The Otago Nuggets are well aware how dangerous Waikato Pistons small forward Akeem Wright can be when he has the ball in his hand.
He spent the past two seasons in the blue and gold strip and produced some telling performances.
In 33 games for the Nuggets, he scored 715 points, including a 40-point haul against the Harbour Heat in 2012.
He also grabbed 291 rebounds and provided plenty of hustle. Wright can be a little streaky and is not the most structured of basketballers. But when he finds his range from the outside, he is a real menace for any defence.
Shutting down the mercurial American will be a key part of the Nuggets' game plan when they host the Pistons tonight.
''The thing with Akeem is he is just so super unpredictable,'' Nuggets player-coach Mark Dickel said.
''He can come out and make 10 threes in a game. He could come out and get 15 rebounds and five blocks if the mood takes him.
''It really depends on what he is thinking coming into the game. The only one who really guards Akeem is Akeem.
''Every player has their strengths and weaknesses, but he is more than capable of getting a good shot off all the time. We just have to try and limit him, and limit Corin Henry as much as possible, and get out on Casey [Frank].''
Nuggets shut-out man Troy Payne will get the difficult defensive assignment. He has a league-high three steals a game thanks to his fast hands.
The Nuggets cannot afford to focus too tightly on Wright, though. Centre Casey Frank has drilled 12 of his 19 attempts from beyond the arc, and Tyson King-Hawea has been good value off the bench with five from 11.
American Henry is averaging 15.6 points a match and Zac Carter has hit some valuable shots from the outside.
The Pistons were the best three-point shooting team in the league after six rounds with 60 three-pointers from 159 attempts (37.7%).
The Nuggets were at the other end of the spectrum with just 27 successful attempts from 125 attempts (21.6%).
The good news is the Nuggets' perimeter defence has been reasonably vigilant. And defensively, the Nuggets lead the league in several key statistics, including rebounds.
''It is a brilliant contrast in styles just due to the fact they are shooting the ball so well,'' Dickel said.
''We've got to try and chase them off the three-point line and make them play inside out rather than the other way around.''
The home side will look to put the Pistons under defensive pressure, grab any rebounds on offer and score quickly in transition. It is a defence-first strategy that has unravelled in the past two weeks, with consecutive home losses.
The Nuggets (4-3) can ill afford to drop a third home fixture. The Hawkes Bay Hawks, Wellington Saints and Nelson Giants are well placed to reach the final four, which leaves the Nuggets battling the Pistons, Southland Sharks and Taranaki Mountain Airs for the remaining berth.
''We can't lose another one at home if we are going to reach our goals this year. We're in a really tough spot, so this is definitely a must-win for us. We're approaching it like that.''
The Pistons played the Sharks last night, so the Nuggets will have the advantage of being fresher.
''Sometimes you feel better the second night than you do on the first night. But once the ball is thrown up, no-one really cares about how tired they are. It will just come down to whether we can do the things we need to do in order to be successful.''
The National Basketball League finals will return to Wellington this year. They will be staged at the TSB Arena on July 4-5.
National Basketball League: Otago Nuggets v Waikato Pistons
Where: Edgar Centre.
When: Tonight, 7pm.
Nuggets: Mark Dickel, Micah Lepaio, Troy Payne, Brendon Polyblank, Warren Carter, Sam King, Tony Tolovae, Steve Robinson, Sheldon McGuire, Damon Cleverley, Olly Smith, Tom Rowe.
Waikato: Corin Henry, Akeem Wright, Zac Carter, Jack Salt, Casey Frank, Dyson King-Hawea, Alex Talma, Nick Barrow, Matt Lacey, Karl Noyer.
