im sticking with the 'backs to the wall' taipans on this one.....nz will have added pressure,which i dont think their coach in particular will handle very well.

Taipans by 6

Me too. Taipans by 3.

Na im going NZ by 4. I have liked NZ's pressure defense lately and at home they seem to get to play a little rougher then when in Aus. If Vukona can stay out of foul trouble it should be a home victory, however if he gets in early foul trouble its Cairns for the win.

I don't trust Fearne as a defensive coach to hold the Breakers under 90

Breakers by 7

but can NZ hold the Taipans under 90 without getting in foul trouble ??

Same with any NZ game, if Vukona gets in foul trouble, an easy win to Cairns. If he stays clean (or the refs let him get away with it) then NZ should win.

Christ our offense is horrible with Wilson and Gliddon at the helm

I'm done, we need Wilson gone and an actual point guard in. He cannot lead a team

Well well well, we're playing decent offense and guess which two 'quarterbacks' are off the floor?

No we're not? I don't get what you mean, anon

That's exactly my point. However if you just worded it wrongly and meant that the period Wilson was off just before the half...

1) Learn to add up. We were +2 in the 1 minute 15 seconds Wilson was off the floor at the end of the half.

2) That's a minute-long sample of the 900 minutes of Taipans season to that point. What the hell are you trying to prove in a minute? Even if we were -10 in that period, doesn't make my point any less valid.

Also, do me a favour and add up Wilson's +/- for this game and if he's remotely close to the positive, then you can make an argument for this particular game.

Gliddon is also a problem when it comes to running stuff, but it shouldn't be as much his responsibility as Wilson's.

But mate, safe to say you have no idea.

Naivety^

However, you're right about the shot-hungry guards. At times, you say McCamey needs to shoot more, then at other times he probably jacks too much. On the whole though, I like McCamey's shot timing (shot selection however isn't ideal -- shoots too many threes). Wilson is the main culprit when it comes to that.

If you watched Taipans games though, Wilson doesn't fare well with full-court pressure.

Wilkinson to surely get a contract extension!

Let's hope it's both Fearne and Wilson's last seasons. Wilson plays like Kobe, but he isn't talented enough to be productive when playing that way. And that's the only way he knows how to play. Much like Ervin in the Hawks days, Wilson can prop up a bad team (I realise the Hawks had made the playoffs the year prior but missed in Ervin's year, but that's just what it seemed like) and get them to moderate success, but he's no leader. All three of Wilson's seasons we've missed the playoffs while possessing great rosters, especially this year.

Last year we were incredibly talented, but this year was long built up (by the organisation, too) as THE year.

Do a bit of housekeeping in the offseason such as:

Keep: Loughton, Gliddon, Steindl, Weigh, Young

Jury's out: Burston, Tragardh, Bruce

Flick: Wilson, McCamey

We need a big guy to play defense in the paint, score a little, and bring some damn energy to the court.

Also, a pass-first point guard. We don't need the point guard to get 20 on a regular basis, but to access all the shooters and scorers brought in over the past couple years. Gliddon, Steindl, Loughton, Weigh can all get buckets, but haven't entirely got the service they deserve this season.

Well done to NZ though, they really seem to be getting a groove on.

Definitely flick McCamey and go for an import forward next year and upgrade Wilson if possible

Yeah for sure, I see where you're coming from and on face value you keep him. I didn't put him in because I'd want to make the decision on the import bigman and see what we need to compliment. Burston is probably the most consistent Taipan, so I guess you'd keep him anyway; good for chemistry. Because you simply know what you're getting.

the NBL will be perfect for my boy "Jarvis Varnado"
killing it this season with Iowa Energy in the D-League