As the 2011-12 NBL season tips off this Friday, don't blink. You just might miss the blindingly fast action displayed by the league's injection of speed this season.

The Australian brand of basketball has been described as many things over the years: intelligent, sharp-shooting, tough-nosed and highly competitive. However one trait not normally assigned to the sport downunder is speed or quickness. Sure, we've had our fair share of players that have shocked the masses over the years, from long-standing imports Derek Rucker and Ricky Grace to Kings Brad "Lightning" Rosen and Dontaye Draper to 2010-11 MVP Gary Ervin.  

In general though, the speedsters have been the exception, rather than the norm. That's why the influx of speed this season should make for a faster tempo iiNet NBL Championship, possibly one of the quickest ever.

The headline act in this circus of speed is of course Australian basketball superstar Patty Mills. The 23-year old point guard can run the legs off a greyhound with his blinding pace -- even having run rings around the world's best against the Team USA program previously, before taking his game to the NBA where he is renowned as a game-changer with his speed. When Mills takes the court for the Melbourne Tigers on Friday, his opponents the Sydney Kings will immediately be on the back foot.

However, the Kings themselves boast a point guard who is no slouch in the speed department in second year man, Luke Cooper. The son of  470 NBL game veteran former-referee "Holllywood" Mal Cooper, the 27-year old missed all bar four games of the 2010-11 campaign through disappointing injury, effectively making him brand new to the league and making opposing defences unprepared for his pace. Weighing only 75kg, the relative waterbug is not afraid to throw his body around the hardwood and when he takes the court against the Tigers, the Mills v Cooper drag race should be fun to watch.

Mills' new teammate, Daniel Dilllon, who impressed as a rookie with the 2011 Grand Finalist Cairns Taipans, is also known for his athleticism, combining with fellow former-Taipan Ayinde Ubaka to make the Tigers a blink-and-you'll-miss-it proposition this season.

In addition to the Aussie speed merchants, the arrival of imports Chris Warren (Adelaide 36ers), Jamar Wilson (Cairns Taipans), Cedric Jackson (New Zealand Breakers) and Eddie Gill (Townsville Crocodiles) means that the traditional NBL bigs will have to work on their foot-speed if they want to keep up with their floor generals this season.

Warren, a 1.78m 76kg former Mississippi Rebels star, in particular is known for his pace. He joins the Sixers having the distinction of being one of only four players in SEC history to achieve 2,000 points and 400 assists, alongside such distinguished company as Pete Maravich, Allan Houston and Litterial Green. Look for the likes of Stephen Weigh and Darren Ng to benefit from his penetration and dishes -- as long as they can keep their eyes on the ball at pace.

Gill comes to the Crocs with a fine NBA pedigree, having made stops with the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Supersonics, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. Whilst he is now 33-years old, he still commands respect in the speed department and couples that with the nous to know what to do with the ball, having built a fine career on those principles.

Wilson and Jackson have the benefit -- and challenge -- of entering programs with vastly different offensive focus to the season before, after roster changes have made the Taipans and Breakers vastly different propositions. The departure of Ron Dorsey and Ubaka from the Cairns and Kirk Penney from New Zealand, means that the new speedy import point guards have the opportunity to stamp their authority on the program, possibly through the injection of speed.

Without a doubt, the 2011-12 iiNet NBL Championship provides fans with a lot of exciting new looks. The thing is, you might want to get rested up before sitting down to watch a game, because it's going to be fast.