NBL: Shannon Scott puts in work as Taipans’ last import signing
Taipans coach Adam Forde has revealed the extraordinary lengths the NBL club’s last signing has gone to to ensure he is in tip-top shape for his first season in the tropics. >>>
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TAIPANS coach Adam Forde has revealed the extraordinary lengths the NBL club’s last signing has gone to to ensure he is in tip-top shape for his first season in the tropics.
“I’ve never experienced an international player being so proactive in his approach to preseason,” Forde said.
Shannon Scott was unveiled as the Taipans’ third import and final member of the roster for the NBL season, with the Snakes jagging an experienced point guard who has played in several top-tier leagues across the world.
Scott shares some hist with fellow import and second-year Taipan Tahjere McCall, who became a favourite of the Orange Army in his maiden NBL campaign last summer.
But Scott could take this team to a new level, especially if his preparation converts to on-court results.
The 29-year-old will be the last member to join the team after being granted permission to stay in the United States for a wedding, but Forde revealed the Georgia native was not taking an easy way out of preseason.
In fact, there is a chance he could arrive in Far North Queensland in better shape than the rest of the squad.
“He’s organised his own trainer in Atlanta, where the trainer is in contact with our high performance team, and he’s replicating the workouts we’re doing here, and he’s doing them at home,” said second-year Snakes coach Forde.
“Guys do their own workouts, that always happens, but the fact he wanted to make sure we’re happy accommodating his request to stay there for a wedding, he’s, out of his own pocket, organised a trainer and is in constant contact with our (strength and conditioning) coach, our physio, so when he gets off the plane he’s going to be about the same level or potentially ahead of where our guys are at.”
It is that professionalism Forde has sought out from his recruits ahead of what the organisation hopes is a more successful season than the eighth-placed finish in NBL22.
And Scott’s experience, which includes his time in the G-League and across Europe and Africa, will be key to unlocking this team’s potential.
“We’ve been in communication a lot with him just navigating what the season is going to look like moving forward, what we want and expect from him, and the contributions we need him to make,” Forde said.
“What’s been really good is his response back with examples of what he can relate to what we’re trying to do.
“That was large part of getting Shannon in.
“He’s played multiple top tier leagues, not just in America but internationally, so we needed someone that was understanding of the environment he was coming into, being away from home and maybe his comfort level, into a new environment with a new team. But then have the expectation to lead virtually 10 strangers the moment he steps on the floor.”
The Taipans’ local players have started pre-season, with the three imports to arrive over the next few weeks.
All members are expected to be on deck for the NBL Blitz in Darwin, from September 17.
The Taipans play their first game of the new NBL season in Tasmania on October 3.
TAIAPNS LOCK IN SCOTT
The Taipans have confirmed the NBL’s worst-kept secret, with the club announcing the addition of Shannon Scott as its final import on Friday night.
Talks between Cairns and Scott have been ongoing for some time, but coach Adam Forde said the team needed to do its due diligence before landing the journeyman guard.
Scott, who has played in the G-League and across Europe and Africa, will bring much-needed experience to the relatively young roster.
“We welcome six new faces, and this has been motivated by the poor performance we presented to our fan base last season,” Forde said.
“The result, however is we have been successful with the players we wanted to target and now the prerequisites for the point guard become ever more important.
“We’ve done multiple character checks for Shannon as we continue to seek like-minded individuals.
“One of his G League coaches referred to him as a calculated stockbroker.
“We also contacted Bamburg (Germany) and they said he was a coach on the court that put the team ahead of himself.”
Scott has played for G League teams the Raptors 905 as well as three seasons for the Long Island Nets.
The 29-year-old will be the oldest player to suit up in orange this season, which yields a vastly younger team than last year’s Taipans which contained veterans including Nate Jawai (35) and Jarrod Kenny (36).
Scott will bring his vast experience to the side.
“I feel very relaxed and confident with Shannon joining our team,” Forde said.
“He becomes the final piece of the puzzle as he presents the ideal complement to balance our current roster.
“We’ve gone younger and faster, but our youthful exuberance may also experience some teachable bumps on the journey.”
Scott will have some familiarity with his new team in the Snake Pit, having played with Taipans star Tahjere McCall and the Nets during the 2017-18 season.
The Georgia (USA) born player was named the state’s ‘Mr Basketball’ coming out of high school.
Scott played college ball with the Ohio State University and was named All-American, Big Ten All-Defensive and an honourable mention in the All-Big team.
“Shannon has built a reputation for himself as a defensive-minded, pass first leader that operates on a high-level of thinking,” Forde said.
