But if the South Australian product has learnt anything in his 10-year NBL career, it's never truly discounting the Hawks.

While finals look out of the question, a late-season surge could be on the cards.

"In the past the Hawks have always been a slow team out of the gates, maybe we have been a bit slower this year, but it is a thing we just have to work on ... It is a process and we have to get a taste of victory for things to start following," Hill said.

Hill, 28 on Wednesday, spent years facing the Illawarra outfit during his extensive career with the Adelaide 36ers, South Dragons, Cairns Taipans and Sydney Kings, so the sluggish nature of the Hawks' 1-9 start isn't lost on him.

He holds optimism the club can still turn things around.

They face a North Queensland double-header this weekend, beginning with a trip to Cairns on Saturday night.

The Taipans began their campaign in red-hot form, winning all of their opening six matches including a tight 91-89 win over the Hawks in WIN Entertainment Centre.

But two losses in a fortnight makes the second-placed side vulnerable.

"I think we played them pretty well last time they came down to Wollongong and that is when they were playing some good basketball, so I think we should go in there feeling pretty confident," Hill said.

"I know Wollongong in the past has had some success in Cairns as well so using all that to get us going, and they're in a little bit of a form slump, it should be a good opportunity for us."

Cairns used a number of surges throughout the match to defeat the Hawks earlier in the season.

"They are a team which can score in bunches," Hawks guard Rhys Martin said.

"They can get on a roll pretty quickly and if we can limit those shorter bursts then hopefully they will have more dry spells; they don't score so frequently and put too much pressure on us to keep scoring with them.

"Make it a defensive game."

Cairns face Sydney on Thursday night before playing the Hawks.

Wollongong follow Cairns with Townsville at The Swamp on Sunday night.