The "Coin Toss" That Could Define the Grand Final Series

Currently sitting first and second on the ladder, it’s certainly not a stretch to suggest Sydney and Cairns have been the two best teams in the NBL this season.

While there are still two rounds of the regular season to play out it looks highly likely those will be the two sides who avoid the play-in and head straight to the semi-finals.

Although the Kings have led the standings and been the red-hot title favourites seemingly since day one this season Peter Hooley believes the Taipans have the ability to knock them off their perch if they meet in the grand final series.

“Cairns play at the same speed if not faster than the Kings,” Hooley said on NBL Overtime. “Everyone else can’t sustain [that pace] for 40 minutes – Cairns can.

“They’ve done it all season long and they’ve lived or died by doing that.

We saw Brisbane try in the first quarter at Nissan Arena against the Kings say ‘you know what? You play fast, we’re going to play fast’. They did it for the first quarter and we were thinking ‘was it sustainable’. It absolutely wasn’t.

“Cairns can sustain that and that’s why, if that is a grand final series, that’s a coin toss.”

After he returned from his six game absence against the JackJumpers in Round 16, it’s easy to reflect on the make-or-break nature of Keanu Pinder’s ankle injury.

It was a sink or swim run of games for the Taipans – minus an MVP candidate – and the Snakes thrived to win all six of their contests without their star centre.

“During their most vulnerable time with MVP candidate Keanu Pinder out they went undefeated – nobody saw it coming,” Corey Williams said.

“I think everything changed for them and they showed everyone they’re for real when they came back from 18 points down against the 36ers.

“They showed everybody they’re the real deal and closed the door on the Adelaide 36ers’ season.

“Does Sydney really want to meet Cairns? No … that’s the team the Sydney Kings do not want to face.”