That is the message from the Otago Nuggets latest American import Antoine Tisby.
There is no guarantee Tisby will play for the Nuggets against the Manawatu Jets in Timaru tonight. The 2.06m centre is waiting for his release from his former club in Saudi Arabia.
But two weeks ago, Lemar Gayle's clearance was rushed through from Kazakhstan and the Nuggets will be hoping Tisby's ticket to play comes through as promptly with the franchise looking to end a sixgame losing streak.
Tisby, a product of South Carolina University, is familiar with coach Don Sims' systems. The pair teamed up for the Seattle Mountaineers in the International Basketball League last year along with recent arrival Gayle.
It is Tisby's first trip to New Zealand and, while he is pretty green about the league, he is expecting tougher competition than he faced in Saudi Arabia.
‘‘Coach told me this league is a lot more physical than the Saudi league and I'm really looking forward to it,'' he said.
‘‘I got a lot of offensive fouls because players were not physical at all in Saudi Arabia.''
The self-confessed gym junkie likes the rough and tumble and takes it personally when opponents score on the inside.
‘‘I don't like a lot of people scoring in the paint. That's my area,'' he asserted.
The Nuggets are desperate to register their first win, flying in two new imports in the past few weeks in an effort to break the drought which now stretches back to their home win against the Jets on May 19 last year.
It was painfully obvious 2.14m tall centre Rahsaan Smith was not able to make the impact the franchise needed him to and he was cut after two matches.
The move left the Nuggets short of a quality centre and its opponents exploited the weakness. Sims has plugged the gap at the expense of Jay Anderson.
The forward has provided the Nuggets with good service but makes way for Tisby.
After watching video footage, Tisby, who had not had a chance to practise with the side before he spoke to the Otago Daily Times on Thursday morning, believes his new team has potential despite its poor record.
‘‘I don't think we are far from where we need to be to win games. I think we just need more of an inside post presence.
‘‘What I want to do is come in and play hard. That does not change whether it is the worst team in the league or the best team in the league. All I can do is try and help them get better.''
If Tisby plays tonight he will be marking former Otago Nugget Miles Pearce. Pearce played for the Nuggets for the past couple of seasons but rejoined the Jets this year.
Pearce has played more than a 100 games in the league and was in good form for the Jets on Thursday night. The 2.02m tall centre palmed away a crucial lay-up from Canterbury's Jeremy Kench in the dying moments of his side's 104-96 win to underline his class.
Pearce scored 17 points and hauled eight rebounds but American import Kantrail Horton starred with 32 points and eight rebounds and seven assists.
While the match is in Timaru it is a home game for the Nuggets. The franchise has decided to play two of its scheduled home fixtures outside of the region to foster relationships and improve gate takings.
