One of the Hurricanes' most consistent players across the past three seasons with a BBL average of 41, Short is averaging just 15.25 this campaign.

Since beginning the season with a duck and a match-winning 72 against Adelaide, the 30-year-old has struggled with scores of 2, 1, 27, 0, 12 and 8.

McDermott, who has opened with the left-hander in the past four games, said Short's class would see him back among the competition's leading lights sooner rather than later.

"I think he's going ok," McDermott said.

"He's a world class player so he's going to bounce back.

"Everyone goes through these patches, so we're backing him in 100 per cent to come back stronger after this."

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Sitting in third at the midway point of the season, the Hurricanes are on track for a fourth-straight finals campaign as they look to leave Melbourne Stars as the only side yet to win a BBL title.

The Hurricanes missed a chance to go top of the table in Monday's 10-run loss to the Stars - which marked Bellerive Oval's final home and away fixture - but will get another chance to climb the table in Thursday's clash with Sydney Thunder.

"We're up the top so that's really good," McDermott said.

"Thunder are playing really well, [Sydney] Sixers are playing really well - they've got some good players in form and we're really happy with where we're sitting.

"It would have been nice to win that one [against the Stars] but I said it from the start - you need to peak at the right times in these tournaments, you need to make sure you're playing well at the back end, not just the front."

McDermott leads the competition's batting charts following a stellar 91 against the Stars and appears to have settled into a new role as opener.

He should keep the role for at least another few weeks with Short's regular partner Matthew Wade on national duties until January 20.

"The first couple of games were a bit rusty - I've never [opened] before so it was a bit tricky to start with and I didn't really know how to go about it too much," he said.

"But I think when I give myself a few balls to get going instead of going really hard in the first four [overs] like I did in Brisbane ... I kept finding the fielders - it's a bit of a horrible feeling that.

"You feel like you're letting the team down after going a run a ball ... but we just feel like if you try and slog your way out of it and lose a couple of wickets you put them under even more pressure, so you've got to give yourself a chance."