NBL semifinals: Calm before the storm | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

It's crunch time and Dean Vickerman's air of nonchalance is at best unnerving.

The Waikato Pistons coach seems to have the answer for just about everything and possesses a demeanour that signals a lull before the Bartercard National Basketball League (NBL) storm in Wellington this weekend.

If Vickerman's reasoning of how the play-offs at the TSB Arena tomorrow and Sunday will unfold isn't convincing then rest assured it'll have even the most self-assured having second thoughts.

Little seems to bother him, least of all the HBS Bank Hawks who the Pistons will hope to pulverise at 6pm tomorrow on their way to the grand final at the same time on Sunday.

Traditionally Waikato are the heavyweights of the NBL but Vickerman likes to think there's a change of guards with the Paul Henare-coached Hawks now carrying the knuckle dusters in the backyard.

"The Hawks are the most physical because they have good size and girth in their guards," he says, singling out former Tall Black Paora Winitana and US import small forward Josh Pace.

Never mind guard Ray Cameron, the younger brother of ex-Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron coaching defending champions Wellington these days, let alone 2m-plus Alex Pledger, Torr Woodhouse, Jamie Barnett and the self-combustible BJ Anthony.

Vickerman reckons Hawks rebound king Galen Young is the ultimate NBL's poster boy for bigs.

Throw the American in with fellow veteran power forward Benny Hill, of Napier, and the Hawks jigsaw starts looking complete.

Vickerman should know. The Victorian led the Pistons to an NBL title on his debut season in 2009 and coached 2011 defending champions Saints in 2002. He was assistant coach of the New Zealand Breakers that Henare captained to the 2011 Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) title this year.

The former Melbourne Tigers and Singapore Slingers assistant coach is banking on Waikato US import Jason Crowe to spearhead the dismantling of the Hawks tomorrow night.

"He's been there and done that for us in Wellington," he says, adding Pledger and Thomas Abercrombie are among the top five in the league's player ranking and will display their agility and athleticism.

Vickerman doesn't want to read too much into the home turf/on-the-road scenarios that left the Hawks and Waikato 1-1 this season.

Waikato didn't have Pledger, Abercrombie and Anthony and, besides, he likes to believe Stadium Rotorua isn't their home court.

All that aside, Vickerman says they never doubted Hawks' ability to make the semifinals considering they were among the top three teams all season.

While some franchises have reservations about not having much incentive to finish in the top two on the ladder or missing out on gate takings and home support, Vickerman sees potential in the last four gathering in the capital city for a major dust up in this year's US college basketball type play-offs.

The winners of tomorrow's 8pm semifinal between the Saints and the Nelson Giants will meet the other victors on Sunday at 6pm.

He saw merits in the old format of the best-of-three series to decide the champions in the top qualifiers' home court.

"This weekend there'll be a carnival type of atmosphere and Wellington pulls excellent crowds."

The Pistons are relieved to have Jerry Smith back from a knee injury a fortnight ago.

Vickerman doesn't think their low-key match against the Otago Nuggets last Friday will have them undercooked for the play-offs.

"We've a team that can go on a hot streak and in patches struggle to score."