Preview: Cairns Taipans vs Washington Wizards

Cairns won two of their opening three games in the Australian National Basketball League, can they become the second NBL team to defeat an NBA side in their pre-season tournament?

WHEN AND WHERE 

Tuesday, October 10 at Capital One Arena, Washington DC (7PM ET)
Australian Time: Wednesday, October 11 (9AM AEST)

HOW TO FOLLOW

Watch: Live on KAYO Freebies and Taipans socials 

AN OVERVIEW

The Taipans make their NBA preseason debut against the Washington Wizards, with the latter preparing for life after Bradley Beal, with the three-time NBA-All Star being traded to the Phoenix Suns. 

In June this year, the Grizzlies traded Tyus Jones to the Wizards as part of a three-team deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis Kristaps Porzi??is to the Boston Celtics and Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies.

Along with Jones, the Wizards have acquired the services of a key piece with the potential to turn a game in Jordan Poole, and former NBL star Xavier Cooks.

The Taipans opened their season going down to 98-87 against the New Zealand Breakers, who also play in this year’s NBA preseason.

They backed up five days later hosting the Southeast Melbourne Phoenix and taking the win on home court 87-80, with American import and veteran point guard Patrick Miller contributing 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Swedish import Bobi Klintman had a double double in the win with 15 points and 11 rebounds from 23:44 of court time.

The third game for the Taipans went down to the wire against the Brisbane Bullets, with the Taipans holding on for an 89-86 win, Miller and Klintman both sinking double digit points.

The Cairns outfit will be at full-strength when they tip-off against the Wizards, minus Lachlan Anderson, who will re-join his team in Canada for their other game against the Toronto Raptors.

The Washington size however will be without the services of Landry Shamet and starting center Daniel Gafford both ruled out, while Deni Avdija, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Taj Gibson and Eugene Omoruyi are all day-to-day prospects.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jordan Poole 

One-time NBA champion and former Golden State Warrior joins the Wizards for the 2023-2024 season. Although he had an up and down season last year, he now gets the opportunity to lead a team with no single individual star player but loaded with potential. He is a quality shooter and eyes will be on him from the first moment he hits out with this Washington side. At only 24 years of age, he has been given the keys to this Wizards team, after seasons with the Golden State Warriors, and can if giving the chance lead this group as a legitimate leader brimming with youth.

Patrick Miller

After three games of the NBL, the American product is proving to be a handful for opponents while pleasing the Taipans faithful, as he sits on both points (19.7 ppg) and assists (6.3 per game) league ladders.

In the teams two wins so far, Miller has performed greatly with 21 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds in their gritty win against the Brisbane Bullets last weekend and against the South East Melbourne Phoenix delivering an individual contribution, flirting with the double-double of 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Miller may be 31 years of age, but he comes with a remarkable CV of experience working his craft across the globe including the Turkish second league and EuroLeague with Partizan.

THE MATCHUPS 

Kyle Kuzma v Sam Waardenburg

This battle of the glass! Kuzma averaged 7.2 rebounds per game matched with 21 points last year in his second season with the Wizards, his time with the Lakers helping to instil experience in the Michigan native. He will be the starting power forward for the Washington side this year, and his role will be partnering with Poole to ensure drives to the basket are plentiful if scoring is limited from a deeper range.

In his way in this clash will be twenty-three-year-old Waardenburg who was signed by the Taipans from the University of Miami forward his first professional playing contract.

The 208cm forward was a key part in the Hurricanes making it to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in program history, playing as their primary big man and their best three-point shooter. In his final year, he averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and the team-high 1.3 blocks per game.

He features on the NBL leader board for rebounds stats in the league after three games, with 8.0 averaged per game, setting up a huge clash with Kuzma off the boards.

Xavier Cooks v Bobi Klintman

The Wizards depth at center is to be questioned currently with starter Daniel Gafford out for two-to-four weeks due to a recent elbow injury sustained during a pick-up game along with Taj Gibson being a day-to-day prospect with groin soreness.

These two outs should make way for two-time NBL champion and the 2023 league MVP, Xavier Cooks to get a spot in this preseason game.

After signing with the Wizards, in March, he made his NBA debut the next day, recording two rebounds in five and a half minutes against the Sacramento Kings. He would play one more game for the season, the Wizards' final game of the season on 9 April, recording 10 points and 14 rebounds in 35 minutes as a starter against the Houston Rockets.

During this year’s NBA Summer League, Cooks had a stand-out performance for the Australian contingent sinking 16 points, with 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists in 21 minutes during a loss to the Spurs 96-85.

Remember the name - Bobi Klintman. The Swedish big man is showing what he brings to the Taipans squad and is still only twenty-years-old.

In their first game for the season, a 98-87 loss to the New Zealand Breakers he was limited to eight points, two assists and five rebounds in twenty minutes of court time.

The following week the Taipan’s Next Star member sunk 15pts and 11 rebounds in a huge contribution, and armed with length, size and scoring potency he is sure to be drafted to the NBA in coming years.