Taipans in with shot at winning the comp

AFTER the huge win against Adelaide, where the Taipans controlled the game from the tip, I posed a question on Twitter – when is it time to start talking about Cairns as a legitimate championship contender?

The answer is now.

The Snakes started pre-season with a lot of people talking about the lack of depth in the roster and being favourite for the wooden spoon.

The season began well with the team relying on their defence to propel them to a few shock wins and they were labelled as the surprise packet of the season. After starting 2-6 the Taipans went on a 10-3 streak that set the NBL on fire.

During that period the question was if the playoffs were a possibility and it’s quickly turned to could they lock up third spot.

But now it is time to talk championship – you don’t just want to make the playoffs, you want to survive and advance – so how have they risen from wooden spooners to this?

It has started on defence, where they are still the number two team in the league, only trailing Sydney, but it is their NBA style offence that has seen the snakes go to another level.

The Cameron Oliver and Scott Machado middle pick and roll is the most dangerous play in the NBL with an elite athlete rolling to the rim, an amazing playmaker with the ball in his hands and three knockdown shooters on the perimeter spacing the floor.

As much as 55 per cent of all baskets by Cairns are assisted on so ball movement and unselfishness is key. Mike Kelly, Jamie O’Loughlin and Brad Hill have to take a lot of credit for getting the guys on the same page and leaving egos at the door.

The Cairns Taipans have made a fan out of me, yep, this former Crocs lifer is now a Taipans fan and I believe they can win the championship.