With a new season underway, the Cairns Taipans look like a new and improved version of their former selves.
Adam Forde’s side has never won an NBL Championship and finished eighth with just 12 wins from their 28 games last season. Although only early in this season, the Taipans sit equal second on the ladder and have won three of their first four games.
They are a young side, but it was their wide range of scoring options that impressed Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman after Cairns’ victory last Sunday afternoon.
“All of their bigs were doing a job, Taran’s (Taran Armstrong) 3/3 in the first half from the three-ball, Edwards made three or four (three pointers), so they had a lot of weapons,” he said.
“Fordey (Adam Forde) does a hell of a job, they’re playing really good basketball, and they protect the rim really well.”
The team’s scoring power was on full display for much of Sunday’s game and has been so far this season. Not only did they put up a relatively unprecedented 101 points against the stingiest defence in the league, but multiple young stars fired.
Star import Rob Edwards (23 points), captain Taran Armstrong (14 points), Kyrin Galloway (16 points), Sam Waardenburg (14 points) and Akoldah Gak (14 points) all had a major impact on the result.
Despite having a youthful group and several changes to the squad in the off-season, veteran Kyle Adnam said the team’s connection has come with relative ease.
“I think it’s been really natural, so it makes your job as a leader easy in a way, everyone’s bought into what they need to do. Not forcing it in anyway, I’ll chime in where I feel like I can help the group," he said.
Adnam has also been blown away by how 22-year-old Armstrong is playing in just his second professional season.
“He’s picking my brain and then going out and having 26 and five [points and assists], making two dunks which I’ve never been able to do. For me it’s his humbleness, he comes in early and works. That’s where it starts.”
Forde credited the club’s strong turnaround to the willingness to take on different processes in the pre-season, which has led to huge benefits on the court.
“We changed a lot of things in a sense to how we did pre-season, we changed what we did in the recruiting process,” he said.
“We made so many little adjustments that went against what I’ve done previously. Even with Kyle (Adnam). I’ve always had such a focus on a young group, this is the first time I went for a veteran guy in free agency, and that’s working for us.”
Dismantling an experienced team on their home court is no mean feat, but the Taipans believe their best is yet to come.
“It’s a gutsy-type road win knowing that’s there’s a lot of areas we need to work on,” Forde said.
“Winning's not easy, training’s not fun, but the reward is that you’re getting better as a basketball player. If it was all sunshine and rainbows, everyone would do it.”
Forde said the key for the group is to now stay grounded and continue to stick to their guns.
“Now that there’s a bit of belief, we have to stick with what we’re doing," he said.
"We’re young but the maturity’s there because we’ve driven this message from the start."
The Taipans will meet the Perth Wildcats on Thursday October 10, aiming for their fourth straight victory. If they can continue their good form, last year’s laughing stock may be destined for a maiden championship title.
Photos can be attributed to Cairns Taipans
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