No Andrew Warren and probably no Corey Webster - the Wellington Saints side which looked so invincible at the start of the season suddenly does not look so formidable.
Of course, Lindsay Tait, Casey Frank and Dillon Boucher will still line up for the top-of-the-table match against the Otago Nuggets in Wellington tonight. Webster might too. He has to pass a fitness test today.
Word is the shooting guard is unlikely to take the court, though. He is still recovering from an ankle sprain.
Warren has to stand down for a game after he was ejected during the Saints' enormous 106-61 win against the Super City Rangers on Sunday. The American import got into a scuffle with Christoph Fahrensohn. Meanwhile, the Nuggets will be at full-strength and buoyed by a great start to the season.
In years gone by, the Nuggets would have been hugely relieved to strike the Saints when they were down on personnel. But this is a very different team. This side wants to test itself against the very best.
The Nuggets, in some ways, have had a charmed run. They have won eight games from eight starts but six of those matches have been at the Edgar Centre.
Of the two wins on the road, one was a gimme against the Super City Rangers. That team was hurriedly put together when the Auckland Pirates dropped out of the league.
The Nuggets were pushed by the Hawkes Bay Hawks in Hastings and again last week at the Edgar Centre. The Nuggets won the home match in overtime but otherwise have not really been tested.
The Saints represent their biggest challenge yet. It is the sort of game the Nuggets want to play as they prepare for their first post-season since 1997. And they can start planning for the semifinals.
In the past two seasons, teams have needed nine wins to make the top four. The Nuggets should not have too much trouble registering one more win. If it does not come tonight in Wellington, it should come on Thursday night in Hamilton when the Nuggets play Waikato.
They thumped the Pistons 97-74 earlier this month and would be expected to repeat that victory.
The Nuggets then return home to host the Manawatu Jets on June 8. The Jets look a difficult match-up for the Nuggets and then there are two tough away games against the Nelson Giants and Southland Sharks.
The Nuggets host the Saints on June 30 and then complete the regular season with a road trip to New Plymouth.
Tonight's fixture could be a battle royal. Both teams have solid defence and potent offence. Wellington leads the league in offence, averaging 97.5 points a game. The Nuggets are in second place (96.5) but turn the tables on defence, conceding a miserly 76.1 points compared with the Wellington's 82.6.
There are some fascinating match-ups as well. Mark Dickel versus Tait. Dillon Boucher versus BJ Anthony. Antoine Tisby versus Casey Frank. The match will be live streamed on the internet. http://new.livestream.com/HighViewSport/events/2087559
