The Taipans (17-16) are hot favourites going into tomorrow night’s elimination clash, but coach Alan Black knows the Dragons represent a massive challenge.

The Dragons (15-18) head north with a full week of preparation behind them - and that’s just the start of Black’s worries.

“It’s pretty hard to play on Friday in Adelaide, Sunday back in Cairns, and then get ready for the Dragons knowing that they haven’t played since last Wednesday,” Black said.

But Cairns’ tough schedule is the least of Black’s fears. One man has the Taipans’ camp on edge – Shane Heal.

“I think the thing that Shane probably brings to the table, which is what he brought to the table when he was playing for Australia, is emotion,” Black said.

“I think the Dragons have played with that emotion from day one when he took over and I don’t see that changing, and I think that’s probably one of the x-factors in them having won the games they have and that’s what worries you a little bit about playing them in the first round, you know they’ll be ready to play.”

Not only does Black fear Heal’s on-court potential, but his proven ability as coach.

“I think any point guard – and having been a point guard myself – any point guard around the place thinks they know everything anyway,” he said.

“A lot of us end up either coaching the team on court or coaching the team afterwards and if you look around the league there’s a lot of point guards who are coaching, so it doesn’t surprise me at all that (Heal) is coaching and that he’s good at it.”

The clash promises to be a classic battle of size versus speed.

“Our size is going to be something that we’ll want to take advantage of and they’ll want to take advantage of their (speed), so I would say the whole game will be determined on how we are able to dominate the paint and how they’re able to dominate transition,” Black said.

After a topsy-turvy season the Taipans are out to prove a point. But with the Dragons en route to the clash, Cairns are running scared.