Weaknesses: Depth. The Sharks have largely gone through the season playing six or seven players extended minutes, with Shea Ili in the sixth man role while the experienced James Paringatai and young forward Mitch Newton occasionally see decent run off the bench. Henare has smartly utilised his best players to their fullest potential, but if foul trouble ensues - especially to Tai Wesley - the Sharks may find themselves in a spot of bother.
TAB Odds to win title: $2.15
Wellington Saints
Record: 12-6
Titles: Eight
Playoff History: 26 wins, 21 losses
Coach: Pero Cameron
Starting Five: Lindsay Tait, Torrey Craig, Brendon Polyblank, Leon Henry, Daniel Johnson
Key player: Lindsay Tait. On track to win the Most Outstanding Kiwi guard for the fifth time in the last six years, Tait's still-superb floor general skills will be even more vital if Torrey Craig is unable to play. Craig - one of the league's best players on both ends - is in serious doubt with a knee injury, leaving Tait to take on the role of full-time creator and off-the-dribble penetrator.
Strengths: Offence. Pero Cameron can throw multiple lineups of different sizes out on the floor, all who have a solid mix of shooting and size. Dion Prewster and Izayah Le'afa are excellent floor-spacers and shooters, while Henry, Johnson and Polyblank can all use a mixture of size and shooting to create excellent floor balance.
Weaknesses: Off-the-dribble creation. The Saints have an array of handy shooters spotting up outside Tait, but with Craig unlikely able to be at his explosive best, someone will have to take on the responsibility of being a secondary ball-handler. Will Le'afa and Prewster step up, or will we see more post-ups from Johnson or Polyblank?
TAB Odds to win title: $2.75
Nelson Giants
Record: 13-5
Titles: Three
Playoff History: 24 wins, 22 losses
Coach: Tim Fanning
Starting Five: DeRonn Scott, McKenzie Moore, Phill Jones, Mika Vukona, Josh Duinker
Key player: McKenzie Moore. An import combo guard, Moore has been a terror defensively and vital offensively for the Giants. 6'6" with a 6"11 wingspan, Moore has averaged two steals a game, and ranked second in the league in blocks despite being a guard. His outstanding play on both ends has scored him a NBA Summer League gig with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Strengths: Coaching, and forward depth. The third best offence and second best defence in the league, the Giants have excelled under American coach Tim Fanning. Excellently prepared, Fanning's talented troops always know where to be defensively and have succeeded on offence despite lacking the three-point shooting of other sides. With Vukona, Duinker, Sam Dempster, Bronson Beri and Finn Delany, the Giants have plenty of forwards to throw at opponents, and won't be afraid of foul trouble.
Weaknesses: Guard depth. Behind import duo Scott and Moore, the only options the Giants have at the guard positions are either switching the ageless Jones to shooting guard and going big (at the expense of spacing), or relying on young guard Ali Granger, who is shooting at 34% on the season.
TAB Odds to win title: $4.75
Supercity Rangers
Record: 11-7
Titles: Zero
Playoff History: 0 wins, 0 losses
Coach: Jeff Green
Starting Five: Jason Cadee, Reuben Te Rangi, Tom Garlepp, Dillon Boucher, Casey Frank
Key player: Jason Cadee. The Sydney Kings point guard is a volume scorer, capable of hitting an avalanche of threes while also getting to the free-throw line regularly. One of the most enjoyable players to watch, Cadee is coming into the Final Four on the back of 35 and 41 point showings last weekend.
Strengths: Oodles of ability and championship experience. The Rangers have eight players with ANBL experience, and in the likes of Cadee, Te Rangi and Garlepp have devastating scorers capable of single-handedly winning contests. Add to that the championship experience of Boucher (nine titles), Frank (four titles), Hayden Allen (two titles) and coach Jeff Green (four titles) and you have a team who won't be overawed of the moment.
Weaknesses: Inconsistency. The Rangers have combined wins over the Saints (twice) and the Giants with losses to the Hawke's Bay Hawks and Manawatu Jets. Capable of dropping 110 points or mis-firing all night on their way to a 15 point defeat, nobody can predict what they will get from the Rangers.
TAB Odds to win title: $8
