R3 Preview: Cairns Taipans vs Adelaide 36ers

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Tahj McCall and Cairns produced a dominant defensive second half to break Tassie and their NBL22 duck, while Dusty Hannahs and Adelaide owned both ends to down NZ. Who will prevail at the Snakepit?

When: 8pm (AEDT), Saturday 18 December, 2021

Where: Cairns Convention Centre

Broadcast: ESPN; Kayo; Sky Sports NZ

Who won last time?
Adelaide 92 (Paul 18, Crocker 15, Giddey 15, Johnson 15) d Cairns 76 (Deng 16, Ngatai 12) - Round 16, 2021, Adelaide Entertainment Centre

With close to their full squad on deck for one of the few times in NBL21, the 36ers opened a can of whoop-ass on Cairns, never trailing and pushing the lead into double figures midway through the first term, from where it would never return. Brandon Paul was everywhere, while Josh Giddey and Daniel Johnson were close to their best in the rout.

What happened last start?

The 36ers started slow last Sunday but unleashed a second-half rout on New Zealand, winning the final 20 minutes 56-26 as they dominated both ends. Adelaide’s starting crew and sixth man Cam Bairstow were outstanding as they combined to shoot 11/20 from deep and dish out 17 assists to four turnovers in what turned out to be an offensive clinic.

The Taipans played out one of the dourest games in memory but they didn’t care. After being trounced by Perth in Round 1, then losing Scott Machado early against Tassie, any win was a great win. The contest was allowed to be so physical that it’s hard to take much from it, but Tahjere McCall’s continued rise to NBL stardom was the story of the night.

Who’s in form?

Tahjere McCall – While almost everyone else looked like they were in quicksand, Tahj made it look easy en route to 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two swats. While his 0/6 three-point shooting and 6 turnovers were a blot on the copy book, with the load he carried in Machado’s absence, a few miscues are forgiven. Can he deliver again this week?

Dusty Hannahs – Adelaide folk insisted Dusty was just rusty in Round 1, and their import sure proved them right, dropping 40 points in 57 minutes in Round 2. Hannahs shot 62 per cent from the field, 5/8 from the arc and 9/9 from the line while dishing eight assists to three turnovers. If he keeps that up, the lane will open up for the 36ers’ dangerous big men.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From Arkansas with this one.<a href="https://twitter.com/D_Hannahs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@D_Hannahs</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreSixers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreSixers</a> <a href="https://t.co/X6rcb1gewJ">pic.twitter.com/X6rcb1gewJ</a></p>— Adelaide 36ers (@Adelaide36ers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adelaide36ers/status/1469909278257336320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Who needs to be?

Daniel Johnson – DJ hates playing Cairns, right? The sharp-shooting big man has averaged 22.9ppg in his past 10 games against the Taipans, including a 38-point monster at the Snakepit two seasons ago. Previous Cairns coaches have struggled to find answers for Johnson’s inside-outside game, what will Adam Forde come up with this time around?

Cairns’ shooters – How many teams can win shooting 5/21 from the arc? Not many, and the Taipans won’t want to try and do it twice. Kouat Noi, Majok Deng, Bul Kuol and McCall shot a combined 3/17, and while Jarrod Kenny hit 2/3, he passed up too many open shots. If McCall’s athleticism is to shine, the shooters need to spread the floor.

Who’s statting up?

- Cairns rank last in points per game (68ppg) and three-point makes (6.5), and ninth in field goal percentage (39%) and three-point percentage (28%), ahead of only Tasmania

- The Taipans are taking 15 less field-goal attempts per game than their opponents, courtesy of their league-worst 20.5 turnovers

- Adelaide held the Breakers to 9/28 shooting in the second half, grabbed 19 defensive rebounds and forced nine turnovers

- The 36ers have grabbed an impressive 76 per cent of available boards at their defensive end and 35 per cent of o-boards

Who’s matching up?

Tahjere McCall v Mitch McCarron – This is a battle to behold, and with Sunday Dech still sidelined much responsibility lands on McCarron’s shoulders to slow the Cairns star down. At the other end, will McCall man Mitch or hound Hannahs? As the straw the stirs the 36ers’ drink – having added 13 boards and six dimes against NZ – and a man who will be looking to make plays against his former team, McCarron should be the target.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Got 'em with the juke stick.<a href="https://twitter.com/MitchMcCarron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MitchMcCarron</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreSixers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreSixers</a> <a href="https://t.co/ecCswFqali">pic.twitter.com/ecCswFqali</a></p>— Adelaide 36ers (@Adelaide36ers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adelaide36ers/status/1469901082880995333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Who’s talking the talk?

