing their third game in five days.
"Most years the draw works against us but this is a bit of a bonus for us," coach Alf Arlidge said.
"Three games in four nights is very, very hard. But both sides are professional and they would have had a light week and will be doing lots of recovery work."
Henry, who, along with Breakers team-mate BJ Anthony, was a high-profile signing during the off-season, will make his debut for the franchise tonight.
Anthony has been ruled out for the season with an injury but Henry is expected to have an impact, particularly from beyond the arc.
The Nuggets' three-point shooting has been consistently poor this season. But with Henry prowling the perimeter, the home side will pose more of a threat.
Point guard Michael Fitchett is also a handy three-point shooter but he struggled last weekend after he was called in as a late replacement for Mark Dickel.
Henry's height (2m) and athleticism should also help the Nuggets grab a few more offensive rebounds. The team has rebounded strongly at the defensive end through Antoine Tisby and Akeem Wright. But the pair have not had the same impact down the other end.
"Leon and Mike will complement what we are doing in the paint. If teams want to double-team Tis, like they have been doing, then we can kick it out to Leon or Mike and they are going to make those shots.
"Leon brings us the two things we've been the weakest at this year and that is offensive rebounding - he's an absolute terror on defensive boards - and three-point shooting.
"Mike's had another week to get his legs back and he won't go two-from-eight from the three-point line again. He is a flat-out shooter."
Dickel's knee injury was a devastating blow for the Nuggets.
His distribution skills and defensive work have been sorely missed. In his absence the Nuggets have spent the week working on their defensive structures.
"This week we've spent more time on the defensive end and hope to put more pressure on so we can get stops and get easy baskets like we were getting earlier in the season.
"I know, with Mark gone, it changes things. But it is an opportunity for other guys to step up and a great opportunity for Akeem to become more of a leader in the passing role.
"He has to get us seven or eight assists. He is averaging about four but he needs to double that and he is more than capable."
The Mountain Airs will be buoyed by their victory of the Giants in Nelson on Wednesday night. Import Darryl Hudson top-scored with 25 to help seal a 75-72 win in a low-scoring match.
The Hawkes Bay Hawks improved their record to 9-1 with a comprehensive 97-80 win against the Wellington Saints in Napier on Wednesday, and the Auckland Pirates dispatched cross-city rival the Harbour Heat 91-75.
Nuggets double-header, Edgar Centre
NUGGETS V MOUNTAIN AIRS Tonight, 7pm
Nuggets: Antoine Tisby (captain), Leon Henry, Akeem Wright, Michael Fitchett, James Ross, Sam King, Riki Buckrell, Matt Trueman, Steve Robinson, Ethan Carruthers, Tom Allan, Olly Smith, Damon Cleverley.
Mountain Airs: Link Abrams, Jack Leasure, Darryl Hudson, Chris Daniel, Aaron Bailey-Nowell, Mada Abdelhamid, Damon Rampton, Brad Anderson, Matt Wallace, Eli Paurini.
NUGGETS V GIANTS Tomorrow, 6pm
Giants: Michael Harrison, Pete Campbell, Phill Jones, Josh Bloxham, Sam Dempster, Ben Wright, Darryl Jones, Gareth Dawson, Michael Karena, Mika Vukona (possible).
