May 8, 2025 • 6 mins
The Tall Blacks and the Tall Ferns have both dropped their opening games against their Aussie counterparts.
Thankfully, they each have two more games to redeem themselves.
Tall Black Tohi Smith-Milner spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News talks'd.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be I think guy left him somewhere on seven boy six.
It's a little bit of basketball now. Three double headers
between the Opals and the Tall Ferns and the Tall
Blacks and the Boomers. First double heads yesterday. I was
joined now by Tyom Milo Smith as we.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Talk about it, get Ata, Hey, how are you going?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm going, well, what about yourselves? Let's look back at
that game last night. You got off to an absolute
snorter of a start. It was slow, wasn't it? Two
minutes without any buckets whatsoever? But then you guys really
got into your work and then they kind of came back.
So what happened just described to us that transition between
the first quarters.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah, well, obviously we were trying to put a lot
of pressure on them in terms of getting up and
down the court pretty quickly. They've obviously didn't train as
much as we did. But I think we just kind
of lost our way a little bit there towards the
end of the game, in the second half specifically. But yeah,
a lot to learn from that game, and there's some
(01:17):
great things that happened obviously, but yeah, a lot of
work ons to do for game two, and thankfully we
got a quick turnaround and be able to adjust on
the fly for tomorrow's game.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
What is the good? What did Judd Flavel saydie? What
was the impressed with TOHI?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Obviously the first half there's a lot there to go
back and look at and think that we did a
pretty good job. Our pace was really good. We don't
think they can keep up with us in that terms.
But yeah, guys like Shaye and Taylor when they get
out and be able to run the court like they
do at a high level, great be able to see
(01:55):
that and for a guy like myself being in pick
and rolls with Shaye and Taylor and I get to,
I guess in a way, just pick up scrap points
wherever they need it.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
That fast break concept, is that something you've been walking on,
working on to try and run the legs off these Aussies?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, a little bit. We're just like the transition from
them scoring or us getting a defensive rebound to pushing
it the other way has been a very big emphasis. Obviously,
we haven't we don't have weeks and weeks to be
able to build the stamina or endurance that obviously we
want to sustain for the whole game. But it's slowly
(02:31):
getting there. There's obviously a lot of things that we
can go back and look at and say we could
have changed this, could have changed up. But you know,
it's the best thing for us now is to just
look ahead, go watch some film and be able to
try to replicate the first half for longer. I guess
in the next game.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Reuben Tarangi, he said that maybe he's getting a bit
long in the tooth, but there's a lot of young,
fresh legs out there and that should help. And I mean,
you played that fast break game and some of the
newer guys boundless energy. You must be jealously.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, I know, weird being in these camps now because
I feel like it was only last year that I
was one of the young boys, but now I'm considered
one of the older ones now Walt older, one of
the vets. But no, it's cool. They bring a different energy,
which is great to see. Obviously, I've got a few
of my teammates from the Rams here and seeing those
(03:27):
guys being able to get out on the court and
give it a crack and yeah, it's great to see they.
Like I said, they bring a whole different energy source
older guys, and we kind of have they bring our
level up as well as much as we bring their
level up as well.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Walter Brown had some impressive buckets in that game. There
was one that I remember like it's s late at
night for me, but he absolutely looked the goods. These
guy's got energy, there's a there's a real talent that break.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, No, he's I mean being able to see him
play this year, he's and over the years he's taken
huge leaps forward and it's great to see. And I
think everyone on this team this year is obviously going
on to play on bigger teams now and it's great
to see that. Obviously, we've got some college guys like
Julius and Oscar Simon Jackson obviously on their way to
(04:17):
college over the next year, and being able to see
those guys grow as players as well as humans is
great to see.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, I've had a couple of chats with Jackson ball.
He's he's a very confident young man, isn't he.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Yeah, he definitely knows where his shots are and it's
great to see. Been watching being the last window with
him and seeing how much he's taken a step forward
and those these last couple of months has been really
cool to see.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Also, it's probably worth focusing on Shay. He's been around
for a long time, but he's not really showing signs
of aging. He's got quality right over the court, in back,
doesn't matter where he is, that guy's goal.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Yeah, no, I mean I've known Chasin Jesus l breakers
to me days over twelve years ago, so seeing him
change and develop has been pretty cool to see. And
he's a world class talent and what he does on
the corder, I don't think there's many people that are
able to do what he does on the defensive end
(05:22):
as well as the offensive end. But yeah, it's even
better being on his team and not having to try
to screen them like we do in the NBL, because
it's an absolute nightmare trying to do. Having him on
my side now has been pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
What is that ability? Is it just the speed? Is
it angles? Is it what he does what makes him
such a handful of the defensive end?
