A struggling Melbourne United outfit are likely to welcome back Chris Goulding when they look to kickstart their season in a match against the much improved Cairns Taipans. Join The Roar for live scores from 7:30pm (AEDT).
While Melbourne have had their fair share of injury problems which have hampered their progrees through the season, sitting bottom of the table with a record of three wins and seven losses given the depth in their squad is unacceptable.
Even when their starts, Chris Goulding and Todd Blanchfield were healthy – which they haven’t been for the last few weeks – the side was struggling to fulfill their potential, which realistically should have had them at or near the top of the table.
Casper Ware is expected to play his first game for the club after he was signed to replace the released Cedric Jackson during the week, and the pressure will be on from the get go.
The injuries to Goulding and Blanchfield may have a silver light at the end of the tunnel for United though, with the likes of Nate Tomlinson and Owen Odigie proving their worth in a side that has been beaten more often than not.
Their inside presence hasn’t been as strong as might have been thought, with David Andersen and Majok Majok becoming quite inconsistent, and nowhere was that more true than their 16-point beating at the hands of the Sydney Kings last week.
The Taipans also had a weak start to the season, losing their first three in a row on the road, but unlike Melbourne they have recovered and are now on the edge of the top four with a record of four and five.
A big part of their resurgence has been the return to form of Mark Worthington, and although they lost to the Brisbane Bullets in controversial circumstances last week, they have now won four of their last six which includes beating Melbourne and Sydney.
With import guard Travis Trice due back on the floor, it should only improve their offence which, while good has been a little inconsistent and cost them at times.
The biggest problem for Cairns is their reliance on the three-point shot. While they have proven they have other ways to score – particularly through Nate Jawai in the paint, they sometimes fall into a rut of serving up bad shots, and can’t afford that against Melbourne.
Prediction
Despite having Goulding back and being at home, Cairns are playing a hard style of Basketball and could cause a massive boilover on the road here.
Taipans by 5.
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Scott Pryde
Expert
No blog of this game unfortunately (you can follow scores above) but it should be noted that Chris Goulding is back for Melbourne United. Plenty of pressure on them tonight.