The 28-year-old American flew into Dunedin on Monday evening with little fanfare. His arrival was not trumpeted to the media, and he is unlikely to play in the Nuggets' double-header against the Auckland Stars tomorrow night and the Harbour Heat on Good Friday.
Gayle is still waiting for clearance from Basketball New Zealand before he can play in the National Basketball League. That could take up to two weeks, but he is here to play. Whom he replaces, though, remains undecided.
With just two spots available for overseas players, either Smith or Anderson will have to make way for Gayle.
‘‘At this point I haven't made a decision on whom he is going to replace,'' Nuggets coach Don Sims said.
‘‘When you are 0-2 everybody has got to perform. Over the next 2-4 games, while we are waiting on his clearance, we'll be able to evaluate the performance of the other two imports.''
While Anderson has been providing good service for the Nuggets, Smith has struggled to impose himself on the league.
The 2.14m tall centre was disappointing in the overtime loss to the Canterbury Rams, hauling just one rebound and netting eight points in 18min. Sims was forced to bench his star signing for more than half of the match.
It is possible both Smith and Anderson will be jettisoned and another centre whistled in as the Nuggets look to post there first win this season.
‘‘Everything is on the table right now. Jay has been doing a great job for us and has done exactly what I expected him to do. That being said, you have to look at the chemistry of the team, and if a change needs to be made to help better the team, then that is my job.''
Gayle scored heavily for the Sims-coached Seattle Mountaineers in the International Basketball League last year, averaging just under 29 points per match, and is expected to make a big impact on the National Basketball League.
If Gayle replaces Smith on the roster, it would be like switching and apple for an orange.
It would also leave the Nuggets with the relatively inexperienced Jason Greig at centre.
However, rebounding has not been a problem for the Nuggets - it is poor shooting that cost them victory in two tight tussles - and Sims may opt for a regular line-up of two forwards and three guards.
