Without watching them all that closely, it would not surprise me at all if the drop is very Wilbekin-less driven. He could not only make the 3, but man did he make the defense commit something chronic, leaving other very good shooters very open. Starks just doesnt demand any respect from the defense...

But having said that, I'm sure Cairns fans will have a much better insight into what is and isnt happening there. Cant see them beating the 36ers with the form they are in.

I like Kobe's theory but I think they just plain suck at the moment. The first step is to get Wilbekin back in, I think that will boost everyone's confidence and they'll have a go to guy.

AFAIK, word is that he'll be back.

^ We looked like last years team in the 1st qtr, especially with how we were feeding Burston and letting him go to work.

The woes are from the defensive end. If you can't defend you don't get easy baskets and you don't get flow into your offence. Aaron Fearne's teams have long struggled if forced to execute without a decent chunk of the shot clock. As someone e
We said, it doesn't help when you're missing lots of makeable shots.

Starks also isn't the high IQ player Wilbekin is, he is struggling to understand how to contribute in the system. He's also just not as good as Scottie, who couldn't shoot the three that well either but knew how to be effective regardless.

Paul is on the money, and this article outlines why:

Cairns need to improve defensively

Whilst the offense has slipped (down to a rating of 106.1), largely thanks to their historically bad three point shooting, Cairns' defensive numbers are also reason for concern. The Taipans currently own the league’s worst defensive rating (114.7) after hovering around the league’s best mark last season.

spot on Paul & LC.

Cairns Post today: "With rumours of Scottie Wilebekin's return to Cairns still circling"

(http://www.cairnspost.com.au/sport/local-sport/taipans-slip-to-2-4-as-horror-road-trip-continues/story-fnjpuwsz-1227586052810)

I guess those rumours could just be someone reading this forum. But, where there's smoke there's usually fire so hopefully those rumours are true.

^ We looked like last years team in the 1st qtr, especially with how we were feeding Burston and letting him go to work.


And then what happened???

snooch if i knew that i wouldn't be posting on hoops i'd be running the Knicks......... into the ground.....

Weigh shows potential

I don't think they need any help with that Podge ;)

hahaha touché!

I can tell you on very good authority that's basically how the Cairns Post get most of their Taipans rumours. They re-write anything Boti puts up and recycle it as 'rumours continue to circulate that...'.

Pretty similar to how they write up "news" about Aquis :-)

Wilbekin is buying Aquis! I'm leaking that rumour immediately!

Wilbekin to Europe

I'm now hearing it's not a done deal in Cairns after all. Europe the most likely destination on pretty big coin.

hang on, are you telling me something confirmed on the internet might turn out not to be true?

I haven't been this shattered since Jeff Goldblum fell off a cliff and died in NZ.

6 games into the season they arent even medium rare. No one is well done yet.

hang on, are you telling me something confirmed on the internet might turn out not to be true?

Everything on the internet is true...until it isn't ;)

hahaha Snooch, I'll see you at the next 'Chem Trails & Jet Fuel doesn't melt steel beams' meeting :)

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/cairns-taipans-rule-out-any-return-by-scottie-wilbekin-as-clubs-2015-mvp-pursues-nba-and-european-offers/story-fnii0aj1-1227587442041