Well, that might be a bit premature, but the Otago Nuggets' bid to end their playoffs drought got a massive boost with news American swingman Akeem Wright will return for a second stint.
He arrives in Dunedin on Friday morning - 30-odd hours before the Nuggets' season opener against the Super City Rangers.
The Nuggets were last sighted in the playoffs in 1997 - a couple of years before we had even heard about Y2K and the predicted collapse of civilisation.
That was 16 long years ago and the Nuggets have had a lean run since. They collected four consecutive wooden spoons between 2005 and 2008 and pulled out of the league in 2009 for financial reasons.
The franchise has been gradually building back up and last year had its best season since 2003, recording six wins.
Wright was a big part of the new-found form. The Philadelphian-born 29-year-old was one of the best players in the league. He finished the regular season in the top five for points (22.4), rebounds (9.3), steals (2.2) and blocks (1.2).
Fellow American Antoine Tisby, who is returning for a fourth stint with the Nuggets, was the No1 ranked player in the league and together the two formed the most potent duo in the competition.
Wright's return looked doubtful a couple of weeks ago. The franchise had to raise about $25,000 and basically went door-to-door to get it.
''It has been a lot of hard work over the last few weeks and we've had some great support from the community with some more small sponsors picked up,'' Basketball Otago general manager Markham Brown said.
The Nuggets had compiled a good squad without Wright but his return is a bonus.
''When it comes down to it, we've got pretty lofty goals this year and there are some really strong teams. The Giants and the Saints, just to name a few, look formidable. So you just need every little bit of power you've got and having Akeem gives us a chance to put our best foot forward.''
Coach Alf Arlidge was thrilled with the news.
''I think he will bring a lot of versatility on defence and offence,'' he said.
''Defensively, he just offers us a lot more. We can press in games now more than we've done before. I'm really excited. I didn't think we were going to pull this off.''
While there is cause for genuine excitment, a talented roster is no guarantee of success - just look at how the Highlanders are going in the Super 15.
