Game Preview: Sharks @ Airs

Game Preview: Taranaki Airs (3-3) vs SBS Southland Sharks (3-2)

The Taranaki Airs return to TSB Stadium on Thursday night looking to protect their unbeaten home record, but they will meet a SBS Southland Sharks team that may have found its rhythm after back-to-back wins with a closer to full-strength squad.

The Sharks arrive with momentum after putting 118 points on the Property Brokers Manawatū Jets, their highest-scoring game of the season and the highest team score in the league so far. Southland has also moved to 3-2, with Sam Timmins, Caleb Asberry, Keylan Boone, Rylan Jones and Brayden Inger giving the Sharks a balanced and dangerous offensive group even as they await the final pieces to the puzzle.

The Airs have dropped three of their past four, including a 107-91 loss to the NBS Nelson Giants, but this week brings a refreshed look as the roster welcomes the final pieces to the puzzle. James Moors joins the team after the conclusion of his European season, giving Taranaki a quality Kiwi big with size, mobility and frontcourt versatility. Brandon Stroud is also listed to make his Airs debut as an import, adding another significant piece to a group that has been searching for more physicality, rebounding and two-way production.

Will the Sharks win their third straight or will the Airs break their three game slide? We'll find out on the court tonight!

Stroud arrives after a standout season with Kouvot in Finland, where he averaged 20.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals across 23 games, shooting 49.4 percent from the floor and 31.3 percent from three. After five NCAA seasons split between Kennesaw State and South Florida, Stroud gives Taranaki another proven scorer and rebounder who can impact the game without needing to be used as a traditional big.

When: Thursday 7 May, Rapid League 6.00pm, Sal’s NBL 7.00pm

Where: TSB Stadium, New Plymouth

Watch: Live on Sky Sport 2

Commentary: Nathan Limm and Casey Frank

Box Score Here

Last Time Out

The Airs were beaten 107-91 by the NBS Nelson Giants in Nelson, despite a late push from Xavier Green and Aaron Cook Jr. Taranaki was right in the game after the first quarter, but the Giants took control with a 31-17 second term before opening the game right up in the third. The Airs showed fight in the fourth, cutting what had been a 39-point deficit down to 12, but Liam Judd steadied Nelson and helped the Giants close out the win.

NBS Nelson Giants: Liam Judd (26p, 6r), Kruz Perrott-Hunt (22p, 8a), Eemi Luukkonen (20p, 11r, 3a, 3s, 88 FG%)

Taranaki Airs: Xavier Green (28p, 6r, 6a, 2s), Aaron Cook Jr. (19p, 4r, 3a, 4s), Quintin Bailey (10p, 3r)

The Sharks produced their best offensive performance of the season in a 118-100 win over the Property Brokers Manawatū Jets. Kaden Sand caught fire early for the Jets with 15 first-quarter points, but Southland found answers through Caleb Asberry, Keylan Boone and Brayden Inger. Once the Sharks began to slow Sand down, their perimeter shooting and offensive depth took over, with Southland knocking down a NBL season high 19 threes and finishing with 30 assists (2nd highest NBL total in '26).

SBS Southland Sharks: Keylan Boone (25p, 7r), Caleb Asberry (20p, 7r, 7a), Brayden Inger (23p, 5r)

Property Brokers Manawatū Jets: Kaden Sand (25p, 5a), Jamal Poplar Jr. (21p, 8r), Kazlo Evans Jr. (18p, 7r, 7a)

What to Expect: Projected Starters

Taranaki Airs

PG: Aaron Cook Jr.

G: Xavier Green

F: Brandon Stroud

PF: Taane Samuel

C: James Moors

SBS Southland Sharks

PG: Rylan Jones

SG: Tukaha Cooper

SG: Caleb Asberry

F: Brayden Inger

C: Sam Timmins

Moors’ arrival changes the feel of this matchup and the remainder of the season for Taranaki, but he is not the only major inclusion. The Airs have also added Stroud as an import, giving them a bigger, more athletic and more versatile frontcourt look than they have had through the opening rounds.

Taranaki has been soundly beaten on the glass to start the season, sitting last in the league in rebounding margin, rebounding average and offensive rebounding percentage. Adding the duo of Moors and Stroud gives the Airs a chance to address one of their clearest issues with immediacy. Moors brings size and interior presence, while Stroud brings a strong all-round profile after averaging 20.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists in Finland this past season.

That should allow Taane Samuel to play with more support around him, while Marcel Jones, Quintin Bailey and Luka Vea give Taranaki much stronger depth options off the bench. The big question is how quickly the new pieces can fit. Against a Sharks team with Sam Timmins, Keylan Boone, Caleb Asberry and Brayden Inger all in form, the Airs will need instant impact from their new-look group.

For Southland, the blueprint is looking dangerous. After being dependant on their play in the paint early in the season, the last hit out suggested that the perimeter game has taken precedence after a league season high in 3-pointers made. As good as the offense has been the defense may be more fearsome, as the combination of size and quickness has see their points given up steadily declining as their ball pressure abilities rise. Timmins is averaging 20.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.2 blocks, while Asberry, Boone, Jones, Cooper and Inger give the Sharks multiple scoring options around him. Southland is also third in rebounding margin, third in three-pointers made and fourth in assists, which makes this a direct test of whether Taranaki’s roster changes can immediately shift their season trend.

