To be honest I think the Taipans would be best served getting out from under Fearne and his stifling system. The core he attracts is only ever so-so and most young players get out of there as soon as they can.

They always live and die by their imports, if their imports turn out good they can challenge but usually they're not that crash hot.

IMO, Fearne is a bit like Marty Clarke a college type coach he's not a pro coach the players have to fit into his system otherwise they go to waste.

I know FNQ might not be most players ideal location and the team has a limited budget so it's all easier said than done but I would just like to see what a less rigid coach could do with their rosters. Shawn Dennis comes to mind.

Yeah I don't like Fearne as a coach. Drop him and move on.

Can't be bothered to go round in circles about Fearney again. He'll be there another year minimum so there's no discussion to be had.

Like the idea of keeping Egwu if the price is right, he's a fairly decent back up to Jawai and offers something different from just being a like-for-like replacement strong/slow big man. Especially if he ever starts being allowed to shoot a bit more from 15 yards out (as he's shown he's capable of doing from time to time).

They live and die by their import point guard each year though. I'm sure Fearney now gets an automated email alert every time an otherwise promising young college PG gets pinged by the cops for something serious enough that the NBA scouts get the jitters :-)

What young players have left Cairns as soon as they could? Gliddon would have been the best example of young talent coming on board, but he's not only stuck around, but become captain and looks to be a lifelong Taipan...

Nate left for overseas, didn't he? When he came back I don't think Cairns had a spot for him, he went to Perth, but is now back for 3yr stint, a huge part of that would be because of Fearne... From all accounts, Fearne was in contact with McCarron while at college and in Spain and look who he came back to play for?

As for living and dying by their imports, the same could VERY MUCH be said of Perth as well... If it wasn't for Cotton coming on board, they wouldn't have made the playoffs and if it wasn't for him and Prather, they wouldn't have cracked 40ppg as a team...

I understand there are legit criticisms of Fearne, but got to keep it in perspective...

@Zodiac, I can see some strength in some of your comments, and as a long tem Taipans fan, I concur that Fearne's system is a difficult one for players to really shine. That said, Cairns has always had problems (due to both cash and location) drawing high quality players at the peak of their careers, and when we have, we've often been gutted by other teams (witness Melbourne poaching Ubake and Dorsey, along with Dillon.)

I also heartily agree with my courtside neighbour, @CT. We can go round and round about Fearne, but he's here for next season. That's why I initiated the post about the playing group, not the coaching personnel.

Also, @Wookie is right. What NBL teams would have come close to the finals this year without the stellar play of their impoorts? Adelaide without Randle? Perth were crap without Cotton, even with Prather playing his pants off. Illawarra without Clarke firing were pasted by Cotton and his cohort in the finals series.

^ Anon: Sobey is relevant to the discussion. Maynard couldn't crack an NBL roster anywhere, and Bruce will always be a fairly decent back up.

So, yes, teams live and die by their imports. It's just a fact that Australia has rarely produced point guards of the standard we can get from (principally) the USA. That's why every almost team in the NBL has relied on them over the years.

So, should the Taipans stump up for a really high quality PG? Should they try to keep Trice?

What are their options at PF? Personally, I think they should play Egwu at PF with Nate more often - he CAN hit that 15 foot jump shot (I don't know about 15 yards, CT!) Weigh can also play at PF, he has the strength and the athleticism, can post a lot of guys up, and also stretch the floor. Is a PF by committee approach feasible, with Egwu, Loughton and Weigh sharing the minutes, given that Egwo will also have to share minutes with Nate (especially if he has fould called on him at the rate he did this season)?

How about this?
IMPORT/Weeks/Heuir
Gliddon/McCarron/BLANCHFIELD
BLANCHFIELD/McCarron/Weigh
EGWU/Loughton/Weigh
Jawai/Egwu

That still leaves a roster spot open, perhaps for a returning college player at PF/C.

Surely when the low budget teams ( Cairns, Adelaide, Illawarra) all make the play offs you have to give credit to their coaches.
How did Cairns achieve what they did when they got so little out of 2 of 3 imports and probably no Aussie that would start on any other team?
Cairns play to their strength ( slow it down, make the game a grind) like Adelaide play to their strength ( fast run and gun). Hawks play smart basketball.

If people are going to give Joey credit for being projected to finish 7th yet finished 1st, can't they extend that courtesy to Fearne who was projected 8th and finished 2nd?

Almost all coaches are going to live and die by their imports.

See the difference in Vickerman when he had Kerron Johnson vs Cedric Jackson.

See the difference in Gleeson when he had Ennis Vs DeAndre Daniels Vs Prather.

See the difference in Fearne when he had Wilbekin vs Trice.

