Cairns Taipans 2017/18

[miracle.touch]

OP to be updated as news comes to hand.

Still contracted:
Cameron Gliddon (1 year remaining)
Stephen Weigh (1 year remaining)
Alex Loughton (1 year remaining)
Jarrad Weeks (1 year remaining)
Mitch McCarron (1 year remaining)
Nathan Jawai (2 years remaining)
Aaron Fearne [head coach] (1 year remaining)
Jamie Pearlman [assistant coach] (1 year remaining)

New signings:
Nnanna Egwu (1 year)
Damon Heuir (1 year)
Kuany Kuany (2 years)
Scoochie Smith (1 year)
Michael Carrera (1 year)
Jamie O'Loughlin [assistant coach] (1 year)
Jerry Evans Jr (injury replacement for Michael Carrera)

Off Contract and/ or unsigned:
Anthony Fisher [DP]
Tevin Jackson [DP]
Jack Madgen [DP]

Gone:
Mark Worthington (retired)
Fuquan Edwin (released)
Tony Mitchell (suspended)
Travis Trice (Brisbane Bullets)
Gordie McLeod [assistant coach]

[2sc945]

Starters

PG: Import*
SG: Cameron Gliddon
SF: Import*
PF: Import*
C: Nathan Jawai

Bench

PG: Jarrad Weeks
SG: Mitch McCarron
SF: Stephen Weigh
PF: Jeromie Hill
F/C: Alex Loughton
C: Julian Khazzouh

[miracle.touch]

Blanchfield being a free agent and from NQ should make him a serious target to replace Wortho, IMO.

[Nerf Herder]

Would Cairns be in the same boat as Illawarra and not being in the ballpark cash-wise as to what Blanchfield might be able to get? And would he be able to demand as much as he would have gotten when he left the Crocs seeing as how Unitards didn't really use him to his potential?

Surely Jeromie Hill would be in the running to replace Wortho? Not a starter, but still a decent young player and will no doubt be out to prove himself after a disastrous season at the Kings with about 5mins total playing time...

[miracle.touch]

Would Cairns be in the same boat as Illawarra and not being in the ballpark cash-wise as to what Blanchfield might be able to get? And would he be able to demand as much as he would have gotten when he left the Crocs seeing as how Unitards didn't really use him to his potential?

Surely Jeromie Hill would be in the running to replace Wortho? Not a starter, but still a decent young player and will no doubt be out to prove himself after a disastrous season at the Kings with about 5mins total playing time...

Regardless of whether they could afford it or not, there's no way Cairns would pay what Blanchfield was getting at United (if the price I've heard was accurate).

I've heard talk of Cairns looking at Hill, but surely Stephen Way is in the weigh (see what I did there). Neither of them is going to have the impact that Wortho did, and the only free agent that might get close is Blanchfield IMO. I guess it's just a matter of whether they can make an offer that's attractive enough.

[FreeThrows]

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?

[Wild 1]

Nate's gona miss a lot of the first part of the season isn't he? Shoulder op?

[King Podge]

Nate's gona miss a lot of the first part of the season isn't he? Shoulder op?

yep, 6-8 months from 2 weeks ago.

[miracle.touch]

Finally, a signing announcement.

Nnanna Egwu has re-signed.

[miracle.touch]

Damon Heuir re-signed: http://www.nbl.com.au/featured-news/...ng-back-heuir/

[miracle.touch]

An 'all-new' player announcement coming tomorrow.

[Nerf Herder]

An 'all-new' player announcement coming tomorrow.

This might actually triple the number of non-durbansandshark posts...

[miracle.touch]

An 'all-new' player announcement coming tomorrow.

http://www.nbl.com.au/featured-news/...d-kuany-kuany/

[2sc945]

http://www.nbl.com.au/featured-news/...d-kuany-kuany/

LOL we got another guy with a reduplicated name in the league.

[miracle.touch]

OP updated with Scoochie.

I also heard something about Derek Rucker being approached for an assistant coaching gig.

[Nerf Herder]

Just give the award of "Most 'unique' names" to the Taipans again, already!

Is this now a requirement for new players? It's not like things coming out of Fearney's mouth don't sound funny enough as it is, they have to add extra weird names?

[miracle.touch]

OP updated with all the signings.