Thunderbolts veteran Chris Skilton has said the talented, youthful tinge of the side - mixed with experienced heads like himself and David Bourke - is exciting.
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The Bolts got their 50th anniversary season off to a winning start, downing Manly 87-52 at the Dome on a steamy Saturday night.
The home side led at every interval as they chase what Tamworth basketball president Jason Darcy has described as the "holy grail": the club's first championship.
Quayshun Hawkins top-scored for Tamworth with 21 points, followed by Brock McMahon (14) and Rhys Chillingworth (12).
Skilton said the most pleasing aspect of Tamworth's performance against, admittedly, an understrength Manly side was the effort.
He said: "We know collectively, I think, that we can be a much more polished, better team … but our effort defensively was really good."
He added: "We were defensively pretty strong but offensively, we just lacked a bit of polish. But that will come."
Skilton said Chillingworth had one of his best games for the club and was "obviously the pick of the players".
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"I think he had 15 rebounds and about the same in points," Skilton said, adding: "But it was good to see Brock and Billy Parsons [the son of ex-NRL star Matt Parsons] and a few of the young blokes stepping up and doing some good things."
The match for Tamworth, who failed by a game to make the grand final last season, is a round three clash against Hawkesbury at the Dome on March 23.
