"Webster/Ili/Kenny
Webster/TeRangi
Abercrombie/Delaney
Vukona/Fotu
Adams/Pledger/Loe"

Literally the team I chose when talking to a mate earlier.

I think they'll probably still struggle to advance from the group. Would likely beat Montenegro, have a chance against Brazil, but lose to Greece. If they got into the second round their likely opponents would be Team USA and Turkey and I kind of can't imagine them winning either of those games, but if they did beat Brazil it could set up a quarterfinal game against Australia.

If they did beat Turkey I mean

Kenny has to be 12th man surely.
Any up and comers for NZ as Corey Webster, Abercrombie, Vukona and Pledger edge closer to end of Tall Black careers?

Salt's withdrawn due to sorting out his first professional season (likely Europe as the Breakers are out of spots).

Post-2019, the TBs lineup will revolve around the Webster-Fotu duo, and Steve Adams if he ever commits to play.

The frontline rotation will include Delany, Smith-Milner, Jack Salt, Sam Waardenburg (Miami) and Max Darling (playing overseas at 19). Wings will include Te Rangi and Dan Fotu (Isaac's brother, St Mary's), while the guard line will have Ili and Quinn Clinton (St Mary's). Definite big depth, not so much guards.

My thought on other promising young talents for Tall Blacks in the future:
PG - Izayah Leafa (D1), Jayden Bezzant (D2)
SG - Flynn Cameron (D1), Tobias Cameron (D1)
SF - Jackson Stent (D1)
PF - Taane Samuel, Matt Freeman (D1), Kelman-Poto
C - Callum McRae (D1)

Be interesting to see what approach Henare adopts.
They haven't really got a hope, so does he choose to play some of their College kids?

A hope of what though? What constitutes success for them and what would they be hoping for?

Is top 16 success? Top 8? See how far they can get? Some sort of miracle podium finish?

Depends how they measure success for this group. They do have a hope of advancing past the first group. If that is what they're aiming for then they should go with the Webster brothers, Ili and Kenney on the bench.

With so many Asia qualifiers and so forth, it makes no sense to me why you'd use a World Cup to develop players. Makes about as much sense as using the NBA Finals to trial next year's rookies.

Ok, let me rephrase:
Some of the players in that squad are so far over the hill, they can't even remember what the hill looked like.
If, as some are suggesting, those players are still their best, then they've no hope of even winning a game.
So my question is whether they have any young turks in the College ranks?

As for what constitutes "hope", well I'd suggest the bar would be set at "avoid complete embarrassment"

They've got a tough draw (for them). I just can't see them getting past Greece or Brazil.

Not sure i'd be keen on sending Vukona.
He's barely playing for Nelson in the NZNBL. His body looks absolutely done.
I get the "Experience factor" but I do think production should be the dominant and first selection criteria.
I'd send Rusbatch in his place (play Abercrombie as the backup four).

Or try to hastily naturalise Marcel Jones (feel like he might already have NZ Citizenship?)

To be fair to Vukona didn't he seriously hurt his achilles or something late in the season for the Bullets and then the Tall Blacks made him play on it which helped to derail the Bullets in the playoffs?

He's likely still nursing himself through that now and trying to save himself for the season ahead with the Bullets.

Adams has just confirmed that he wont be playing at the world cup this year, but said he remains committed to the Tall Blacks and is interested in the opportunity to play in the Olympics with them.

I don't know what his history is with the program but seems to me like he's purposely dicking them around. He might have views about Basketball NZ but when he does this, it's not only them as an organization that suffers, but basketball fans across the entire country.

It's a bit rich to say "I'm interested in representing NZ at the Olympics" when they have pretty low odds of even making it there. To make it to the Olympics they have to rank higher than Australia in the World Cup or be one of the four teams who make it through the qualifying tournaments - it's not going to happen.

I obviously don't want NZ to qualify over Australia but I feel like Adams is being a dick. He's never played for the Tall Blacks before. He's healthy. There is no real excuse to pull out. He should stop playing games, say he has no interest in playing for the Tall Blacks so that everyone who is involved can just move on.

NZ has basically no chance of advancing from the group stage now, and you can probably count out the Olympics.

"NZ has basically no chance of advancing from the group stage now, and you can probably count out the Olympics."

They are one of only four countries (USA, Spain and Turkey the others) to have advanced to the knockout stages of the past four World Cups, often with less talent than this team will have, so I'm sure they won't give up on your say so!