General Machado crucial for Taipans
THE loudest voice in all of Australian basketball rates the Cairns Taipans’ leading man the best floor general in season 2019-20 of the NBL.
Corey “Homicide” Williams has seen Perth’s Bryce Cotton and Sydney’s Casper Ware lift titles over the last few seasons, and he has a front-row seat to Melo Trimble and John Roberson in Melbourne, but it is the Snakes’ American “one” that he has above all else.
A former point guard himself, Williams believes Scott Machado’s distribution and dogged defence at the other end of the court is what sets him apart from the rest.
In Homicide’s words, the 29-year-old Machado is leading around a group of “babies” to a commendable 3-6 record, despite the Snakes’ low budget and travel-heavy first segment of the season.
“He is the best we have in the league right now,” Homicide said of Machado.
“With a team that was picked to finish in last place, I love his leadership, he is leading the league in assists, you know what you are going to get from him and he gives you that.
“Look at this team, they are babies and inexperienced mostly, they need a guy who can lead and score for all of them, as well as setting the table.”
In his nine games in Australia, Machado has dipped under six assists in a game on just one occasion, when he was outplayed by LaMelo Ball a week ago, and has never scored less than 11 points in a contest.
While contemporaries like Cotton, who is more a shooting guard but is point guard size, Ware, Trimble and Roberson put the ball in the bucket more often than Machado, that does not worry Homicide.
“He is not trying to go out there and give them 20 every night,” Homicide said.
“Machado brings the perfect blend of everything for a team like Cairns.
“Can any other point guard do the things Scott is doing on a team like Cairns if you switched their jobs? It is not easy to do, it is easy to look good on a stacked team.
“Machado can play this role on any team in the NBL, where some guys if they go to Cairns, they won’t have the same numbers.”
The former NBA guard, Machado, is averaging a touch under 14 points an outing, to go with almost eight dimes a game, which makes him the leading assist man in the NBL this campaign.
The Taipans host reigning champions Perth this Saturday night in Round 8.
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