R1 Preview: Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans

When: 5.30pm (AEDT), Sunday 5 December 2021

Where: RAC Arena, Perth

Broadcast: ESPN; Kayo; Sky Sport NZ


Who won last time?
Perth 100 (Blanchfield 19, Cotton 19, Mooney 16) d Cairns 79 (Djeric 15, Machado 11, Jawai 10) - Round 19, 2021, RAC Arena, Perth

Perth made light work of the Taipans late last season as the wooden spooners limped to the end line, while the 'Cats charged towards yet another Grand Final appearance. The big three - Todd Blanchfield, Bryce Cotton and John Mooney - were the stars for the home side, racking up 54 points between them in what would be Cotton's last game of NBL21.


Who’s new?
Perth’s newest Wildcat didn’t waste any time winning over the Red Army, Vic Law with a 37-point performance for the ages on Friday night. In contrast, Matt Hodgson’s Perth debut lasted one minute before a calf complaint got the better of him. Michael Frazier didn’t make it to the starting line and is in doubt for Sunday’s game, but rookie Kyle Zunic made the most of that by contributing 17 minutes in a surprise start at point guard.

Tahjere McCall has made the most noise of Cairns’ new signings. Arriving with a reputation as a defensive stopper, he averaged 13.5ppg at 64 per cent inside and 44 per cent from outside during the Blitz, while dishing 4apg. Import centre Stephen Zimmerman also impressed, accumulating 14.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in 25 minutes per game, while Keanu Pinder pulled in 24 rebounds in 64 minutes to suggest he has a role to play off the pine.


Who’s in form?

Majok Deng – The impact of Deng’s absence last year was undersold, his ability to stretch the defence, nail timely triples and make x-factor plays a big part of the Taipans’ 2020 playoff run. Across the Blitz he scored in double figures in four of five games, knocked down 44 per cent from the arc and picked up just shy of two o-boards and assists per game.

Vic Law – Obviously! Vic’s opening-night outburst creates headaches for new Cairns coach Adam Forde. While Deng is an offensive talent, he lacks the quickness and guile to defend Law, especially coming off a 3.4 foul average at the Blitz. The Snakes’ frontcourt isn’t blessed with defenders, so Deng, Pinder and Co will have to do this by committee.


Who needs to be?

Scott Machado – This applies every week for Cairns, but with Mirko Djeric and Jordan Ngatai ruled out of the season opener the Snakes are low on perimeter shooters, and that adds extra pressure to their mercurial floor general. Machado went 5/25 from range in the Blitz, but the 31-year-old superstar cares little for pre-season, he’ll be licking his lips at the prospect of the Mitch Norton-less 'Cats and the opportunities to penetrate and create. Will new 'Cats coach Scott Morrison give the long Luke Travers this important job?

Majok Majok – If Cairns have one thing it’s size. Zimmerman nudges seven foot, Nate Jawai is literally the biggest dude in the Jungle, while Deng has length that belies his 205cm listing. With Hodgson likely in street clothes, the unassuming Majok must repeat his impressive double-figure rebounding performance on Friday night, and continue to use his rock-solid 112-kilogram frame to hold the fort against multiple opposition centres.


Who’s statting up?

 - The Taipans averaged 21.4 turnovers during the Blitz and were -54 on points from turnovers. Last season they coughed up just 12.1 per game

 - In the Blitz, the Snakes outscored Perth 52-28 in the paint, with Nate Jawai, Zimmerman and Deng scoring 38 from two-point baskets. Jawai finished with 21 points at 76 per cent

 - In that pre-season clash with Cairns, Cotton and Law combined for 50 points on 9/20 from long range and 11/13 from the charity stripe

 - Perth grabbed just 63 per cent of their available defensive boards on Friday, and 66 per cent at the Blitz. Under Trevor Gleeson they averaged 71.4 per cent and never dipped below 69.5


Who’s matching up?