Tahjere McCall is talking like he’s a lifelong Cairns man.

“My teammates, the city, the coaches, they deserve a team that competes and a team that gives them our all, because they're going to give us their all,” he said after the win over Tasmania.

“You’ve seen the fans tonight, it was outstanding.”

The first-year import played with his heart on his sleeve, filling the huge void left by Machado’s injury.

After scoring 22 points at 58 per cent in the opening term and getting to the foul line 11 times, the Snakes capitulated without their veteran leader.

The second stanza delivered a woeful 6 points on 2-of-9 shooting, managing just two foul shots as they burped up a remarkable 11 turnovers.

They desperately needed to regroup at half-time, and McCall led the way on and off the court.

“It was one of those things we addressed as a team, Tahj said it perfectly, it’s nothing regards to Xs and Os or anything on those lines, it’s just about playing ball,” coach Forde said.

“Tahj led the way, the boys followed him. I was finding it hard to not sub him out.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">These <a href="https://twitter.com/215tahj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@215tahj</a> spin moves are something else ?? <a href="https://t.co/SY5QW46KBD">pic.twitter.com/SY5QW46KBD</a></p>— Cairns Taipans (@CairnsTaipans) <a href="https://twitter.com/CairnsTaipans/status/1469603157625892864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

One of the players who followed McCall’s lead was youngster Bul Kuol, who offset an off shooting night with enormous defensive effort.

“When Tahj was out there the level of intensity was there, then we sub Bul in and he took it to another level, he was picking up the ball carrier full-court,” Forde said.

“I think I've been pretty clear with that message with all the guys, I don’t care what percentage we shoot, what gets you minutes is your defensive effort, and Bul just embodied that.”

It was an early lesson for a largely new Taipans team about what their passionate and loyal fans expect, and what has made the Snakepit such a fearsome place for visitors for so long.

“This is our home turf, this is a great venue and we had amazing support, and this is what I love about the community here,” Forde said.

“What they appreciate is hard work. What they appreciate is guys putting their body on the line, taking charges, boxing out, getting rebounds, grinding out stops.

“We definitely didn’t live up to the standard we know we’re capable of in that second quarter, there are multiple factors you could put it down to, but to the guys credit they really stepped it up, and in that third quarter we held Tassie to one field goal.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tahjere with the steal, Majok with the dunk?! <br><br>What more could you ask for! ?? <a href="https://t.co/7oVcD3ehCB">pic.twitter.com/7oVcD3ehCB</a></p>— Cairns Taipans (@CairnsTaipans) <a href="https://twitter.com/CairnsTaipans/status/1469619768072105985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Even with Machado on the sidelines, those Taipan trademarks present a huge challenge for an Adelaide side that discovered its own defensive starch in the second half last round.

After giving up 59 points in the opening 20 minutes, it took a ‘chat’ from CJ Bruton to get the urgency needed at NBL level, the new coach channelling a former Sixers’ boss with his locker room delivery.

“I wasn’t Joey Wright, I was CJ Bruton, but I said a few things I don’t say to my kids or any of my family members,” Bruton laughed.

“It was something that needed to be said and for them to be accountable for how we are going about our business.

“The intensity and the effort wasn’t there, we set certain things on our scout that wasn’t getting done and wasn’t getting through, if you want the Adelaide fans to know who you really are and what you're capable of doing, reward them by how you play.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank gawd they overturned this one! <a href="https://t.co/e3KM7iIc83">https://t.co/e3KM7iIc83</a> <a href="https://t.co/8chpxA6A2n">pic.twitter.com/8chpxA6A2n</a></p>— Adelaide 36ers (@Adelaide36ers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adelaide36ers/status/1469908292470149123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bruton knows defence and rebounding are the pillars for his side’s success, after their slow-down half-court offence looked out of sync in the opening round.

“Clearly when you get stops you’re able to run and create havoc at the other end of the floor,” he said.

“We used the ball and moved it around very well, and I thought the guys that had the ball in their hands made better decisions, clearly our turnover count was low.”

And what’s emerging is an Adelaide team that could be a force on the boards, with Kai Sotto making his debut on Saturday alongside Isaac Humphries, Daniel Johnson, Cam Bairstow and Todd Withers in a long, strong frontcourt.

“I've got some big bodies, and more to come, so clearly getting on the glass is something we’re good at, creating extra opportunities and second chance points,” Bruton said.

“Our ability to be able to rebound help us in our position for d-trans and it was good tonight, and I hope it continues.”