Newbill will be good fit for us: Taipans coach
NEW Taipans coach Mike Kelly has made his first import signing, grabbing former New Zealand Breaker DJ Newbill for the 2018-19 NBL roster.
Newbill made his NBL debut last season with the Breakers, where the comboguard averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists across 30 games and a semi-finals appearance.
Kelly said Newbill fits the mould of what his club was looking for, with a skill set and reputation that would strengthen the team in all areas.
“You look at DJ and he has such a good feel for the game, that he plays like he’s a bit older, and with more experience. But – he still wants to get better, and that’s the great thing about this situation,” Kelly said.
“He can help us win right now, but he can also continue to improve throughout the season. That’s what we want for all of our players – he can help the team win, and we can help him develop even further.”
Kelly will head to the 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas next month with one American already signed.
“It actually makes this process easier, because DJ is so versatile, it gives us more options,” Kelly said.
“We’ll still look for a point guard and a three-man, but our recruitment strategy this entire off-season has been focused on versatility in our line- up and so far every player has that flexibility.”
Before his NBL debut, Newbill played in Belgium, averaging 8.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 45 outings, winning the Belgian League Championship and Belgian Cup crown.
Newbill joins Nate Jawai, Rob Loe, Jarrod Kenny, Alex Loughton, Dexter KernichDrew, Lucas Walker and Kuany Kuany on the Taipans roster.