Bryce Cotton v Tahjere McCall – Before McCall had set foot in Australia, coach Forde anointed him a Best Defensive Player candidate, and Tahj backed that up with his Blitz performance, so what better test first up than guarding arguably the NBL’s greatest import?

The bad news for Tahjere is Cotton couldn’t throw a beach ball into the ocean on Friday night, and he rarely has two off nights in a row. The key for McCall is whether his bigs can give enough help on the other side of the ball-screen, and can they do it without opening up Bryce’s new favourite passing target, Vic Law?

https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1466744748966768641


Who’s talking the talk?

Defending Bryce Cotton is an ominous task, but for Tahjere McCall there couldn’t be a better way to christen his Hungry Jack’s NBL career.

“You’ve got to look forward to it, that’s the fun part,” he said.

“But you don’t shut guys like that down, especially if it’s just me … it’s more of a team effort. He’s a great player, it’s going to be great.”

Just as one could get a sense of foreboding having to face Cotton, many fans might expect the Taipans to walk into RAC Arena with a feeling of dread, given their winless pre-season and Perth’s impressive opening-night win over Adelaide.

However for McCall, the Blitz was simply an opportunity to add to the work the Snakes have been doing on the training court.

“It’s just fun to see what we’ve been practising and see what works and what needs to change,” he said.

“(I’m) nowhere near where I need to be, there were a lot of turnovers and mishaps and I can do more on defence.

“I have to be a lot better, I know I can be a lot better. It’s a lot of work, but it’s good to see in the film what I need to work on, and what we need to work on, and how our chemistry can be better.”

https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1464122524426403841


Those comments should be pleasing for Taipans fans, for while their newest import had an impressive Blitz, he sets his standards far higher than that.

While the talk has been about Cairns’ winless Blitz, in reality they mixed up line-ups and playing styles throughout and still featured in three tight, single-figure losses to Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.

“When you win or lose people will make their opinions on that,” McCall said.

“In-house we know what we’re capable of and we believe, so after that it’s kind of relevant, honestly.”

Perth coach Scott Morrison also took plenty of learnings from his side’s opening win over Adelaide, especially about his new home in The Jungle.

“When you win the good things about being here are magnified, like the crowd and the atmosphere and the history,” he said.

“They made me speak to the whole crowd, I was nervous about that, I didn’t have time to be nervous about anything else.”

He also discovered that while the huge Red Army is a big plus for his team, it can make things tough at times for coaches.

“Maybe what I learned is it’s really hard to hear me out there,” he said.

“I was yelling during free throws to try and call plays and the guys couldn’t hear me, so I think the guys deserve a lot more credit than me and if anything. We just learn that our communication is going to have to be that much tighter when we play here, just because of the noise.

“I also learned that we have a tough team, I think I already knew that but it was proven tonight.”

https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1466737418627792898


The Wildcats were sorely tested, already missing Todd Blanchfield and Mitch Norton, they had import Michael Frazier ruled out pre-game and Matt Hodgson pulled out 70 seconds into the contest.

“There’s been so much turnover and in-and-out of our roster that I came to the game with three different line-up cards, trying to plan out our substitution patterns,” Morrison said.

“So when Hodgy went down I just sent someone back to the locker room to get the other plan and we went with that one, there wasn’t really time to worry about it.”

With Hodgson awaiting scans and Frazier once again a game-day decision, Morrison is ready to once again fly by the seat of his pants.

“We’re hopeful that Mike will be play, I don’t think it’s a long-term injury, I hope not, but we’ll just take it one day at a time and I’ll probably bring three line-up cards on Sunday,” he said.

While the short turnaround creates uncertainty for coaches, game one superstar Vic Law just can’t wait to get back on the floor again and give his new fans another treat.

“I didn’t know I took 29 shots, but Jesus I was getting them up,” he chuckled.

“It felt good, when you get into a flow and a rhythm like that it feels good, and coming off that injury, I don’t know what the feeling is but it was just pure excitement and pure joy getting back out there and playing in front of a crowd like that.

“It felt like I was back in college, so it was exciting for sure.”