Snake Eyes – Taipans v Kings

It has now been nearly 10 full months since the stunning run of the CQUniversity Cairns Taipans ended last season and now there are some high expectations around the Snakes for the long-awaited 2021 opener.

The Taipans pulled off a remarkable feat last season coming from the wooden spoon a year earlier to get all the way to within one game of reaching a Grand Final, and considering they lost to the eventual champions anything was possible.

The majority of that group is returning with NBL Next Star Mojave King and New Zealander Jordan Ngatai on board while the change in import rules meant DJ Newbill was the unfortunate casualty.

But the rest of the group is back from that team that won so many hearts last season and while it's at a new temporary stadium at the Pop-Up Arena, there's great excitement ahead of Saturday night's season-opener.

The Taipans will be hosting the Grand Finalists of a year ago, the Sydney Kings at the Cairns Pop-Up Arena with tip-off set for 7pm local time.

To get yourself ready, here are the five things to look out for:

1. CHANCE TO SEND AN EARLY MESSAGE
First up to open the new season for the Cairns Taipans is the Sydney Kings who reached the Grand Final last year so the Snakes can send an early message in 2021

The Sydney Kings might still have reason to consider themselves unlucky for not winning the NBL championship a season ago. While that will be motivation for them, it also sets them up as a nice early target for the Cairns Taipans as the season tips off at the Pop-Up Arena on Saturday night.

The Kings won their opening six games of the 2019/20 season and they went on to remain in top position the entire regular season, took out the regular season championship and then beat Melbourne United in three games of the semi finals to reach the Grand Final.

That Grand Final Series was then cut short thanks to the COVID-19 global pandemic with the Kings having won just one of the three games to have been completed in what had been scheduled to be a best-of-five series. 

So the championship was awarded to the Perth Wildcats which is sure to be used by motivation for those returning as part of this Kings team for the 2021 season. But that's a story for them to tell.

For the Taipans, that puts a target on the back of the Kings for the season opener and a win for Cairns on the new home floor against the dominant team of last year will make quite the impression of their intentions for #NBL21.

Cairns made a fairytale run from wooden spoon to within a game of the Grand Final, and as it turned out three wins from a championship last season. But that does now count for nothing when the new season is starting and momentum has to be built again.

With imports Scott Machado and Cam Oliver re-signing, veterans Nate Jawai and Jarrod Kenny remaining, crucial players Mirko Djeric and Majok Deng back and then the exciting emerging players Kouat Noi, George Blagojevic and Fabijan Krslovic continuing to grow, all the right signs are there.

While it will be a challenge to cover the loss of DJ Newbill, the additions of Mojave King and Jordan Ngatai are encouraging too.

So all the signs are there that the Taipans should be able to only build on what they did a season ago, but they now have to show that on the floor and a big showing against the Kings on Saturday night will be just the tonic.

2. POINT GUARD WARRIORS RENEW RIVALRY
Scott Machado and Casper Ware are the floor generals and spiritual leaders of their teams, and they lock horns once more to open the NBL season on Saturday night 

If you want to pick out an individual contest to not take your eyes off on Saturday night, then look no further than the battle of superstar point guards Scott Machado and Casper Ware.

Machado took the NBL by storm last season ending up on the All-First Team and finishing second in MVP voting but Ware is already a championship winner and remains quite the competitor for the 'Maestro' to go up against.

And while they had some tantalising battles in the Taipans-Kings games during the last season, it was only the renewal of a long-standing rivalry between the pair.

Both points guards have NBA experience and are no strangers to one another including an All-Star contest back in their college days when Machado attended New York's Iona College while Ware was at Long Beach's California State University.

Given that competitive history between the pair and the fact that their teams are so reliant on their output whether it be as leaders, floor generals, to set the play up or do the scoring themselves, and they will both come out breathing fire.

Machado established himself as a superstar of the league last season but he now will want to start this new campaign in the same fashion to show that he remains a genuine MVP threat. 

But prior to Machado's arrival, it was Ware who was the one many were considering on the level of Perth's Bryce Cotton in the running as the best player, or at least guard, in the NBL. 

So Ware will have noticed how highly Machado was thought of last season and will want to show that he deserves to be considered in the same category. All of that means that if you keep an eye on what's happening at the point guard spot will mean that you are treated to quite the show.

