Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls… Off the Bench with the finals preview!!!

Perth Redbacks vs South West Slammers

This will be a contest won on the boards. Whoever controls the rebounding count will go a long way towards progressing to the next round.

Both coaches have done remarkably well in steering their teams to the finals albeit on one leg. The Redbacks have been without Watto and Marita for a good part of four weeks and stumbled home to finals. Coach Glenn Ellis will now sleep comfortably that his big guns are back. For their part, he will need the two studs to come back in shape, in form and ready to contribute after an extend lay-off.

Darren Austin has done an outstanding job with the Slammers women. Some may say that they bought themselves a contender, and there is nothing wrong with that! Which club would honestly turn down an influx of funds? And let’s be honest, they needed to bring players in because the group of previous years were never going to be contenders with the club consistently losing top players who move to the big smoke. Darren, you’ve done a top job down there!

The Slammers too are not immune to their share of misfortune and despite being the pace setters from half way through the year- when the wheels fell off the Wolfpack- they also stumbled over the line with injuries to key players in recent weeks such as Kim Sitzmann and Zoe Harper.

This will be a battle royale- I am tipping the Slammers in 3 games.

Strengths

• Redbacks- Experience and cohesion- this is a team that has been around a while with the addition of a legitimate point guard in Watman. Coach Ellis also knows what finals are about and is a very savvy sideline veteran.
• Slammers- Offensive firepower- Sitzmann, Donovan, Harper, Ogoke. This team has scorers aplenty and not only size. They will provide match-up problems for the Perth side.

Weakness

• Redbacks- Mileage- some of the legs on the Redbacks roster have run a few km’s over the years and if this game turns into a run and gun show, I’m not sure they will be able to keep up.
• Slammers- Depth on the bench. Any team would ideally like to go 8 deep on the bench, I’m not so sure that Slammers will go that deep in finals basketball where the contest you would think is closer and tougher.

Lakeside vs Willetton

I said in my last column that the cavalry was back and indeed what a time to be back.

Lakeside started the season smoking hot and perhaps drew the toughest opponent in the finals in the form of the defending champions. Marsh, Hargreaves and Hooper are just absolute studs in the competition. Lightning are heavily reliant on offense and in particular the three pointer. If it dries up, I am not sure what their inside options would be like.

Import Seyler needs to have a monster game in this one if they are to be in the contest if the three ball doesn’t drop.

Not a hard one for me, but I certainly hope that Lakeside prove me wrong- there will be plenty of other quarter-final teams hoping to see that back of the Tigers headed into the second round of play offs.

Tigers in two.

Strengths

• Willetton- Experience of the WNBL trio. Add Napier, Lobb and it’s a solid core.
• Lightning- Shooting from range- opens up the middle of the floor when they are on. The Lakeside girls are also a persistent bunch on defense, a very disruptive team on defense.

Weakness

• Willetton- If this game is close and the studs get into foul trouble- depth will be a big issue. Lobb is also the lonely legitimate big in the group.
• Lakeside- Inside production on offense. Other than Fielding who exposes smaller guard match ups in the post, they will really need to be on song from the perimeter.

East Perth v Wanneroo

A tougher game on paper to decide.

East Perth will be heavily reliant on the work of Sam Norwood and the ability of their guards to handle Amos, Martin and the ever reliable Sue Williams.

In the Eagles we have a team that on their given day could give any a team a shake. If they crash the boards and score easy baskets in transition and while getting second chance opportunities on offensive rebounds it will make their task a lot easier as I doubt they can breakdown the Wolves in the half court.

Wanneroo have come good at the right time of the year to deliver on the early season favouritism they deserved. They are a quick, athletic team that have shooters all over the floor in D’Arcy, Martin, Williams and B Sanders. Add to that Megan Lee’s ability to get in the key way and finish on those little jump shots and what you have is an offensive juggernaut.

Tough series, but I like the Wolves ability to get up and down the floor.

Strengths

• Wanneroo- Depth and offensive ability. If this team was actually a pack of Wolves in the wild- it will never go hungry- they are quick and lethal on the offensive end. Shani Amos stalks opposition point guards on defense like her life dependent on it and the Sue Williams- is matriarch epitomised- keeping this team together with experience and poise.
• East Perth- Norwood is the shining light that will need to be shining brightly if they are to be a show in this series. The Eagles’ guards ability to hit shots when she commands double coverage will be key to spreading the defense.

Weakness

• Wanneroo- It’s their strength but if they have an off-shooting series the inside game may not be enough to get them over the line. Ainsleigh Sanders is a big body inside and a terrific defender but is not renowned for her scoring ability. After her they fall to Borthwick, Johnson and the undersized Amy Kidner as inside go-to players.
• East Perth- Depth. This team is laden with talent at the top end and will need the end of the bench on their best if the main core gets in trouble.

Rockingham vs Eastern Suns

An interesting series here with teams that have opposite strengths on the spectrum.

The Flames scoring output is in the inside presence of Emma Cannon and Kaye Tucker. If these two maintain the raging hot form, this series will go a long way in their favour. The Flames are not the quickest of teams but know how to get to their preferred offensive options. On the other end, the Suns have a guard rotation that is the envy of most teams. All their guards have the ability to shoot the three ball but two in particular have impressed me late in the season. Ajay Jones is again in form while Emma Berryman is playing her best basketball as role player- just shooting without all the other added responsibilities. This team also is young, athletic and play some terrific in your face defense that results in forcing turnovers.

I hate to say it and call the obvious, but it will be the team that stops the big guns that wins.

Why would Flames win? Because Suns have no one that can stop the two post players in Cannon and Tucker- two of the best in the league.

Why would Suns win? Their scoring guards, ability to score off defensive stops and run the floor will keep the scoreboard ticking in their favour.

My tip- Flip a coin! I just did- Tails say Flames.

The opinions, views and comments in this article are those of the individual and are not the opinions or views of the State Basketball League or Basketball WA.