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My off-season thoughts on the Cairns Taipans


Last year the Cairns Taipans suprised a lot of people and laid down the blueprint for the non-powerhouse organisations pathway to success.

Three imports. 

It's well known to be successful in the NBL you have to hit on all your import spots. This is something that of course is easier said then done. 

What made last season so outstanding was Cairns ability to be able to go out and legitimately create the identity of their team through excellent scouting and a brilliant approach to bringing these guys into the NBL, which again, not a simple feat. 

However, all of this praise essentially means nothing as we move into the ever changing landscape that is 2020/21.

Three imports is no longer an option, DJ Newbill isn't returning to the snake pit and Cairns don't have the same local talent as Sydney, Perth or Melbourne, and for good reason, those designations are breeding grounds for great Australian talent.

Click here: Mojave King Highlights

With a new season quickly approaching, Cairns have already made some key moves. Early on in the off season they made the announcement they were bringing 2021 NBA draft hopeful Mojave King into the squad as their 'Next Star' player. 

From what I've read, watched and heard so far King projects as a solid shooting guard who has a great ability to shoot the ball from multiple spots and angles.

King moves well off ball and has shown flashes of playmaking throughout his career at the younger levels. How does this translate into the NBL? 

I'm hoping to see him earn his minutes through being an active off ball mover who can stretch out the defence while developing his playmaking game through attacking opposition defences when he advantages are created for him. Having Scott Machado makes this theory much more realistic.

With the news that Cam Oliver is returning to the NBL it closed a big gap the Taipans have a the starting centre position.

Firstly, Nathan Jawai is no longer a starting caliber player and everyone is aware of that, so to bring back a key cog in what was a successful 2019/20 campaign is great for the Taipans, and also great for the NBL as a whole. 

Cam Oliver is a man mountain who has a rare set of skills. Oliver's ability to block shots on one end while shooting three's down the other has even got NBA teams paying attention to this 6'8ish F/C out of Nevada. 

But with no DJ Newbill this team will be looking for even more scoring from the big guy as just being a defensive beast and a daily highlight package won't be enough if they truly have expectations of winning the Championship. 

I can definitely see a world where the 25 year old mega athlete comes back over after a successful stint In Israel ready to turn the NBL on its side, Cam Oliver is definitely ready to make that jump.

Questions still remain about this team as without Newbill are they really a contender? If we were to be hyper critical, were they actually a real contender last season?

Let's assume Machado is the same playler and Cam Oliver makes the leap into a top player in the league (more so then he already is). 

Is that enough to contend with the Cotton lead Wildcats? The new and improved Breakers? Who knows what Melbourne United look like next season but I'm sure they'll be strong.

Can a guard rotation of Machado, Kenny, King and Djeric consistently bring 40 minutes of high level play in a playoff setting? A bigger worry is can Cairns continue to play Nathan Jawai at the pointy end of the season for him to be burnt in the pick and roll? 

As of right now I have optimism that Cairns can compete during the regular season and really push hard for a solid seed, but the burning questions are heavily in the back of my mind for this team. A lot resting in Machado's minutes and Mojave King being as advertised plus Cam Oliver being able to carry a hefty load, which I'm sure he can if I'm being honest.


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