Revamped Taipans primed for opener
CAIRNS power forward Lucas Walker says a new-look Taipans are ready to rumble in Saturday’s “Sunshine Stoush’’ NBL clash with Brisbane.
The Bullets start their 2018-19 campaign with an away game against New Zealand in Auckland on Thursday night, but will host Cairns on Saturday night in what will be the Snakes’ season opener.
Cairns have undergone a significant overhaul over winter, with new head coach Mike Kelly assembling an almost unrecognisable roster with precious few survivors from the hard-nosed defensive era under departed mentor Aaron Fearne.
The Taipans have embraced a different style of play under Kelly with more of a licence to thrill, with a trio of imports – DJ Newbill, Melo Trimble and NBA secondround draft pick Devon Hall – leading the charge.
Walker, Nate Jawai, Alex Loughton and Kiwi Rob Loe will be the muscle to complement the hustle from the Americans.
Walker is still overcoming an ankle injury that has prevented him from getting any court time in the pre-season and is fighting hard to prove his fitness for the weekend but is still considered doubtful starter.
Whether he suits up or not, Walker said after a long preseason, the Taipans cannot wait to rip into the Queensland derby in which former Cairns captain Cam Gliddon will play for the Bullets.
“There’s a bit of excitement around it, especially with Cammy Gliddon, so that will be hyped up,’’ Walker said.
“Sometimes the pre-season feels like it flies by but at other times it feels like an eternity after three months of slogging it out and beating up on one another … So when the real deal rolls around, it’s great.
“It’s an exciting time for us a especially because we have a new group of players and a new head coach.
“We are learning something new every day and getting better every day. It’s a pretty good mix with the Aussie guys and the imports.
“There’s good chemistry off the court because we have played eight games on the road this pre-season so we’ve spent plenty of time together.’’
Cairns will play their first home game against Illawarra on Sunday week.
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MELBOURNE are the favourites for the title, having brought back a championship team and added one or two pieces who are big-minute guys. They are definitely the team we want to emulate.
I know they are the defending champions but they’ve had their challenges. They had a three or four-year period where they just couldn’t get over the hump, but they persisted and finally won a championship last season.
I think they are top dog and we’ve got a lot to learn from the way they go about things to be successful at the Kings.
Of the other sides, Cairns will be better than people think and people say Illawarra won’t be good, but those guys have got a sensational coach in Rob Beverage.
I think it’s going to be one of the closest NBL seasons we’ve ever had. I don’t think there is a team that’s going to suck.
Of the imports, Cairns guard Devon Hall is a really handy player. At the pre-season NBL Blitz he was doing a really top job of getting to the paint and shooting the three ball.
Brisbane shooting guard Alonzo Gee played in the NBA for a few years, so I wonder if he still has the same athleticism.
There are only eight teams in the NBL, but the positive is roster spots are at a premium so the level of competition is high. I’d probably put one or two leagues in Europe ahead – maybe the Spanish or Russian leagues – but I think it is a topfive league in the world.
Having said that, I don’t think the level in the NBL has jumped off the page.
Historically, the NBL has always been a strong league and it getting better and better.
The Kings are not where we need to be yet. We are not going to win every game, but as long as we are competitive and putting in defensively, it will be fine.
There are eight teams in the NBL, so if your goal isn’t to win a championship then go and play in the SEABL or play in your local recreational league.