THE Goldfields Giants will go into tonight's State Basketball League game against the Perth Redbacks hoping to set themselves up for a tough second half of the season.

The Giants are sitting third on the ladder with an 8-3 win-loss record and coach Stephen Charlton said they would be using the next three weeks to prepare their challenge for a top-two spot.

"There are three more games left in this home stand and if we can get out and win them all it will put us at around 11-3," he said.

"In the back end of the season we play most of the top teams again so it's important for us to set up our season and get some good basketball happening."

Their first task is against the Perth Redbacks, who are enjoying a fine run of form recently, winning three of their last four before a loss last week to the second-placed Geraldton Buccaneers.

Charlton said the recent addition of American import Chris Lynch has sparked the Redbacks into life.

"Ever since he arrived they've really meshed together and played some pretty good basketball," he said.

"They've got a good rhythm at the moment and it looks like they'll make the play-offs.

"Anyone who makes the play-offs is a dangerous team."

One man who looms as a key player as the Giants challenge the top teams is defensive powerhouse Alonzo Hird. Hird is averaging 14 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and one steal this season to be the team's best shut-out player.

Charlton said after the departure of Darnell Dialls last year the Giants looked to Hird to fill a different role in the team.

"When we recruited him we knew his numbers offensively were not going to be as big as Darnell's last year," he said.

"But we knew he was going to rebound more, we knew he was going to be a better defensive player and he's still getting his 16 points a game which is nothing to be sneezed at."

The third-placed Giants will again be without captain Shamus Ballantyne who is suffering from back problems but Charlton said the team had more than enough talent to cover.

"I think one of our strengths over the last few years is that we haven't had to rely on any one person," he said.

"We've had situations when teams have tried to take away our inside game and then some of our smaller blokes have taken advantage of the freedom they've been given and vice-versa."

He said Ballantyne could have played but would be better served with another week on the sidelines.

"We could play him and he'd be at 80 per cent for a month or we could rest him and have him at 100 per cent next week," he said.

Article by Nick Rynne, Kalgoorlie Miner.
Photo by Travis Anderson - Andmedia/Sports Vision © 2009.