Tahjere McCall to coach Taipans at the NBL Blitz at the Gold Coast

Taipans import star Tahjere McCall will pick up the clipboard for a second successive NBL Blitz when the pre-season tournament heads to the Gold Coast next week.

Taipans import star Tahjere McCall will pick up the clipboard for a second successive NBL Blitz when the pre-season tournament heads to the Gold Coast next week.

The Taipans turned heads last year when McCall was calling the shots for a game during the Blitz, and the star guard will return to the position for at east one of Cairns’ three games at the Glitter Strip.

Assistant coaches Sam Gruggen and Kerry Williams will also lead a game each.

Cairns coach Adam Forde, who is about to start his third season in charge in the tropics, said the experience to lead the team from the sideline was an integral piece in the development of his leaders.

Cairns Taipans import star Tahjere McCall. Picture: Brendan Radke

Forde, who was named the NBL23 Coach of the Year after taking the Taipans to the semi finals, said it was reminiscent of an opportunity afforded to him during his days at the Wildcats under Trevor Gleeson.

“It’s going to be fun, it will be a big learning curve for a lot of guys,” Forde said.

“ I’ll do something that was done to me when I was an assistant coach at Perth.

“Trev (Gleeson), as part of my professional development, allowed me to coach a game, so this Blitz will see Tahj coach again, as well as with Gruggs and Kez.

“A lot of that is also by design to have these guys self-manage themselves.”

Cairns Taipans head coach Adam Forde. Picture: Brendan Radke

The Blitz is a chance for players at the end of the bench and rotation to impress and prove to the coaching team why they deserve to move up the pecking order.

Bul Kuol is one man who thrived in that situation two pre-seasons ago when he went from the end of the bench to claiming the NBL Rookie of the Year in NBL22.

“We will rotate through, it is three games in five games so I don’t expect Tahj to play 30 minutes a game over three games, we’ll do it appropriately with the idea we really focus on Round 1,” Forde said.

“But the things we want to check off at the Blitz go beyond the result.

“We want to make sure we hit some KPIs offensively and defensively, that we’re building to that identity, and we also give guys the opportunity to showcase what they’re capable of doing as they may find themselves move up in the pecking order of minutes and rotations.”

The NBL Blitz runs from September 16 to 22.

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Originally published as Tahjere McCall to coach Taipans at the NBL Blitz at the Gold Coast