LAST Sunday's loss to the Sydney Kings was pretty rough on Jamar Wilson, but with a superstorm named Sandy threatening family and friends in New York in the days after the defeat, it was the least of the Taipan's worries.

The New Yorker, who grew up in the Bronx, said yesterday that his mother, grandmother and father in Long Island, were all safe.

More than 50 people have been killed by the storm, which has continued inland after wreaking havoc in New York.

"Dad's area was beat up pretty bad," he said. "They were without power for ages and his car was hit by a tree.

"But for the most part they are all okay. I haven't heard from a few of my friends, but I'm just staying positive."

"That area just isn't prepared for something like that, which is why I think it was so worrying."

Back in Cairns, Wilson and the rest of the Taipans have been trying to push past Sunday's disappointment.

"We can't be playing the blame game," he said. "We all just need to work harder to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"I think we are past the hump of being unfamiliar with each other. We know our games. I'm feeling good and the task now to is find the chemistry that all top teams have."

They head to Townsville today for tomorrow night's clash with the winless Crocs (0-5).

"They will be scratching and clawing for everything," he said. "And I reckon they can smell blood."

But while the Taipans are precariously placed at 2-3, their away record is looking pretty good.

The Snakes have lost two home games already.

They only lost two in the entire 2010/11 season, but they are coming off their best road victory (20 points) in four years and fifth biggest in history, against Sydney a fortnight ago.

Wilson said that their squad changes in the past two seasons had changed the way they went about winning. An up-tempo approach allowed them to win by more, but also left them more open to a loss.

"I think we used to never win by 20, we just made it very hard for teams to get into a rhythm when they came here," Wilson said.

"Having said that, our "up-tempo" is different from Adelaide's or Sydney's. We are still looking to move the ball around once we get up the court."

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