Taipans ready to strike
CHARACTER and work ethic were among the most important attributes when Taipans coach Adam Forde assembled his roster for NBL23, and he didn’t have to look too far to find this squad’s leader.
The Taipans are preparing for their first game of the NBL23 season, which will get underway for them in Tasmania on Monday night.
Cairns is the second-last team to take the court in this season’s opening round, and they will look to make an immediate impact when they face NBL22 grand finalist Tasmania JackJumpers in Hobart.
Leading the Taipans will be star import Tahjere McCall, a man who took the tropics by storm last season and became the key priority off-season signing for Forde’s second year in charge.
Fans are well aware of the energy and leadership, let alone the on-court production, he brings – just look at his 42point game against the Bullets in the final game of last season if you need a reminder. This was the moment in which he became the first NBL player to have 40-plus points and 10plus assists in one game in the 40-minute era.
But there was a moment during the NBL Blitz in Darwin, the day after a loss to Perth, which perfectly summed up what McCall, and by extension this team, is all about.
“The number one thing was guys we recruited with character and work ethic, there was no surprise – and it’s contagious,” Forde said.
“The energy is contagious. “The following day was to be a light recovery day, as it usually is after a game, but Tahj walks in, and as he does he set the bar in terms of what’s needed to be done for this team to go forward.
“What should have been a recovery day ended up being a high day.
“They worked hard, they all went to the gym, lifted, got on court and had a big practice.
“It’s not great in the sense of managing bodies … we want guys peaking at the right time of week which is on a game day. But because it’s pre-season we let it ride, it became a mental game.”
That moment, as McCall led his team into the gym and onto the court for extra practice, would give any sports scientist or strength and conditioning coach nightmares, but it was the perfect summation of what this team is in NBL23.
No easy days, no passengers, and no shortcuts.
Sure, they suffered from a bit of burnout in the following pre-season game against the Blitz and they returned from the Top End without a win, but Forde learned the true mettle of his men in that experience.
“That was the coolest thing I learned,” Forde said.
“There is a hunger in this group, there is ambition, there is a learning curve as we each guys learns to play with each other, and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
“The week we had in the Blitz really just helped us progress more rapidly in the direction we wanted to go.”
The NBL Blitz is not solely about the score, with coaches more interested in ensuring their players are primed for the season proper.
With so many injuries and players on minutes restrictions, it became a lesson in man management for Forde, but it was an experience that has galvanised the squad.
Joshua Davey is not expected to get a huge amount of game time for the Snakes in his standing as a development player, but for the former Lakeside Lightning forward the NBL Blitz could not have been better.
“It was awesome, something I’ve been dreaming of since I was a young kid, getting on an NBL floor and playing against NBL guys,” Davey said.
“It was a new learning experience, I got to learn so much, and I feel like that whole week has helped me become a better player.”
Davey is driven by team success, regardless of what that actually looks like for him.
“Getting on court and just doing what I can,” said Davey, outlining his goals.
“I’m team-oriented rather than self, so winning a game is my main focus, my key goal.
“Whatever I can do to contribute to that, whether that’s cheering the boys on or getting on court and doing what I do, that’s what I’m going to do.”
For NBL22 Rookie of the Year Bul Kuol, the Blitz was a chance to put his off-season focus into practice.
Kuol broke Shane Heal’s longstanding record for most threes by a player in their rookie season with 64 long bombs, but with a slightly different role – and a lot more attention from opposition scouts – he is in for a tough season.
“We don’t really know what we can do yet,” Kuol said. “There’s a lot of excitement. “The Blitz gave us a taste but we had so many guys out, different guys playing different minutes, I don’t think we found out what our team identity was.”
And McCall can’t wait to step on to the hardwood at Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena.
“It’s a big game to start the season off, to see what you’ve been working on,” McCall said.
“Every team has this image of the championship, and what it looks like for them, and this team (Tasmania) went to the championship.
“It will be a good test to see where we rank at and where we need to be better at.”
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