Togetherness puts Taipans in contest
When a rival team’s centre evaluates the Cairns Taipans’ squad and their performances this season – it is togetherness that stands out the most.
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When SEM Phoenix centre Dane Pineau evaluates his club’s opponents this Sunday afternoon – it is togetherness that stands out the most for the NBL Most Improvement player frontrunner.
The Snakes and the NBL’s newest club have split their two meetings this season, 1-1, ahead of their Round 16 clash on Sunday.
Pineau, who has enjoyed a breakout season after sitting on the Sydney Kings’ bench for two seasons, believes the tight knit Cairns playing group is what is driving the team up the ladder in 2019-20.
“They are playing together, that is not just the coaches leading that, but the playing group as well,” Pineau said.
“They look like they are led really well by Scott Machado.
“He looks like a great guy to be playing for.
“It feels like that group enjoys playing together a lot.
“It is producing really good results for them as well because they all know their roles.
“They all have each other’s back – that is the impression I get from the outside.”
Cairns development player Tad Dufelmeier, who saw just over 90 seconds of game time in last Saturday’s heavy defeat of Adelaide, says there is a positive feeling within the Snakes group as they charge towards the finals for the first time in three campaigns.
“It is a good energy around here, everyone is excited, there is a little anxiousness to compete and everyone wants to keep building to where we want to be at the end of the season,” Dufelmeier said.
“These guys are ready to compete every day.
“Things have ramped up in practice day-to-day because we know what is at stake.”
The Phoenix have made the rare decision to spend a week in Queensland leading into Thursday night’s contest with Brisbane, following their clash with Sydney last Sunday, before returning home for the Cairns game on Sunday.
Against Adelaide, Snakes’ DJ Newbill, Cameron Oliver and Machado became the first three imports to score 20 points each in the same game since the introduction of three imports at the start of 2017 season.
Not surprisingly, Pineau thinks his side needs to stop the American trio to win on Sunday.
“Machado, Oliver and DJ have had really good seasons, we need to try and slow those guys down as best we can,” Pineau said.
“We need to make other guys beat us.
“Hopefully we can get our offence going as well, we have not really put up a big score this year against Cairns yet – that will help us out too.”
The emerging centre, Pineau, is locked and loaded to head back to the Melbourne Tigers in the second edition of NBL1 South later this year.
NBL ROUND 16
TAIPANS V SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
When: Sunday, 2pm, Victoria State Basketball Centre
Likely starters
Taipans: Majok Deng, DJ Newbill, Mirko Djeric, Scott Machado, Cameron Oliver
Coach: Mike Kelly
Phoenix starters: Mitch Creek, Tai Wesley, John Roberson, Ben Madgen, Dane Pineau
Coach: Simon Mitchell
Ladbrokes odds: Taipans $1.77, Phoenix $2.05
Originally published as Togetherness puts Taipans in contest
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