Teen Next Star blows past his minutes limit

Luke Paul had plenty of time to think about his NBL debut, but when it finally arrived, the Next Star made it look easy. Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde found it hard to take him off the floor despite a strict minutes restriction.

At just 17, and already committed to Duke University for next season, the Perth-born guard carried plenty of expectation into Thursday night’s clash with Brisbane, and he didn’t look out of place.

His debut was delayed by an ankle injury suffered in pre-season, and it was always going to be an easing-in process, but he made the most of his first taste of the NBL in the Taipans’ win in Cairns.

Coach Forde had planned on playing him for a couple of minutes at the end of each quarter, but Paul looked so at ease on an NBL floor at the back end of the first that he kept him out there to start the second.

He finished with two points and two steals in his 11 minutes, but it was how at home he looked and how he played without fear that pleased his coach the most.

“Luke was really impressive and we knew that he was going to be able to handle the ball, and do the things off the ball and we wanted to ease him into it,” Forde said.

“That’s why we gave him another guard out there, but what he was doing defensively in the shifts, he got a couple of deflections and there was one where [Tyrell] Harrison got an early post and Jonah Bolden was battling for that position, and Luke came in and swooped in and got the steal for it.

“There was a lot of things for a young man in his first [game] that he was really impressive. We had the minutes plan to keep him to five to eight, but because he was doing so well that extended out to 11. He’ll only grow in confidence and I’ll only grow in confidence in him.”

While Paul might have had to wait a little longer to make his NBL debut than he would have liked, he was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable he felt out there and couldn’t wait to get over to see his family straight after the buzzer.

“I went over and said hello to mum and dad and my sister, who are the biggest supporters in my life. To have them here at my first game was pretty special as well,” Paul said.

“It’s been a long time coming now and obviously that ankle injury kind of set me back, but it’s good to be back out there and Fordey and the boys trust me to go out there to play my game and do what I do best.

“As much as I wanted to keep playing, I’ve just gotta limit it and ease into it, but it’s good to get one under the belt.”