Goorjian Salutes Taipans Youth as Stattmann and King Shine

Six-time NBL champion and Sydney Kings head coach Brian Goorjian praised the growth of the Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans’ young core and the work of Head Coach Adam Forde after Sunday’s Blackout Round clash.

The Taipans pushed Sydney into a first-half hole, but the Kings’ second-half surge sealed a 106-92 win.

Goorjian singled out Kody Stattmann after the 25-year-old's career-best 18 points and game-closing heroics in Friday night’s overtime victory over the JackJumpers.

“Watching them closely tonight and in the last game (against Tasmania), I thought what a great job Adam Forde has done with young guys,” Goorjian said.

“I had something to do with (Kody) Stattmann when I was at the Hawks and I thought he had potential, but there was something missing. Over the last two nights, I thought there’s been huge development with him.”

Goorjian also highlighted the rise of explosive guard Mojave King since joining the Taipans in late October.

“I know with the national program, when I was (involved), there was always talk about (Mojave) King,” he said.

“How’s it going to go? It’s been a rollercoaster ride with a lot of up and downs. How he’s played since coming here and his development, it’s something Forde just has a gift with and that takes a lot of work.”

The 23-year-old set the tone in both games, scoring 16 in the first half against Tasmania, then again providing an aggressive downhill punch against Sydney with 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists as Cairns flew out of the blocks on a tough turnaround.

Kyrin Galloway continued his strong stretch of form with 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks against the Kings after playing a key defensive role in Friday’s overtime win.

While the Taipans ultimately fell away against a deeper Kings roster, Goorjian admitted Cairns made life difficult early.

“I thought coming in tonight, they’re out of this thing, but how they played, we really struggled to guard them,” he said. “They made it uncomfortable for us.”

He pointed to Sydney’s mid-game adjustment as a turning point, turning to a smaller, more mobile group to better contain Cairns on the perimeter.

“I thought Tim Soares played great and has been playing great, but we went to an all-switching lineup and went small. That helped us contest the three-ball a lot better,” he said.

Cairns still found bright spots in the loss, led by gritty guard Lachlan Barker’s career-best 18 points, a reward for the Tasmanian’s poise and shot-making, particularly in the third quarter as the Taipans searched for answers during Sydney’s runs.

Australian Boomer Jack McVeigh again drew heavy attention as Sydney prioritised taking away his comfort zones.

“I worked with Jack in the national program,” Goorjian said.

“There’s nobody as a human being, as a culture piece, as a basketball player, that I have more respect for. I thought the attention we put there and the way we contested them. We kept them off the foul line, we worked the three-ball and took that away as much as we could.”

“The future of Australian basketball has never been brighter.”

‍The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans return home for their final game at the Cairns Convention Centre, taking on Melbourne United on Thursday, February 12 at 6:30pm. Grab your tickets HERE