A match made in basketball heaven could provide 40 minutes of hell for the Nelson Giants in Te Awamutu tonight.

Someone at basketball HQ decided it would be a good idea to open the season with a rematch of last year's final between the Waikato Pistons and the Fico Finance Nelson Giants.

But without forward Mika Vukona, and with centre Tony Rampton and guard Phill Jones having spent less than 48 hours with the Nelson team, it's not the draw the Giants would have wanted.

"I could talk for hours about the draw but why bother when we have no control over it?" Giants coach Chris Tupu said.

"We'll take it as it comes. If the draw says we have to go to the Waikato and play the defending champions on a Thursday in game one, then that's what we will do."

Australian league commitments have left the Giants slightly underdone. Vukona, one of Nelson's key off-season signings, has to fulfil contractual obligations to the Gold Coast Blaze, while Jones and Rampton have just returned from Cairns. Add an ankle injury for American forward Mike Harrison and it's been a problematic buildup for Nelson.

"It's been a little bit difficult with players out of position because in Mika, Mike and Tony you have our likely starters up front and we haven't been able to train with any of them," Tupu said.

"We've had no bigs but we've pushed on and some of the young guys have really worked hard to fill the spots."

It's a huge plus, though, for the Giants that the players who have arrived late – or haven't arrived at all – are seasoned regulars. Jones and Rampton are comfortable with Nelson's style and patterns of play and will fit in quickly, while Vukona has also been exposed to Tupu's coaching when he was last with the team in 2007 and through their Tall Black connections.

Tupu said he's tried to maintain a steady progression in the way he runs the team.

"We have a pretty stable group and each season it's not about wholesale change, it's about adding a new wrinkle here and there.

"If we hadn't been successful, you'd expect to see things shaken up a bit more but because we have performed well, we can take what we have, tweak it to fit our personnel and concentrate on improving the way we do what we do."

What the Giants should do well this year is shoot the three, with Jones, Darryl Jones, Mike Fitchett and Josh Bloxham all skilled practitioners of the long ball, and rebound, where Rampton, Vukona and Harrison are long, aggressive and athletic.

Fitchett will run the team better than Jarryd Loyd was able to last season, while Harrison's development in the 18 months since he was last with the Giants is a potential positive.

However, there's little frontcourt depth and Tupu will need to trust his youngsters more to buy some breathing space for the likes of Jones, Rampton and Fitchett.

Tonight's opposition, Waikato, have lost Fitchett and Pero Cameron from last season's championship club but coach Dean Vickerman has capably plugged the holes.

Tall Blacks Tom Abercrombie and Alex Pledger lead the way with veteran Australian forward Tony Ronaldson and intense US guard Eric Devendorf in the import spots. Mike Homik, Puke Lenden, Gerard Bowden, Ray Cameron and Hayden Allen would all be welcomed on any roster in the Bartercard NBL.

"We've got a lot of respect for Waikato and for Dean as a coach. He's very astute and he has a very good group of players," Tupu said.

"They will be ready for us, but I am confident my guys can front up and turn what's a tough ask into a good start to our season."

Tupu will coach this year without the help of assistant Lance Toma. The former Giants forward has been promoted at work and can't juggle that role, a young family and his Giants commitments.

Tupu will rely on the likes of Jones, Rampton and Fitchett to offer leadership and suggestions and will not seek to fill the assistant's job this season.

The Fico Finance Nelson Giants to play Waikato tonight: Phill Jones, Tony Rampton, Michael Harrison, Mike Fitchett, Darryl Jones, Josh Bloxham, Ben Wright, Bronson Beri, Nico Ritschny, Sam Dempster