3. BEWARE THE WOUNDED OPPONENTS
The Cairns Taipans can't afford to take last year's Grand Finalists the Sydney Kings lightly no matter who they have lost from a season ago or who is currently out injured

The Sydney Kings might have lost some key, experienced players from last season and might be without a couple of key players from this year's squad, but by no means does that mean the Cairns Taipans can take them lightly.

From the outfit that went so close to winning a championship a season ago, the Kings have lost Andrew Bogut, Kevin Lisch, Jae'Sean Tate and Lucas Walker. 

Considering one of those is an NBA No. 1 draft pick and champion, another is a current NBA player, another is a dual MVP and Olympian, and the other a Boomer too, and that's four players tough to cover for any team.

The Kings are also playing under a new head coach with Adam Forde in charge of an NBL team for the first time after Will Weaver was appointed an assistant coach at the Houston Rockets.

Then on top of that, the league's oldest player and one of the most efficient players to ever play in the NBL, Daniel Kickert won't play on Saturday night due to an ankle injury as he joins Xavier Cooks on the sidelines for the trip to Cairns.

Despite all of that, the Kings team still features Casper Ware, Brad Newley, Didi Louzada, Craig Moller and Shaun Bruce, and has been topped up by Dejan Vasiljevic, Jarrell Martin, Angus Glover and Tom Vodanovich.

That is still a more than capable group of players so the Taipans will need to ensure they are at their best to come away with the season-opening victory.

4. SNAKES UNVEIL FIRST EVER NEXT STAR
The Cairns Taipans will have a player as part of the NBL Next Star program for the first time in 2021 and Mojave King will look to show a glimpse of his potential on Saturday night

The Cairns Taipans will make another slice of club history on Saturday night when the first ever player as part of the NBL Next Star programs suits up in orange.

The Next Star program was established by the NBL to allow for players earmarked for the upcoming NBA Draft to be able to play in the league as an alternative to going to college to finalise their preparations for the big time.

LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton put the program on the global stage last season and went on to both be drafted into the NBA last year, and now it's the Taipans turn to have their own future NBA prospect in their midst.

Mojave King had offers to get himself ready for the NBA Draft from the best of colleges in the United States and rival clubs, but he decided it was the Taipans he wanted to put his faith in.

When King hits the floor on Saturday night, he will become the youngest ever player to do so representing the Taipans as a fully contracted player. 

The 18-year-old is the second youngest player in the NBL this season behind Adelaide's Josh Giddey while he's also the second Australian to be signed as a Next Star behind Giddey.

King has already shown exciting signs during the pre-season with the Taipans that not only is he going to be developing this season to get ready for the NBA, but he's ready and able to make a genuine impact on this team and to help the Snakes win games.

And first up for him when he looks across the court against the Kings, he will be facing some seasoned and well credentialed opponents directly including Olympian Brad Newley and second-year Next Star Didi Louzada.

5. LET'S MAKE THIS NEW VENUE A SIMILAR FORTRESS
For more than 20 years Cairns Convention Centre has been one of the most intimidating home venues in the NBL, now the Snakes are looking to make the Pop-Up Arena similar

The Cairns Taipans have only ever played home games at Cairns Convention Centre in the club's history but that all changes Saturday night with this season spent playing out of the Pop-Up Arena.

The Taipans have played home matches inside the Convention Centre for the past 21 seasons and in 319 games in the venue, they've won 180 of them at an impressive 56 per cent winning clip.

That has made it one of the best home court advantages across the NBL for the Snakes in those 21 years, and while the Pop-Up Arena is still in the same city and will be filled by the Orange Army, Saturday is the start of building up a new fortress for the Taipans.

Coming to Cairns was especially challenging for opposition teams last season. With the Taipans' momentum building, they ended up winning seven straight home matches including Game 2 of the semi finals against the Perth Wildcats.

The last home defeat for the Taipans was way back in December 2019 so they will now look to bring that winning streak with them over to the Pop-Up Arena for the 2021 season.

Interestingly, the opponents for the Taipans for the first ever home game in 1999 was also the Sydney Kings. Then the opening home game of last season was also against the Kings so in many ways it's fitting the opening game at the Pop-Up Arena is also against Sydney.

The only thing the Taipans will now look to turnaround is the results. The Kings won both that first game in 1999 and first game of last season, but the Snakes will be determined to make a winning start to life inside the Pop-Up Arena on Saturday night.