Alex Higgins-Titsha
October 29, 2024
Deshon Taylor
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 17/03/96
- Place of Birth: Riverside, California (USA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 188
- Weight (KG): 84
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Missouri-Kansas City (2015-2016) / Fresno State (2016-2019)
- NBL DEBUT: 4/11/19
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 14/02/20
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 23
- NBL History: Sydney 2020 | Cairns 2025
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Deshon Taylor was born in Riverside, California (USA) and played at John W. North High School in Riverside, California. He helped lead his team to four consecutive league titles.
As a senior, Taylor averaged 24.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 steals a game while earning conference MVP, first-team all-state and all-county honours.
He was recruited by Hawaii, UC Riverside and Portland State, but committed to play at UMKC.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Deshon Taylor made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 23 years of age. He scored 12 points in his first game.
Heading into the 2024/25 season, Cairns entered a transitional phase following the departure of key imports Patrick Miller and Tahjere McCall. Other notable exits included Bul Kuol (to Sydney), Lat Mayen (to Adelaide), Bobi Klintman (NBA Draft), and Josh Roberts, leaving several holes across the roster.
To retool, the Taipans added new imports Rob Edwards, Pedro Bradshaw, and Tanner Groves, elevated rising star Taran Armstrong to the starting point guard role and team captain, and welcomed in fresh faces Kyle Adnam (via Illawarra), Jackson Makoi (via Sydney), and Kyrin Galloway (via Adelaide). Sam Waardenburg returned to anchor the frontcourt, while development signings Alex Higgins-Titsha and Kody Stattmann (via South East Melbourne).
By the end of 2024, injuries had decimated the roster. Armstrong missed several weeks with an ankle injury and Groves sat out with a calf strain. With Cairns plummeting to 3–16, the team turned to short-term reinforcements to fill rotation gaps.
One such addition was Deshon Taylor, who signed a short-term deal and appeared in three games. While his minutes were limited, Taylor brought defensive energy and experience, helping to stabilize the backcourt during a stretch when depth was stretched thin. He contributed 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. His best outing came in the Round 1 loss to Illawarra, where he posted 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist in 17 minutes off the bench.
Cairns would close the season with a more competitive 5–5 finish but ultimately placed last on the ladder with an 8–21 record. Coach Adam Forde departed at season’s end following a three-year stint that included one playoff appearance.
Sam Waardenburg (14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists) led the team and was named Club MVP, Defensive Player, and Members’ Choice MVP. Tanner Groves (13.5 points, 5.7 rebounds) and Pedro Bradshaw (10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds) contributed solidly, while injury-driven opportunities saw breakout campaigns from Kyrin Galloway (7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks), Akoldah Gak (6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds), and Alex Higgins-Titsha (6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds).
Deshon Taylor currently plays for the Cairns Taipans and has played 25 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 6.2 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists since entering the league in 2019.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 29 | Cairns | 8-21 (10) | 3 | 27.0 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 13% | 1 | 7 | 14% | 4 | 6 | 67% | 25% | 17% | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 24 | Sydney | 20-8 (1) | 22 | 327.0 | 146 | 24 | 22 | 3 | 21 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 31 | 42 | 106 | 40% | 26 | 68 | 38% | 36 | 42 | 86% | 58% | 52% | 17 | Totals | 25 | 354 | 155 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 16 | 33 | 44 | 121 | 36.4% | 27 | 75 | 36.0% | 40 | 48 | 83.3% | 55% | 48% | 23 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 29 | Cairns | 8-21 (10) | 3 | 9.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 5.0 | 13% | 0.3 | 2.3 | 14% | 1.3 | 2.0 | 67% | 25% | 17% | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 24 | Sydney | 20-8 (1) | 22 | 14.9 | 6.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 40% | 1.2 | 3.1 | 38% | 1.6 | 1.9 | 86% | 58% | 52% | 17 | Total | 25 | 14.2 | 6.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 36.4% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.0% | 1.1 | 3.0 | 83.3% | 55% | 48% | 23 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 23 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Played for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 NBA Summer League.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 53% | 54% | 39% | 52% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | 44 | 121 | 36.4% | 27 | 75 | 36.0% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 29 | Cairns | 3-13 (10) | 3 | 27.0 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 13% | 1 | 7 | 14% | 4 | 6 | 67% | 25% | 17% | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 24 | Sydney | 20-8 (1) | 22 | 327.0 | 146 | 24 | 22 | 3 | 21 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 31 | 42 | 106 | 40% | 26 | 68 | 38% | 36 | 42 | 86% | 58% | 52% | 17 | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Canterbury (2021)
In 2021 Deshon Taylor played in New Zealand for the Canterbury Rams and averaged 22.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists across 18 games.
COLLEGE
As a freshman at UMKC, Taylor started 10 of his 33 games. He averaged 7.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists a game. At the season's end, he elected to transfer from the program. Deshon Taylor began his college career at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos, before spending his final three seasons at Fresno State (2016-2019).
He received Mountain West All-Conference honours in both 2018 and 2019 and was a two-time Mountain West All Defensive Team member.
Related
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