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I think it goes back to his rugby days, Like
he's very agile, he's light on his feet and he's
very bloody strong, so even when he switches onto Beaks,
he's still able to be able to put up a
really good fight with that as a hard person to
play against, but even better to play with.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news Talk
zeb from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News talks'd.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be I think guy left him somewhere on seven boy six.
It's a little bit of basketball now. Three double headers
between the Opals and the Tall Ferns and the Tall
Blacks and the Boomers. First double heads yesterday. I was
joined now by Tyom Milo Smith as we.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Talk about it, get Ata, Hey, how are you going?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm going, well, what about yourselves? Let's look back at
that game last night. You got off to an absolute
snorter of a start. It was slow, wasn't it? Two
minutes without any buckets whatsoever? But then you guys really
got into your work and then they kind of came back.
So what happened just described to us that transition between
the first quarters.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah, well, obviously we were trying to put a lot
of pressure on them in terms of getting up and
down the court pretty quickly. They've obviously didn't train as
much as we did. But I think we just kind
of lost our way a little bit there towards the
end of the game, in the second half specifically. But yeah,
a lot to learn from that game, and there's some
(01:17):
great things that happened obviously, but yeah, a lot of
work ons to do for game two, and thankfully we
got a quick turnaround and be able to adjust on
the fly for tomorrow's game.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
What is the good? What did Judd Flavel saydie? What
was the impressed with TOHI?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Obviously the first half there's a lot there to go
back and look at and think that we did a
pretty good job. Our pace was really good. We don't
think they can keep up with us in that terms.
But yeah, guys like Shaye and Taylor when they get
out and be able to run the court like they
do at a high level, great be able to see
(01:55):
that and for a guy like myself being in pick
and rolls with Shaye and Taylor and I get to,
I guess in a way, just pick up scrap points
wherever they need it.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
That fast break concept, is that something you've been walking on,
working on to try and run the legs off these Aussies?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, a little bit. We're just like the transition from
them scoring or us getting a defensive rebound to pushing
it the other way has been a very big emphasis. Obviously,
we haven't we don't have weeks and weeks to be
able to build the stamina or endurance that obviously we
want to sustain for the whole game. But it's slowly
(02:31):
getting there. There's obviously a lot of things that we
can go back and look at and say we could
have changed this, could have changed up. But you know,
it's the best thing for us now is to just
look ahead, go watch some film and be able to
try to replicate the first half for longer. I guess
in the next game.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Reuben Tarangi, he said that maybe he's getting a bit
long in the tooth, but there's a lot of young,
fresh legs out there and that should help. And I mean,
you played that fast break game and some of the
newer guys boundless energy. You must be jealously.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, I know, weird being in these camps now because
I feel like it was only last year that I
was one of the young boys, but now I'm considered
one of the older ones now Walt older, one of
the vets. But no, it's cool. They bring a different energy,
which is great to see. Obviously, I've got a few
of my teammates from the Rams here and seeing those
(03:27):
guys being able to get out on the court and
give it a crack and yeah, it's great to see they.
Like I said, they bring a whole different energy source
older guys, and we kind of have they bring our
level up as well as much as we bring their
level up as well.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Walter Brown had some impressive buckets in that game. There
was one that I remember like it's s late at
night for me, but he absolutely looked the goods. These
guy's got energy, there's a there's a real talent that break.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, No, he's I mean being able to see him
play this year, he's and over the years he's taken
huge leaps forward and it's great to see. And I
think everyone on this team this year is obviously going
on to play on bigger teams now and it's great
to see that. Obviously, we've got some college guys like
Julius and Oscar Simon Jackson obviously on their way to
(04:17):
college over the next year, and being able to see
those guys grow as players as well as humans is
great to see.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, I've had a couple of chats with Jackson ball.
He's he's a very confident young man, isn't he.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Yeah, he definitely knows where his shots are and it's
great to see. Been watching being the last window with
him and seeing how much he's taken a step forward
and those these last couple of months has been really
cool to see.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Also, it's probably worth focusing on Shay. He's been around
for a long time, but he's not really showing signs
of aging. He's got quality right over the court, in back,
doesn't matter where he is, that guy's goal.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Yeah, no, I mean I've known Chasin Jesus l breakers
to me days over twelve years ago, so seeing him
change and develop has been pretty cool to see. And
he's a world class talent and what he does on
the corder, I don't think there's many people that are
able to do what he does on the defensive end
(05:22):
as well as the offensive end. But yeah, it's even
better being on his team and not having to try
to screen them like we do in the NBL, because
it's an absolute nightmare trying to do. Having him on
my side now has been pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
What is that ability? Is it just the speed? Is
it angles? Is it what he does what makes him
such a handful of the defensive end?
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I think it goes back to his rugby days, Like
he's very agile, he's light on his feet and he's
very bloody strong, so even when he switches onto Beaks,
he's still able to be able to put up a
really good fight with that as a hard person to
play against, but even better to play with.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news Talk
zeb from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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