Perth Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson will unleash plans A, B, and C in a bid to curb MVP candidate AJ Ogilvy in Thursday night's blockbuster against the Illawarra Hawks at Perth Arena.
Ogilvy has established himself as the NBL's dominant big man this season, with many tipping him to take home the MVP award.
The 27-year-old looms as a key figure in Illawarra's title quest, but the Wildcats are confident they have the defensive armour to limit Ogilvy's influence.
Former NBA centre Nate Jawai will give as good as he gets in the crucial battle for rebounds, while Matt Knight and Tom Jervis will also be heavily relied upon.
Gleeson said it would take a team effort to halt the 211-centimetre Ogilvy, who he labelled a "big boy".
"He's got a good touch around the basket and he's been in great form this year," Gleeson said on Wednesday.
"We're going to have an uphill challenge to stop him.
"We'll give him three looks. We've got Nate, we've got Tommy, and we've got Matt, so we're pretty fortunate to have those three big rotations.
"We can afford to get after him a little bit, so hopefully it works."
Knight missed last week's win over Sydney to nurse his troublesome shoulder.
But the 30-year-old is jumping out of his skin to get back on the court, especially after being present for the birth of his second child earlier in the week.
The Hawks appear set to enter Thursday's match without sharpshooter Kirk Penney, who missed the trip to Perth on Monday to nurse a hamstring injury.
But Gleeson was in no mood to relax, especially with former MVP Kevin Lisch in hot form.
Lisch, who helped lead the Wildcats to the 2010 title, drained 40 points in last week's double overtime win over the Breakers.
Gleeson said it would take a big effort from Wildcats guard Damian Martin to defend Lisch's "bag of tricks".
"I think there's personal pride and bragging rights out there," Gleeson said of the match-up.
"They were teammates for so long, won a championship together and now compete against each other under bright lights.
"It's something that Damo rises for."
Both the Wildcats and Hawks are tied in second spot on 14 wins, making Thursday's match a crucial contest in the race to secure home-court advantage during the semi-finals.
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