GUNNING FOR ARCH RIVALS
Lack of size to be offset by higher energy
THE defending champion of the Queensland Basketball League will present with a fresh run and gun attack tonight.
Cairns Marlins coach Jamie Pearlman will implement an uptempo game style from this season to help maximise the strengths of athletic trio Jarrad Weeks, Damon Heuir and Tevin Jackson.
The Marlins host arch-rivals Townsville in the opening round of 2017, a team they knocked out of the QBL finals last year on the way to the championship, from 6.30pm.
The Marlins will have two Townsville products in their corner tonight with Michael Demertze and Heuir to face the club they grew up watching.
In a coup for the women’s game, the Cairns Dolphins and Townsville Flames contest has been handed the 8.30 top-billing tonight.
JAMIE Pearlman has promised an up-tempo style of basketball from his new look Cairns Marlins in their season opening clash with Townsville this evening.
The Marlins host the Townsville Heat from 6.30 tonight at the Fish Tank, the club they knocked out of the QBL finals last season on the way to a championship.
The two North Queensland powerhouses present with much different squads, with James Mitchell and Cameron Tragardh subtractions for the Marlins while they add the athleticism of Tevin Jackson and Jarrad Weeks.
The Marlins have not played a preseason game leading into the 2017 campaign but Pearlman is confident his squad will be ready to go.
Weeks, who is sure to become a fan favourite at the Fish Tank, will not play tonight.
Alex Loughton is in the squad as an injury replacement for Stephen Weigh.
Damon Heuir and Jackson will be asked to play taller than they are at times with Pearlman admitting they will need to ride the ups and downs with the new squad.
“We will look to play up tempo style but that does not mean getting up the first available shot,” Pearlman said.
“It will be about cutting hard, moving the ball and moving the opposition’s bigger bodies around. We need to drag them out and guard onball screens.
“We are going to put into place a perimeter style of play that will make us incredibly hard to guard.
“From the defensive point of view, we are going to have a couple of guys who are a little bit undersized so it will be up to our team defence.
“The rebounding situation will be the biggest issue for us being a smaller line-up.”
The Heat are sure to be contenders again with imports Justin Baker, Jamell Anderson and Josh Wilcher and NBL legend Peter Crawford all locked in.
“There is always that rivalry with Cairns and Townsville – we obviously went down there in the semi-final and knocked them out last year,” Pearlman said.
“They will be looking to get some retribution.
“Regardless of last year, it is always a tough match-up, we have a great rivalry.
“Both teams are a little bit different from last year.
“It is going to be a great game to kick off the season.
“We are confident where we are at but until that ball gets thrown up, you never know.”