Tigers Deciding on X-Factor

Melbourne Tigers coach Al Westover has earmarked Canadian import Dave Thomas as crucial to his side's fortunes ahead of the five-match NBL grand final series against the South Dragons.

Thomas joined the Tigers mid-season after leaving the Cairns Taipans and has slowly been regaining the form that saw him named in the All-NBL first team in 2007.

He may still be coming off the bench and averaging a little over 20 minutes per game, but Westover knows how valuable Thomas' experience is when the game is on the line.

"He (Thomas) has been a big player for us in past years in the grand finals and we expect him to pick it up a notch," Westover said following the Tigers training session on Monday.

"He was good for us against New Zealand, especially at the defensive end and if the game is close in the final quarter he will be on the court."

Thomas is one of many players on the Tigers' roster to have already won a Championship in the NBL, while young point-guard Adam Gibson is the only Dragon to have enjoyed the same success.

While Westover is hoping the edge in playoff experience his side has over the Dragons will be pivotal to the outcome, he did not want to make any bold statements as to how the series will unfold.

"We are just looking at it one game at a time," he said.

"That first one is a big one and after that you get ready for the next one. If it goes five, it goes five. We have just got to go in and get a win on the board."

Westover declared star centre Chris Anstey and the rest of the Tigers' squad fit and ready to go and that he was prepared for whatever defensive strategies that Dragons coach Brian Goorjian might throw at his team.

"Defence usually goes up a notch in the playoffs and the physicality always goes up a bit," Westover said.

"Sometimes it becomes more of a grind instead of a usual up-and-down running game, but both teams are capable of running and both teams are capable of putting big numbers on the board so it is hard to predict exactly what could happen."

"I just have a feeling that it is going to be a real exciting and intense series right throughout."

Game 1 of the series will be played at Hisense Arena on Wednesday night, with the teams then heading to the State Netball and Hockey Centre on Friday for the second match.