Bendigo hot favourite to defeat Waverley in NBL1 South play-offs

Last year the Braves topped the ladder with a 20-2 record, but fell short in the grand final when beaten 89-73 by Ringwood.

Stung by that defeat, the Braves produced an even better 2023 regular season record of 22-0 and they go into Saturday night's qualifying final against Waverley Falcons at Red Energy Arena as warm favourites.

The Braves, who thrashed the fourth-placed Falcons by 46 points in their only encounter this year, have taken their game to another level in 2023 on the back of some outstanding team defence.

Limiting the influence of Falcons' star trio Bec Cole, Carley Ernst and Amelia Todhunter will be a key part of the Braves' game plan on Saturday night.

"It was unexpected, but explainable that we had the big win over Waverley last time,'' Braves' coach Mark Alabakov said.

"Our focus this year has been the defensive side of the ball and we've been the best defensive team in the competition. 12 months ago we were the eighth best defensive team, so we've made strides in that area.

"I've had over a decade of experience in the WNBL as a lead assistant coach, so my job has always been opposition scouting and personnel scouting.

"If anybody knows Australian players in our competitions, it's probably myself on a short list, and then you have Kelly Wilson who has played against them.

"Between the two of us - her on the court and me behind the scenes - we have a plan and it's the ability to execute that plan that becomes the kicker.

"I've coached Bec Cole in SEABL in 2018, I was an assistant coach in WNBL programs she (Cole) was in for a long time and the same with Carley Ernst.

"A little bit less, but I have had a lot of exposure to coaching Amelia Todhunter.

"The phrasing that I use, tongue in cheek, is that if there's anybody who knows the games of the three Waverley leader's better than me it's probably their parents and that's about it, that's the list.

"We'll have a comprehensive and clear game plan that we'll hope to execute... but Waverley are in the top end of the competition, like us, for a reason, so it's not an easy task. It's simple in plan, but difficult to execute.''

The Braves had top spot locked up with the best part of a month remaining in the season.

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That situation did little to change Alabakov's training plans.

"There's often a thought in coaching circles to ramp things up at this time of year,'' Alabakov said.

"I've found in my experience, and from advice I've received from others far more experienced than me in the caper, that it does more to unsettle your team because of the sudden heightened importance or heightened load makes it vivid that something has to change.

"I tend to go the other way and simplify things by giving the players clarity in our game plan. One of my philosophies is that all paths lead back to fundamentals.

"For us, it's about putting the spotlight back on those fundamentals on the defensive and offensive end of the floor."

While defence has headlined the Braves' improvement in 2023, Alabakov said the development of the Braves' young players was critical to the team's success.

"We've been able to give tangible examples to emerging Braves players, and the rotational players coming through, that they are trusted and they get put in a position to do what they do best,'' he said.

"In the last month or so of the season we've spoken at length to the (young) players about having the confidence within themselves knowing that they have the backing of their team-mates and conviction and then the consistency to be confident in their actions and decision-making.

"Those three Cs - confidence, conviction and consistency were a hallmark of what we spoke about. Concurrently with that, I heard (Brisbane Lions coach) Chris Fagan talk about the mantra of preaching to the Lions to be reliable and not remarkable and I stole that monniker.

"It's been a constant thread or undercurrent for us over the past six or seven weeks. Just come in and be reliable, you don't have to be remarkable because you can be if you aim to be reliable first. It won't go the other way."

As the Braves prepare for the first week of the play-offs, words of advice from Basketball Australia Hall of Fame member Ray Tomlinson have been ringing in Alabakov's ears.

"When I was a younger coach I remember asking Ray what his advice or secret was to longevity with successful teams, particularly at the business end of the season,'' Alabakov said.

"He said first and foremost camaraderie, but he also said the team has to be happy and healthy come finals time.

"He said it's not always the best team that wins finals, but it's the happiest and healthiest teams.

"We're both of those things and we're ready to go."

Saturday night's game at Red Energy Arena starts at 6pm.

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