Coaches talking up Taipans for a title

ILLAWARRA Hawks coach Matt Flinn started the chorus of the Snakes being genuine NBL title contenders and Adelaide coach Joey Wright has followed him right in.

Speaking after the Taipans’ big win over the 36ers on Saturday evening, Wright, a three-time NBL coach of the year, said Cairns has the best three imports in the league and the club could compete with Sydney and Perth when the whips are cracking.

“They’re tough, they’ve got it covered inside and outside and Scott Machado does a fantastic job of running that team,” Wright said.

“You guys probably don’t get to hear a lot of the things that he’s saying out on the court but he reports back to the bench every play that we run, so he does a great job out there.

“Cameron Oliver is tough, Majok Deng is tough, they have a real solid seven or eight, and if they can play with those guys and no-one gets hurt, they can make a huge run.”

Last month when the Hawks were in FNQ, rookie mentor Flinn backed Cairns to make some noise in the finals.

“They can win the championship, there is no reason why they cannot, and they have all the pieces. Mike Kelly has done an incredible job,” Flinn said.

Wright, whose coaching future in Adelaide is up in the air, continued: “And, Cam Oliver just destroyed us out there.”

“They nailed it, their three imports, no question. Newbill is better this year because of Machado, in my opinion.

“He has less ball-handling responsibilities and can relax and shoot the ball when he wants to. I don’t think there’s any question they’re the best trio of imports in the league.”

Taipans coach Kelly described his American core as “special” just days after they were short-listed as nominees for the Andrew Gaze Trophy, the NBL’s Most Valuable Player award.

Against Adelaide earlier this season, Newbill, Oliver and Machado became the first three imports to score 20 points each in the same game since the introduction of three imports for the 2017 season.