THE National Basketball League (NBL) experience of Jason Cadee proved to be vital for the Gold Coast Rollers in the NBL1 North Men’s on the weekend, as they took down the North Gold Coast Seahawks to the tune of seven points at Runaway Bay Stadium on the weekend.

The Rollers were the heavily favoured side coming into the game, given they have been the best side to date in season 2022, while the Seahawks have struggled to get going. However, it was a much closer affair than many had anticipated, and the only difference proved to be the veteran presence of Cadee in a Gold Coast uniform.

He was simply outstanding for the Rollers with ball in hand, seemingly always creating a really good scoring opportunity. While all of his shots did not fall, Cadee was able to produce some sort of offensive production, whether it be from the free throw line or a nice assist to a teammate. In the end, he finished with a game-high 35 points, showcasing how damaging he truly can be at this level.

Jason Cadee vs. Seahawks – 35 points, two rebounds, six assists

It is safe to say it was not the most efficient day at the office for Cadee, with less than half of his shots falling, and this was largely due to nine misses from downtown. He still nailed three, but could not find his shooting stroke from behind the arc.

His fortunes changed inside the three-point line, delivering some accurate field goal attempts and giving his side a scoring boost. Six of his eight shots from two-point territory found the bottom of the net, and he was able to punish the North Gold Coast defence inside the paint with some nice scoop lay-ups.

Even more impressive was his ability to draw contact and force the official to send him to the free throw line. Remarkably, he nailed 14 free throws from 17 attempts, and it really proved to be the difference in the end. His innate ability to expose the defence downhill and force the opposition into illegal contact was quite pivotal in the context of the match. Despite their best efforts, the Seahawks could not prevent Cadee from heading to the charity stripe and punishing them accordingly.

To add to his already impressive performance, Cadee’s IQ was on full display as he found teammates for wide-open looks frequently. Whether it was a pass to a big man inside, or a dish out to a wide-open player in the corner for three, he always made the right call, and was by far the most damaging player on the court.