Taipans bolstered by quality off the bench
IMPORTS Melo Trimble and DJ Newbill might be getting all the headlines, but the Taipans’ bench players are proving critical for the Cairns side.
The Snakes found 27 points off the pine against Illawarra on Sunday, compared to the Hawks’ nine.
Big men Rob Loe and Mitch Young were key interchange men and could expect more minutes this weekend against Adelaide and Sydney.
Loe, who scored nine points and dragged down five rebounds, said he was happy with his individual game, but not with the result.
“I played all right but my focus is team success. Anytime we lose I’m disappointed,” he said.
“I think the whole team was disappointed after the game, but in professional sport you have to turn around and focus for this weekend.”
Taipans coach Mike Kelly said his bench players were critical and wanted to see more competition for starting five spots.
He liked the look of Mitch Young’s game after he brought plenty of energy on the boards, picking up six rebounds to go with his seven offensive points.
“He’s been fantastic. We’ve got a good group of players and everyone can step in and contribute,” Kelly said.
Loe agreed with the coach’s emphasis on defence, saying it was up to the whole squad to lift in transition.
“I think we scored 90 points (93) and that should normally be enough to win,” he said.
“Defence should be a big focus for us and we let that slip.
“We’ve just had a good session – one of our better sessions in the last couple of weeks.”
The New Zealand representative said he was looking forward to matching up on Sydney Kings star Andrew Bogut on Sunday.
“I played about 10 minutes (on him) during the NBL Blitz,” Loe said. “It was my first game back after playing for the Tall Blacks so I was a bit stuffed.”
But before the Kings come the 36ers.
“The primary focus is Friday for us, then we have a big game Sunday following it up,” Loe said. “Adelaide do like to move it pretty fast but we are also pretty quick … It’ll be a fun game for the fans.”
Another key bench player in Lucas Walker should see more minutes against Adelaide, depending on how the game flows. The vice-captain said he was still battling his ankle injury.
“It’ll take another couple of weeks, maybe a month for it to feel right,” Walker said. “It’s still not 100 per cent.”
Meanwhile, livewire Sydney guard Jerome Randle is battling concussion, but star recruit Andrew Bogut’s progression is off the charts, according to Kings coach Andrew Gaze.
Point guard Randle copped an elbow to the head last weekend and while he attended some of Tuesday’s practice he didn’t train on the court.
“There’s a bit of concussion there and he’s had a few headaches, so he’s not going to do a whole lot this week,” Gaze said.
Asked if Randle was in any danger of missing the Kings’ 30th anniversary celebration home game against Cairns on Sunday, Gaze said: “I hope not. But when you are talking about a head injury, I have no say. Whatever they (the doctors) say.”