Basketball: Tait's awards should increase confidence

Tall Black, Breakers and Auckland point guard Lindsay Tait is the Most Valuable Player in the national basketball league.

His coach at the Stars, Kenny Stone, is banking on Tait getting a lift from the MVP title as well as that of Best NZ Guard - both awarded yesterday - when the Stars travel to Napier for the NBL title decider against the Hawkes Bay Hawks tomorrow night.

Stars captain Casey Frank tied with Nelson's Australian Jacob Holmes for the Best Forward. Nelson Giant and Breaker Mika Vukona was Best NZ Forward for the 2005 season.

Nelson coach Nenad Vucinic was named Coach of the Year for the fourth time.

Tait was the second-top scorer in the league's regular season behind Titans import Greg Lewis.

He has taken the Most Outstanding Guard award for the past two years. The step up in silverware will hopefully be followed by his taking a more dominant role in the running of games.

Tait has long been rated as one of the country's best talents and at age 23, with a professional contract and national representation opportunities, plus a second national title on offer, now is his chance to prove that.

The Stars go to what is likely to be a 2500-person sellout at the Hawks' court tomorrow night. The season record between the teams is now 2-1 to Auckland.

They won 83-86 in Napier and 90-81 on their home court while the Hawks won 92-81 in the playoff game in Auckland a fortnight ago.

Both coaches agree the two best teams in the league reached the final.

"This is a different challenge from Nelson," Stars coach Kenny Stone said of their win in last Friday's semifinal, "this is tougher. They present difficulties inside that Nelson didn't."

The attacking ability of each side suggests the game will be played at pace, with both sides scoring heavily.

Hawks coach Shawn Dennis expects both sides to make big runs.

"It could be how each side copes and comes back from the other's points sprees that tells," he said.

Or it could be the one that defends with more intensity that takes it. "I expect Auckland to pick up their defensive intensity but I've reviewed the tape [of the semi] several times and we can pick ours up too," Dennis said.

* Tall Black centre Tony Rampton has signed for the Wollongong Hawks after four years with the Cairns Taipans.