Taipans will add extra bite after long break

Adelaide 36ers travel to Far North Queensland for a New Year’s Eve blockbuster against Cairns Taipans on Saturday night.

The Taipans are well rested, having not played since their 84-81 loss to Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on December 23, while Adelaide has played, and won, two matches on their home floor in the same timeframe.

Expect a hostile, intimidating and demanding atmosphere as the Taipans look to get their NBL23 campaign back on track as the 36ers shoot for a fifth straight victory to end 2022.

Cairns will be without their star big man Keanu Pinder, who injured an ankle against United, while 36ers captain Mitch McCarron will return to the line-up after he missed Thursday night’s 87-84 win against Brisbane Bullets at the Entertainment Centre.

THE KEY
Import power forward DJ Hogg has been a revelation for the Taipans so far in their NBL23 campaign and has come up big for Cairns in huge moments throughout the season.

The 201cm forward can stretch the floor and attack the basket and as a former NBA G-League championship teammate of Robert Franks, expect this match-up to worth admission alone.

Both Hogg and Franks know each others game inside out, so it will be fascinating to see with power forward can get on top to lead their side.

Hogg is averaging 16.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in NBL23 and he will need to put up those sort of numbers again to get the Taipans crowd roaring, and he has been known to be a late game marvel.

THE SECRET
With Pinder out, who is arguably one of the NBL23 MVP favourites after yet another breakout season, the Taipans may look to play ‘small ball’ which will put Sam Waardenburg to the centre position.

Taipans coach Adam Forde may even go smaller and put Hogg in the centre position and play four perimeter players as Cairns leads the league in three-point attempts and are not shy in letting it fly from beyond the arc.

Cairns will want to spread the floor at the offensive end and use their quickness to attack the basket, something Adelaide’s defence must control as well as stopping the three-point threat, which makes the Taipans a dangerous proposition.

Shannon Scott and Tahjere McCall will run the point guard duties along with Ben Ayre but Forde has three-point marksmen Mirko Djeric, Buol Kuol and Jonah Antonio ready to fire from the land of plenty and they all have been given the green light.

THE FINAL WORD
Adelaide should go into this game confident after winning their past four matches at home and with McCarron returning to run the show, the 36ers offence should be firing on all cylinders.

Ian Clark will be better for the run he had during his nine-point debut against the Bullets and will provide more spark from the bench, while Kai Sotto, who has started in the past four victories, can be used to great advantage around the rim without Pinder on the floor.

How the 36ers defend will go a long way in the outcome of this match and Adelaide has to be switched on from the opening tip against a refreshed and refocused Taipans.

Even with Pinder out, Cairns are a huge threat, especially at home and Adelaide will be hoping to continue to build as their ‘new season’ after CJ Bruton’s ‘mini training camp’ continues.

DEPTH CHART
Scott | Ayre
Kuol | Antonio
McCall | Djeric | Davey
Hogg | Deng | Hadley
Pinder | Waardenburg | Mayen