“These qualities were important to us, as well as already experiencing life and basketball playing internationally.”
Scott joins McCall and DJ Hogg as team’s imports with Keanu Pinder, Bul Kuol, Jonah Antonio, Sam Waardenburg, Lat Mayen, Mirko Djeric, Majok Deng and Ben Ayre as local players.
The Taipans will play three games at the NBL Blitz, starting with the Wildcats on September 17.
They start their NBL season on October 3 in Tasmania, with the team’s first home game scheduled for October 10.
Forde factor behind sharpshooter’s desire to join Snakes
A desire to get back to competitive basketball under the watchful eye of coach Adam Forde is what led Jonah Antonio to join up with the Taipans.
The 25-year-old is one of the first newcomers to Cairns to touch down in the Far North, with preseason slated to commence next week.
A student from the Forde school of thought when they were a part of the Emerging Boomers team in Italy in 2019.
“Last summer, we had a conversation about coming here, and I wanted to go to Europe,” Antonio said.
“Then he came back to me again, that says a lot about his character and who he is as man and I respect that.
“It’s been a no-brainer for coming out here and be with him, and it’s been great so far.”
The shooting guard spent last year playing NH Ostrava in the Czech league after playing college basketball in the US for Wake Forest, among other programs.
He said his time in Europe didn’t necessarily teach him more about basketball, but rather life.
“In America, the transition’s easy because everyone speaks English where in Europe you’re playing against men with families who might not speak English,” he said.
“It was an experience that maybe humbled me a bit.
“It’s not Cairns where I was, it was a mining town that was pretty grim.
“It was kind of a motivation sort of thing where I didn’t want to be in that situation again.”
As well as getting used to the environment in eastern Europe, Antonio said there were a few variations in European ball as opposed to the US.
“I wanted to test it out and be an import over there, then come back and be a local player,”
I had six technical fouls last season, and I only played 19 games and hadn’t had a technical
for all of college,” he said.
“The level wasn’t as high as where I was in the ACC with Wake Forest.”
Antonio’s joins a Taipans roster loaded with new, young talent ahead of NBL23, most of whom have been sourced by Forde.
“The main factor for me (joining) was coach Forde, I couldn’t say anything bad about him,” Antonio said.
“He put in a lot of effort with me and that made it an easy decision for me to come back.”
Nicknamed ‘Quick Six’ for his prowess from distance, Antonio lends his three point shooting to a team that desperately needs it after ranking dead last in 2021-22.
“Last year we had shooters, but we were one of the worst three point shooting teams in the league,” he said.
“I think the coaching staff has gone out and got guys who can fill it up and shoot, and I’m one of them.”
Baynes pays homage to home after signing with rival
Cairns sniper Mirko Djeric is eager to see how the Sunshine State rivalry will play out between the Taipans and Bullets, with one of our own stars lining up on the opposite side.
The landmark signing of Boomer Aron Baynes to Brisbane on Thursday sent shockwaves through the NBL world, reaching all the way to his home in FNQ and the Snake Pit.
The Taipans may have buried the Bullets in NBL22 – winning all four outings in convincing fashion – Baynes’ signing certainly ups the stakes.
“It’s massive news someone like Baynesy coming back to play the NBL,” Djeric said.
“We’ll take it as a competitive, but friendly wave.
“He’s a role model to a lot of basketballers growing up.
“Personally, I’m just glad to see him back playing.”
While being welcomed into the Bullets’ ranks on Friday, Baynes said made sure to mention both Cairns, and hometown Mareeba, as places that made him the NBL and Olympic centre he is.
“Without Cairns, I wouldn’t have basketball, it’s one of those things I’m very thankful for,” he said.
“But if we’re talking about hometowns it’s gotta be Mareeba, there’s no team up there. Yet.”
Baynes is making his return from a possibly career-ending spinal injury during the Tokyo Olympics.
While suffering a significantly less severe injury, Djeric missed much of NBL22 due to various muscle injuries.
“You’re just trying to find your feet and confidence again, and that’s what I’m doing with the NBL1,” the 27-year-old said.
“As long as I’m healthy and good in the head, I’ll be right for the season.”
The Taipans will host the Bullets in mid December and late January.
Prior to the NBL season, the Cairns Marlins have plenty of finals ambitions in the NBL1.
After facing the Meteors at home on Friday night, the team will look to lock up a top seed and home court advantage with only two rounds remaining.
“We’ve been trusting the process, we had guys in and out but we’re all-in finally,” Djeric said.
“It takes a bit of time, once we’re rolling it’s a pretty fun squad.”
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