Game Preview: Taipans v JackJumpers

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans have an immediate opportunity to respond when they return to the Cairns Convention Centre for their home opener against the Tasmania JackJumpers on Wednesday night.

After opening the season with a 111-90 loss to the Sydney Kings on Sunday, the Taipans have quickly turned their attention to defending home court and continuing to build a new-look group.

Point guard Shaun Bruce said the short turnaround was exactly what Cairns needed.

“We’ve got our work to do and it’s great we’ve got a quick turnaround Wednesday, got the JackJumpers coming in,” Bruce said after Sunday’s game.

“As a team, we’ve got a lot to learn and we’ll keep getting better.

“Especially in this early part of the season, outside of three guys, we’re all pretty new.

“How we go about speeding up that process lies on me and Fordey and a lot of the other older guys and the leaders.”

The Taipans will face a Tasmania side arriving in Far North Queensland with momentum after producing a stirring comeback against South East Melbourne on Monday night.

The JackJumpers overturned a 14-point half-time deficit to claim a 96-91 victory, sparked by import swingman David Johnson. Johnson finished with a game-high 26 points, including 12 in a pivotal third quarter.

Tasmania will, however, arrive undermanned, with head coach Scott Roth confirming Josh Bannan (back), Anthony Drmic (back) Ben Ayre (hip) and Majok Deng (leg) will miss the clash.

“Going up there, the big thing is the climate change, we will recover and see what happens,” Roth said.

One of the matchups to watch will come in the paint, where Taipans star Keanu Pinder goes head-to-head with JackJumpers big man Will Magnay.

Pinder was a standout in Cairns’ season opener, pouring in a game-high 27 points against Sydney.

His versatility shapes as an important weapon against Magnay, with Pinder’s ability to stretch the floor potentially dragging Tasmania’s rim protector away from the basket and creating space for the Taipans to attack.

Magnay enters the contest after making his presence felt in Tasmania’s comeback victory, finishing with 14 points, six assists and four rebounds while producing a crucial late block.

There will also be a familiar face on the other side when former Taipan Taran Armstrong returns to Cairns for the first time in opposition colours.

Armstrong played 42 games in orange and emerged as one of the NBL’s breakout guards in NBL25, averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Now wearing JackJumpers colours, Armstrong will face his former team and a Cairns crowd that knows first-hand the impact the 196cm playmaker can have on a game.

Malique Lewis looms as an intriguing defensive option for the Taipans against Armstrong, with his length and athleticism offering Cairns a potential way to disrupt the former Golden State Warrior.

With a quick turnaround, a first chance to play in front of the Orange Army and plenty of familiar faces and key matchups, Wednesday night presents the Taipans with the perfect opportunity to make an early statement on their home floor.