Matchup to Watch: James Moors v Sam Timmins

Timmins has been one of the league’s most consistent forces, leading the competition in rebounding at 13.2 per game while also sitting among the league leaders in scoring, field goal percentage and blocks. His ability to score inside, facilitate from the post and control the defensive glass has been central to Southland’s rise back into form.

Moors gives Taranaki a new answer in the middle. The Airs have needed more size, rebounding and interior presence, and his arrival comes at the perfect time against one of the biggest frontcourt assignments in the league. The key will be how quickly he can adjust to the pace of the Sal’s NBL and whether he can help Taranaki keep Timmins away from deep catches, second-chance opportunities and easy playmaking touches from the high post.

If Timmins controls the glass and forces Taranaki into help rotations with deep post catches, the Sharks’ shooters will get the kind of clean looks that buried the Jets. If Moors can hold his ground, rebound and give the Airs a reliable interior option, Taranaki suddenly looks far more balanced than it did on the road last week.

Matchup to Watch: Caleb Asberry v Aaron Cook Jr.

Asberry has quickly become one of Southland’s most important offensive pieces, giving the Sharks a scorer and creator who can hurt teams in multiple ways. He was excellent in the win over the Jets, finishing with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and his ability to score off the bounce, hit from the perimeter and create for others gives Southland a major decision-maker with scoring prowess who can contribute in all aspects of the game.

Cook Jr. remains the engine for Taranaki. He leads the Airs in assists and will set the table for Xavier Green, Taane Samuel and the new frontcourt additions, and is also one of the league’s best at turning defence into offence through steals and ball pressure followed by elite open court speed. Against a Sharks side that just piled up 118 points, Cook Jr.’s ability to control pace and disrupt Southland’s rhythm will be critical.

If Asberry gets downhill and forces rotations, the Sharks’ offence can quickly open up for Timmins, Boone, Inger and the shooters around them. If Cook Jr. can pressure the ball, limit Asberry’s clean touches and keep Taranaki organised offensively, the Airs have a much better chance of turning this into the kind of controlled, physical home game they need.

Individual Leaders

Leading scorer	Xavier Green 19.8	Keylan Boone 21.5
Leading rebounder	Marcel Jones 7.3	Sam Timmins 13.2
Leading assists	Aaron Cook Jr. 8.5	Rylan Jones 6.0
Best FG%	Quintin Bailey 53%	Sam Timmins 65%
Best 3PT FG%	Riley Tuuta 46%	Quake Webster 57%
Blocks	Quintin Bailey 1.2	Sam Timmins 2.2
Steals	Aaron Cook Jr. 2.8	Rylan Jones 1.6
Minutes	Aaron Cook Jr. 36.3	Sam Timmins 34.0

Stats That Matter

Stat	Airs	Sharks
Points Per Game	86.7 (11th)	91.6 (7th)
Points Allowed Per Game	94.0 (8th)	91.2 (5th)
Scoring Margin	-7.3 (10th)	+0.4 (6th)
Field Goal %	47% (6th)	47% (5th)
Field Goal % Defense	50% (8th)	44% (4th)
Free Throw %	63% (9th)	63% (10th)
3-Point %	32% (9th)	34% (5th)
3-Point % Defense	37% (10th)	36% (8th)
3-Point FG Made	9.2 (8th)	12.2 (3rd)
Rebounds Per Game	33.2 (11th)	44.2 (4th)
Rebounding Margin	-11.7 (11th)	+4.0 (3rd)
Offensive Rebound %	10% (11th)	30% (3rd)
Defensive Rebound %	76% (2nd)	73% (7th)
Assists Per Game	19.5 (8th)	21.6 (4th)
Steals Per Game	8.8 (3rd)	6.2 (10th)
Blocks Per Game	3.0 (6th)	3.6 (4th )
Assist/Turnover Ratio	1.58 (7th)	1.50 (8th)

Final Word

The numbers point clearly to the glass as an area that both team's will be focusing on. Southland has been one of the better rebounding teams in the league, while Taranaki has been giving up too many extra possessions and sits at the bottom of the competition in rebounding margin. That is why the debuts of Moors and Stroud matter so much. The Airs do not need them to solve everything immediately, but they do need them to narrow the rebounding gap, add physicality while giving Cook Jr. and Green more room to operate.

For the Sharks, the goal is to keep the same offensive rhythm they found against Manawatū. If Timmins anchors the middle, Asberry and Boone continue to score efficiently, and Southland’s shooters keep stretching the floor, the Sharks will have a strong chance to extend their winning streak by securing their second road win of the year.

For the Airs, this is about response, home-court energy and whether a new-look frontcourt can help shift the direction of their season. With Moors and Stroud entering the lineup, Taranaki should look different immediately. The question that needs answering is whether that difference is enough to slow down a Sharks team that suddenly looks like it has found its bite.