Egwu is great for Cairns. He is the prefect compliment to Nate's health, weight, foul issues.

Sobey, Bruce, Maynard

Steindl is another to have moved on.

Perth has succeeded due to the stability of their Australians more so than the play of their imports.

@snooch, what was that baout Perth? John McEnroe: you cannot be serious!

Also, Steindl gets so much of a rap, but he never achieved anything in the NBL. Journeyman, at best.

^ about Perth. :D

@Snooch.

"Perth has succeeded due to the stability of their Australians more so than the play of their imports."

I think the stability of their local contingent has a great say in their success, they can make the playoffs even with a 'decent' import pairing of DeAndre Daniels and Beal.

But its the quality imports that takes them to that championship level, for example -
- Ennis / Beal.
- Prather / Beal
- Prather - Cotton

What is Scottie Wilbekin up to those days? he should be their priority.

The flow offence is always only 1 deflection away from having to throw up a 3 pointer on a dwindling shot clock.

Was never going to work against Perth....

Egwu can hit 15 yard shots (see 2:45 below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxzN7n9_ZQw

But yes, I meant 15 ft :-)

You know they'll be around the mark with Fearne coaching and the solid core he's built. Had they got a decent PG this year who knows what they could have achieved.

Next season they're probably going to need an import 3-4 to replace Wortho, so it might look like:

Jawai/Egwu
Import 3-4/Loughton/Weigh
Weigh/Import 3-4/McCarron
Gliddon/McCarron/Heuir
Import/Weeks

The base is there, the system is there, they just need quality in those two new import spots to be a contender.

Maybe you should just shut up!

Apparently Jawai has had shoulder surgery and will miss a the start of next season.

http://www.cairnspost.com.au/sport/local-sport/nate-cops-a-body-blow/news-story/bc6eccc98e8738928efec0358200731e

In a blow to the Taipans' hopes next season, Jawai and his surgically repaired shoulder are facing a six to eight- month recovery period before he can return to the court.

Well, Blanchfield is out of the picture, having signed with the Kings. That's a strange move for both Sydney and Blanchfield, but best left for another thread.

@Thunder Jam, I understand your impatience with the Anonymous quote you responded to, but he has a point, I'm afraid. If the Taipans can't find the dollars to compete for the best players (and we lost out to Perth and Melbourne on $$ for imports in 16/17, so there's precedent,) it's going to be very hard to keep competing.

I think Fearne may be of a mindset to start McCarron at 3, with Weigh backing him up, and look for two more guards and a 4. Jeromie Hill?

Apparently Jawai has had shoulder surgery and will miss a the start of next season.

Re Wilbekin, Romania is looking to naturalise him... For them/him to want to do that, they would have to be paying him a shitload.

I agree about paying the tax and if the NBL is keeping things hushed up on purpose, that's fucked up... The whole point of teams being able to go over "the cap" was that it would help fund the teams unable to do that...

A shame about Jawai, I didn't think his rehab would have taken so long, and really, if it took three weeks for him to get it done, that's a bit sucky, could have really gotten back that much sooner at the other end...

Cairns need to sign a gun #1
Just like every other team...
And with Blanchfield at the Kings & Wortho retired they need a 4-3.
Best bet is banking on youth and pinching the young gun Moller from the Kings. I think his energy will complement Weeks & Mccarron & as his body fills out (I think he's only 22) he's gonna be one large, athletic 3-4 man.

I just wish we could get him at the Hawkies cause we really need an athletic rebounder! : (

Blanchfield is obviously out of the equation, now, which I think is a real shame, both for him and for Cairns. It looks like Sydney are going to fo their best to stack their roster with 3-men, again! ... or dies this leave the likes of Moller, Hill and Whittington open for other clubs to poach? I'd consider any of those three.

2sc945, I like the idea of Khazzouh as Nate's foil at 5. If Fearne continues to chase Egwu's signature, we could see:

Import / Weeks
Gliddon / McCarron
Whittington / Weigh
Egwu / Loughton
Jawai / Khazzouh

I'd like to see Heuir retained as the 11th man, as he provides guard flexibility as a fifth option. I think that's a pretty well balanced line-up, because McCarron can slide into a 3 roll, Whittington can cover 2 - 4, Weigh can play 3 or 4, and both Egwu and Loughton are options at 4 and 5. Is the starting line-up too top heavy? I would like to see Egwu play a little more at the elbow, because he's a decent shot from 15 feet, and would give Nate more room in the opposite post, demanding a defender at the elbow.

Hopefully both Tevin Jackson and Jack Madgen retained as DPs, although I'm not certain about the status of either s DPs. Does anyone know?

^ It looks like Sydney are going to DO their best to stack their roster with 3-men, again! ... or DOES

Damn, stupid, clumsy fingers!