Taipans announce assistants

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans have finalised their coaching line-up for the 2025-26 NBL season, with Will Lopez stepping into the lead assistant role.

Alongside Lopez, Head Coach Adam Forde has recruited the talents of Angus Henskens and Michael Lake who make the move to the Far North from Sydney and Adelaide respectively.

Previously working alongside the 2023 NBL Coach of the Year during his time in Sydney, Henskens first joined the Kings in 2019 as an intern coach.

Quickly developing under Will Weaver, the Sydneysider continued with the Kings when Forde took over the reins in 2020, before being appointed the video coordinator in 2022.

Also working with the Norths Bears in the NBL1 and Waratah Youth Leagues, Henskens remained with Hoops Capital until the end of the 2024-25 season, finalising his time as a two-time NBL champion.

Joining him, Lake also brings previous NBL experience with him after spending the past three seasons with the Adelaide 36ers and an earlier stint with the Brisbane Bullets.

Initially assisting the Queensland club as a development squad coach and video analyst, he also joined Basketball Queensland to help run their player development platform. At the same time, he was also involved with the Southwest Metro Pirates.

After leading Queensland South to the U18 national title in 2022, Lake returned to the NBL as a development coach for Adelaide. The Queenslander oversaw the Sixers’ academy program before stepping up as an assistant in late 2023.

During his tenure with Adelaide - which included a strong finish to their 2024-25 campaign - “Lakey” was also appointed as the NBL1 Head Coach of the Southern Tigers for two years.

Meanwhile, Lopez takes on the role of lead assistant coach for his fifth campaign with Cairns.

The son of former-Bankstown Bruin Peter Lopez, Will began his own basketball story at Lees-McRae College – first as a student athlete in 2010 before moving into coaching in 2013.

Returning to Australia the following year, Lopez took his talents to his father’s former club as the Director of Coaching and Development Manager, whilst also working as a coach for Basketball NSW.

He mentored over 400 young players and 25 coaches at Bankstown across four years before taking on the role of High Performance Head Coach.

Shortly after Forde’s tenure with the Taipans began in 2021, the Sydneysider followed him north to Cairns to begin as an intern coach and continued his focus on development at the grassroots level.

Appointed the Basketball Development Manager at Cairns Basketball, he also helped the NBL1 programs alongside his fellow Taipans coaches. Lopez was the Head Coach of the Dolphins in 2024 before taking on a full-time assistant coach role with Cairns.

The Taipans will play their first pre-season game tonight at the State Basketball Centre against South East Melbourne Phoenix. The two new coaches will assist Fordey for the two Melbourne matches, with Lopez remaining in Cairns for the arrival of new players.