Hoops

Kings v Cairns 7/11/2016

*whoops, forgot to press Post*

Gaze has said that he would ideally rotate a key 8 players around with spot minutes for other players, which makes sense, you want your best players out there all the time if you can... In a recent press conference, Gaze mentioned that Hill has been quality, but sometimes won't get minutes... I think he would have gotten him in there in Cairns if he could have, but it was just too tight... Maybe he could have brought a little something different to change the result though, I dunno...

I think it was more that Fearne wasn't using him to finish games that was the problem. In his first season with the Taipans, Craig was on court for the majority of games at the end and quite often would play major minutes despite Weigh starting. For some reason, last season Fearne seemed to have the shits with Craig from the start and showed little confidence in him. I think the couple of games before the Xmas break, when Fearne chose to not use use Craig a lot and kept him benched at the death (plus all of OT in one of them) was the straw that broke the camels break for Craig. I know he had made up his mind at the XmasNew Year break that he wouldn't be returning.

When Weigh went down injured and Craig was basically the only option at the 3 after the XmasNew Year break, he played exceptionally well and displayed the form that he is for Brisbane now. In fact, he was close enough to the Taipans best player in that 2nd half of the season. He did have 2 ordinary games but one of them was the last game of a streak of 6 games in 16 days that the Taipans had, where Craig had played major minutes in the first 5 of those games and was simply stuffed. The other was the last game of the season in Townsville in which noone played well (after losing all chance of making the playoffs by losing in NZ a couple of days before).

I thought Fearne handled Craig poorly for the whole of last season. Even when Craig was playing well in the 2nd half of the season he still would quite often strongly admonish him for what he felt he had done wrong rather than acknowledge that he had been playing well. In a tv interview at the end of the season (when asked if the imports would be returning) he said both Stark and Craig had only shown glimpses of their best, which may have been true for Starks but was a ridiculous statement to make about Craig given his 2nd half of the season. Fearne did say later he was interested in getting Craig back but that was never going to happen from Craig's point of view.

Although I feel we miss Craig's rebounding, I have to agree that Edwin is looking very good. His test will be to keep it up on a consistent basis. He does strike me as a player that can be a bit hot and cold with his shooting but even if that is the case he will still contribute strongly with his defensive efforts.

I know it's early days and a long season but the Taipans are starting to look very good. Trice and Jawai are still the keys. We may well have won that game last night with a fit Trice in the team.

Craig was too inconsistent for us. He took games off on both ends and he couldn't stretch out in Fearne's system. I'd take Craig over Edwin on pure talent, but not under Fearne. I think Fearne's favouring of Weigh over Craig to start and finish games put Torrey offside a bit

Edwin has really turned it on the last couple of rounds. I'd still take Craig over him at this stage though.

Anyone else on the Edwin train? Dude is turning out to be a gem (apart from that weak ass drove in the final minute). Not an explosive athlete but a solid contributor in multiple areas. Better for us than Craig was

Prewster saw a few mins last night. He can slot in at the 2 or 3 spot, where as Hill is the exact same as Garlepp - a 3/4 blend. That's the issue - it has less to do with Hill than it does with getting Tommy minutes, IMO.

Jeromie is also the only player (aside from Khazzouh who is not playing) that was "grandfathered" into the team this year due to contract. He wasn't actually picked by these coaches, but by previous management. Could this be a factor in Gaze not giving him minutes?

You can't think Gaze rates Jeromie too highly when he doesn't even give him any minutes playing in his home town of Cairns...

Hill scored 19 points in the loss to Brisbane in the first round and Moller was instrumental in the closing the gap at one stage, neither have been seen since. This could bite the kings in the arse late in the season. Commentators saying Prewster got the 11th spot but not seen as well, though he is very average but is he is a guard so could balance the team better..

Only way Hill gets minutes is at the expense of Tommy... which is not to say that I'm necessarily against that idea (although he's been largely OK). Not sure if Hill is signed beyond this year, but I would not be shocked to see him go some place like Cairns where I reckon he'd be a lock for big minutes.

The roster is too stacked! Remember people's, we have Jules to come back- where the hell does he play? I'd seriously consider releasing him and let him play somewhere else where he will be utilized

Still frustrating to see key bench players that could make a difference for the Sydney team benched for entire games. Jeromie Hill has been on full contract and has sat out the past three games for no reason other than there was no use for him. Him and Moller might have made a difference in these Cairns games after the bigs were getting in trouble.

SYDNEY MUST BE STOPPED! they should NOT be allowed to just keep adding nba STUDS to their lineup even though Andrew Gaze could not coach a dog to piss on a tree.

What's next, Prewster gets replaced by jimmer and KG is yelling ANYTHING AT POSSIBLE at another dopey half-full Sydney crowd!? it is MADNESS!

And our main offender didn't even play :)

Cairns have such a fluid offence, it's beautiful to watch.

Cracking game. What about that block from Powell!

I'll be laughing my way to the bank when I collect $276 from my $1 bet when these two meet in the GF!

Oh and the customary Josh Powell instagram is already up. Surprising JVG just stood at the door instead of joining in.

Any good commentator would know not to use the "OBS" reference.

Yeah this is starting to turn into a must-see matchup everytime these two meet. Rookie coach struggling with a stacked team vs. an experienced one-team coach getting the best out of his less talented team.

Caught a bit of Speed and Heal talking off-camera about the old Cardiac Kings heh. They're probably not aware that they're mic is still live and streamed. Boy ain'tcha glad guys you weren't talking bad about someone. Would've been hilarious if they said something about Gaze being crap at coaching or how an NBA prospect like Whittington doing stupid thing like fouling Egwu.

D Lisch!!!!!

Great entertainment.

Great game. Lisch and Newley too good. The rest of Sydney not so much.

Good old Kevin Delicious

Lisch is mvp for a reasonn

Lisch clutch

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Shouldn't have hedged, Mike, ya wuss.

Cheers Whittington with 2 moronic plays

Gonna cost me my multi

This is a great game

That commentator is thrashing the "Outback Shaq" thing a little too much.

Lol.

Gliddon with the big 3!!

SYDNEY THEN DAYLIGHT DOE

Nice to hear some classic dr Dre being played

Heal has called every game this weekend? Hardest working man in basketball

yeah I don't see the point of them picking up Blake, maybe just opportunity, they had his number and he was willing to come to Aus.

Personally I don't see any value in having Blake. He is surplus to requirements.

Don't see any "veteran leadership" reason..Lisch can do that and more.

Kings have missed a lot of wide open threes. I doubt Gaze would be too concerned that they're 4 points behind.

King's are terrible from 3, terrible.

King's are terrible from 3, terrible.

Blake is washed up. He is not that good anymore.

Kings mostly getting it done in transition.

Cairns again doing a good job of disrupting half court sets

Commentating, why does it matter? They're two AFL meatheads.

Lol, you clown.

Is there something seriously wrong with this ROFL guy? What's the "Woot woot" supposed to be a reference to?

meanwhile, game is on.

Who are the commentators?

Man, the reffing in this one has been terrible (and terribly pro-Sydney).

Also, can the commentators stop calling Maric 'Truck' all the time please. Getting annoying, especially when they're referring to a bloke who can barely even make a bloody layup.

^^^ lol. That's not me.

I've got an impersonator!

commentators

McBrickhead 1 and McBrickhead 2.

Bring back Homicide.

3. The biffo > the dunk!!