Sport
10 February, 2023
Taipans Win Big At Nbl Awards
CQUNIVERSITY Cairns Taipans star Keanu Pinder has made history, becoming the first NBL player to win the Most Improved Player award twice at the NBL Awards.
In his second season in Cairns, coach Adam Forde was named Coach of the Year after recruiting the youngest team in franchise history to register the secondbest win record.
Rookie Sam Waardenburg accepted his well-deserved Next Generation award as the inaugural winner of the new honour, while DJ Hogg was named to the All-NBL second team alongside Pinder.
To cap off the honours, the club was acknowledged off the court, with Taipans CEO Mark Beecroft being named the Executive of the Year.
The star of the night, Keanu Pinder, averaged 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds across 35 games with the Adelaide 36ers in his first year in the NBL before joining Cairns, where he reunited with his former junior coach and evolved to 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds in 28 games.
The versatile forward won the Most Improved in 2022 and took another leap this year, improving to 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds in just 19 games before injury cut his season short, and he was unable to be at the evening to accept his award.
The 27-year-old made league history with this year’s Most Improved award as the first player to win twice and has managed the historic feat back-to-back.
Much of Pinder’s success is due to his longstanding relationship with Adam Forde, who was honoured as the Coach of the Year.
After finishing ninth last year with nine wins, Forde has steered an incredible turnaround to double his win record (18- 10) while securing a third-placed finish.
Despite enlisting the most inexperienced team on paper, Forde has created an enviable culture and distinctive style of play that has been recognised across the league.
Forde took home the Lindsay Gaze trophy with 64 votes, a clear margin ahead of other nominees Mody Maor, New Zealand Breakers (52 votes) and Chase Buford, Sydney Kings (34 votes).
Sam Waardenburg was also a clear standout for the now-defunct Rookie of the Year nod but rightfully takes out the first Next Generation award for his brilliant NBL debut.
The University of Miami graduate joined the Taipans on a two-year deal last June and averaged 10.8 points, shooting at 53.6 per cent from the field to go with 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in his first 25 games as a pro.
Another new addition to the team last year was import DJ Hogg, who has been quietly consistent and impressively efficient for Cairns; not missing a single game throughout the regular season.
The 2021 G-League champion made an outstanding case for his NBA ambitions, averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals for an All-NBL Second Team nod alongside Pinder.
The Taipans won every category they were nominated for on the court but were recognised off the court too, as CEO Mark Beecroft was hailed for his contributions with the Executive of the Year award.
Beecroft is the longest-serving CEO in the league, having been involved with the organisation for almost 20 years and in his 14th season at the helm.
During his extensive tenure, he has been responsible for securing landmark naming rights sponsors (Skytrans & CQUniversity) and several successful long-term partnerships, including Cairns Regional Council, Kenfrost Homes and the Reef Hotel Casino.
