Round 1 Preview: Kings vs Taipans

Written by Matt McQuade for Kings Media

 

It’s finally here.

The long awaited and highly anticipated tipoff to NBL21 begins this week.

Incredibly, it’s been ten months since the last shot was fired in anger during the NBL Grand Final in March last year. And for those who have been counting the days to the start of the 2020/2021 campaign, it will have been 307 days since the purple and gold will have played an official NBL game when the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings take to the court this Saturday night against the Cairns Taipans at the Cairns Pop-Up Arena.

It’s been the longest offseason in NBL history. And many fans must have wondered if we’d even have a new season at all, given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Yet here we are, basketball is about to get underway, and what a great feeling it is.

But this will be a season unlike any other. A season where adaptability is key. Expect the unexpected – that hoary old cliché – will be the standard. Change is inevitable. The Kings already have seen that in play with their originally scheduled season opener against the Brisbane Bullets switched to an even more formidable challenge, with a battle against a Taipans unit that will be at home and is already touted by many judges as a championship contender.

That the Taipans are so highly regarded is not a surprise, given what Cairns accomplished last season in making the NBL20 semi-finals then bringing back virtually the entire squad from their outstanding campaign, with one notable exception – guard DJ Newbill, the NBL20 Defensive Player of the Year who fell victim to the league’s change from three imports to two.

However, what has basketball aficionados so excited about the Taipans is that they’ve managed to retain a pair of superstars in their other imports from last season, point guard Scott Machado and big man Cameron Oliver, both of whom figure to make a significant impact on their program.

That’s not to mention the likes of potential star Kouat Noi, long-range gunner Mirko Djeric, talented forward Majok Deng, Next Star Mojave King and powerful centre Nathan Jawai, all of whom are part of an impressive squad led by reigning Coach of the Year Mike Kelly.

So, the NBL has done the Kings no favours in rescheduling their Round One fixture, particularly in front of the vaunted Orange Army, who will be in full voice this Saturday. Nonetheless, new Sydney Kings Head Coach Adam Forde will lead his team into battle with some confidence, even as he grapples with a number of offseason departures and the loss through injury to star forward Xavier Cooks.

Coach Forde has a very talented and hungry squad at his disposal, led by import floor general Casper Ware, a man who will be on a mission the entire season. Jarell Martin will be eager to impress on debut as Sydney’s new import pivot and the other recruits, University of Miami standout Dejan Vasiljevic and super-talented guard Angus Glover, will both be counted on to provide quality minutes.

And then there’s Sydney’s Next Star Didi Louzada, who has impressed all and sundry in the offseason with his development and has the size, talent and athletic ability to make the NBL his own personal playground before he makes the inevitable leap to the NBA.

Of course, you also can’t underestimate the importance of veterans like Brad Newley, Shaun Bruce, and Craig Moller, all of who will be crucial to the team’s fortunes, not just in this game but NBL21 as a whole.

So here we are Kings’ fans. Game One is upon us. And while the team opens its campaign in another state, make sure you cheer them on wherever you may be watching or listening. The boys appreciate all the tremendous support they receive from the greatest fans in the National Basketball League.

This is the start of the championship journey for the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings. Let’s do this.

Rise With Us Sydney.

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WHO

Sydney Kings vs. Cairns Taipans

WHEN

Saturday 16 January, 8:00pm tipoff AEST

LOCATION

Cairns Pop-Up Arena

TV/RADIO

SBS Viceland; SBS On Demand; ESPN, Cluch Radio, SWR99.9FM Radio

THE PLAYERS

KINGS

Casper Ware (import); Didi Louzada; Brad Newley; Craig Moller; Jarell Martin (import)

Shaun Bruce; Daniel Kickert; Dejan Vasiljevic; Angus Glover; Tom Vodanovich; Jordan Hunter

TAIPANS

Scott Machado (import); Mirko Djeric; Kouat Noi; Majok Deng; Cameron Oliver (import)

Nathan Jawai; Mojave King (Next Star); Jarrod Kenny; Jordan Ngatai; Fabijan Krslovic; George Blagojevic; Jordan Hunt (development player)

THE COACHES

KINGS

Adam Forde, NBL rookie head coach

TAIPANS

Mike Kelly, 3^rd season with Cairns, NBL career record 23-36

2019/2020 REGULAR SEASON SERIES

Kings won 2-1

Kings defeated Taipans 79-71 @ Cairns Convention Centre, Round 1

Taipans defeated Kings 109-98 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 10

Kings defeated Taipans 92-83 @ Qudos Bank Arena, Round 15

2019/2020 STATS

KINGS

Points For: 94.2ppg, third

Points Against: 88.5ppg, third

Field Goal Percentage: 47.5%, second

Defensive Field Goal Percentage: 43.0%, first

Rebounds: 37.5rpg, second

Assists: 18.0apg, sixth

Steals: 4.9spg, ninth

Blocked Shots: 3.8bpg, first

Offensive Rating: 113.4, eighth

Defensive Rating: 106.5, first

TAIPANS

Points For: 92.9ppg, fifth

Points Against: 89.4ppg, fourth

Field Goal Percentage: 48.1%, first

Defensive Field Goal Percentage: 43.5%, second

Rebounds: 34.7rpg, eighth

Assists: 18.7apg, second

Steals: 6.3spg, third

Blocked Shots: 3.3bpg, fifth

Offensive Rating: 115.9, third

Defensive Rating: 111.4, second

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KEY MATCHUP

Casper Ware vs. Scott Machado

There’s already a lot of buzz around Machado winning the NBL Most Valuable Player award this season. He finished second in voting for MVP in NBL20 behind Perth’s Bryce Cotton, and there’s a school of thought that the Taipans’ impressive point guard will go one step further this time. It’s not surprising given Machado’s talent and the talent that’s been put around him; he led the league in assists last season, will be favoured to do so again and he’s an outstanding decision maker who has a knack of getting the ball to the right people at the right time. But as far as Casper Ware is concerned, all of that is fuel for his fire. He’ll be highly motivated to make an early statement against Machado, particularly on the Taipans’ home floor, and a fired-up Ware is a dangerous commodity indeed. Look for Sydney’s dynamic floor general to set the tone with his energy and aggression at both ends of the court.

THE QUESTIONS

Can Sydney start the season with an upset victory?
What sort of impact will Jarell Martin make up front?

HISTORY

All-time Head to Head

64 games played; Sydney leads 48-16

In Cairns

32 games played; Sydney leads 22-10

DID YOU KNOW?

This will be just the second time in the 43 seasons of the National Basketball League that the competition will begin in the month of January. The only other time was in 1998, when the league began its season in late January and ended in July in what was the final winter season before the NBL moved across to what is now the standard model of today – a summer campaign.