Mid-Season Report Card: Cairns Taipans

With the Hungry Jack's NBL26 competition currently on a time-out due to FIBA Break, NBL Media has decided to assess each of the 10 teams and give them a mid-season report card.

During this series, one expert on NBL Now will evaluate the team's progress through the first 10 rounds, while also naming their most improved and MVPs.

Finally, they will each team a grade and predicted finishing spot.

The next cab off the ranks, after the Perth Wildcats, Illawarra Hawks, Adelaide 36ers and Tasmania JackJumpers, are Adam Forde's Cairns Taipans, with the team's performance analysed by two-time NBL champion, Chris Anstey.

Report card score: D

It can't be anything above a D, can it? It's an interesting case study this one because when we sat around as a group in the pre-season and looked at the roster Cairns put together, you thought they're going to struggle. They don't have the resources and don't have the finances of some of the other teams. Then the way they spent it, there's not a whole bunch of depth there. You probably would have expected them or forecast them to finish in the bottom couple of teams. But then Adam Forde came out and said his job hinged on the success of his team and predicted it to be successful. I think they're about where they were on paper. I don't think they've failed. They've found some talent and have a clear idea of where they want to go. They had an off-season, for the most part, without a coach, so it has been very interrupted.

What you like: Reyne Smith

They're moments have been few and far between, but let's concentrate on the peaks. It's been those games where they've competed like crazy. Jack McVeigh's been the guy that they wanted Jack McVeigh to be in the game in Adelaide. It doesn't sound like it should be a highlight losing a game on the road to Adelaide, but they've had some exceptional moments and some exceptional games. The highs consolidate the fact they may be on the right track. They're not there, clearly, but there's promise in some of the players. Before he got injured, Reyne Smith was a real highlight for this team. A lot of us knew how well he shot the ball, but for his game to translate as seamlessly as it did straight into the NBL was impressive. At the time he got injured, I believe he had the third most made threes in the league at close to 37 per cent. He is still finding his feet playing alongside Jack McVeigh and when they give him a point guard that services him, he will be even better than what he has been. He's a real shining light for that program and one that I'm sure they'll invest a lot more time into moving forward.

What needs to change: Imports

I put Cairns in the same boat as I put the Brisbane Bullets, as they're not going to make the playoffs, so you can go ahead and change your imports. You're not going to be bringing Admiral Schofield back, you're not going to be bringing Andrew Andrews back and you're certainly not going to be bringing Marcus Lee back. So you do one of two things. You either cut them, send them home, save a little bit of money and get as many minutes as you can into the young guys. Or you replace them, bring in an import that's available now and have a look at them with a view to signing them for next season. They need to make a choice around what next season is going to look like with their three import spots. I'll never be one to be critical of Cairns' recruiting because they, of all clubs in the NBL, have gotten it right so many times. It's almost like the other NBL teams are waiting to see who Cairns bring in, offer them more money and steal them straight out from their nose. They've done an incredible job of identifying talent. I just don't think they got it right this year.

Most improved player: Mojave King

It's such a short period of time that he's been with the team but I've been more than impressed with Mojave King in the time since he joined the club than what I have been in his entire professional career. I know there's a million asterisks with him, but it's Mojave King. He's come into the Taipans as a legitimate professional basketball player. He's been consistent, which he hadn't shown the ability to be in his career so far. He's made plays at both ends of the floor and a lot of games he's been the second best player behind Jack McVeigh. Give him as many minutes as you possibly can. Play him and Jack those 35 minutes a game. Let them build an on-court relationship. Get him signed up for next year and keep working with him. He's been exceptional since he's come into the team.

Team MVP: Jack McVeigh

Jack McVeigh by the length of the Flemington straight. He's been fantastic despite missing those few games with his wrist injury. I was always fascinated to see how Jack would go being the number one guy on the team. The next challenge for Jack is can he be a number one guy on a team that wins? Because I think if you ask Jack, he knows he's not the most athletic guy in the world. He doesn't play above the rim. He tries hard on defence, but he's not a lockdown defender, so to give him the keys to a franchise is a huge responsibility. I've just been really impressed with his shot creating ability. I wasn't sure how he'd fare when all five eyes locked on him, because he did have Milton Doyle next to him in Tasmania. He had a team around him in Tasmania that could offset the workload and the scoring load. He doesn't quite have that in Cairns, so some of those really big individual games he's had this season are even more important than in Tasmania. He's continued to improve and my hope is they put a better supporting crew around him as soon as possible.

Who needs to step up: Marcus Lee

It might not be a step up, rather a step out of the way to Marcus Lee. I'm sure Marcus Lee is an extraordinarily smart human being, but he makes some dumb basketball plays. He just can't stay on the floor. Jumping over people's backs on three and four fouls. Frustration fouls when you know you've got a habit of fouling out of games and the team needs you on the floor. He's just got to step back, take a breath and play basketball. It can't be like a dog when you throw a ball down the beach, you just take off at a million miles and go and get it. There's got to be some nuance, there's got to be some craft. There's got to be some finesse attached to his game because when he's going and he's on the front of the rim offensively and he plays vertically, which he doesn't do that often, you're dropping your hands at the very last minute just because you see the ball in the offensive player's hands. The Taipans need a talented big on the floor, not on the bench, so Marcus Lee has to step up. But so does Admiral Schofield. The resume he came to Australia with, there needs to be more expected of him and maybe there is. But if you're ever going to figure out what you're capable of in this league and the impact you can have now, it's got to be the time.

Finishing prediction: 10th

I don't know if they'll jump up spots out of 10th, but I see them and Brisbane holding up the ladder at the end of the season. The biggest challenge for Cairns would also be not to get blown out, to put themselves in every game. I understand if you're going to get beat in a close game, but the 30 point blowouts have been disappointing, and there have been a number of them. It's as much about consistency of performance across entire games as it is actually winning the game at the end. They need to see that from the young core of players. They need to know that they're making the right choice into the future. So where can they finish on the ladder? They'll probably finish last. They may jump above Brisbane depending on what they end up doing. But I'd like to see them win another three or four games. They might have an incredible shooting night when Reyne Smith gets back and when Sam Waardenburg finds his feet, there's a bit more balance there. It's a much better environment to be in. Cairns is a beautiful place to live and you don't want to turn up to training games having lost six, eight, 10 in a row. I hope they keep the scoreboard ticking over. I hope they win a few more, but more than anything, I hope they're consistent.