Back to win: JLA targets second NBL crown

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. has returned to Australia with one goal in mind: winning a second NBL championship.

Raised in Western Australia, the All-NBL First Teamer is relishing a homecoming as he sets his sights on leading the Perth Wildcats to their first championship since 2020.

With Kristian Doolittle and Dylan Windler by his side in what many are calling the league’s most dominant frontcourt, Lual-Acuil Jr. is aiming high.

“It feels eerily similar to the Illawarra year in Melbourne when we beat them and they won the championship the next year,” he said.

“The main core is coming back and then you reinforce around them. I think the chemistry will already be there.

“You’ve got guys like Sunday (Dech) coming in, and myself, so I think we’ll be in a good place to compete for a championship.

"That’s the goal. I don’t think the Red Army expects anything less.”

Lual-Acuil Jr. said fellow South Sudanese teammate Sunday Dech was vocal in his push to bring him to the club.

“Sunday hasn’t shut up since he signed, trying to get me out here. I talk to him all the time,” he said.

“He’s one of my best friends, so I kind of know most of the guys already. It’s cool.”

The duo will play a pivotal role in the Wildcats’ NBL25 campaign, with Lual-Acuil Jr. emphasising that defence will be the foundation of their success.

“If you look at the NBL recently, every team that’s won a championship has been a top-three defensive team,” he added.

“The goal is always going to be top three defensively. JR (John Rillie) is a mastermind when it comes to the offensive side.

"I think we have really good pieces to challenge for a championship.”

Lual-Acuil Jr. may be a major piece in Perth’s roster build, but owner Mark Arena says the puzzle is far from complete.

“We’ve still got two spots left — one import and one local,” Arena said.

“We’re building a well-rounded team. Jo has joined a team that can definitely contend for a championship. That’s the goal every year.

"Things are just starting post-Summer League. John is still in the US, Danny (Mills) is back from Vegas.

"We’re in discussions with a number of players. Everyone’s watching how Summer League finishes, and we’re part of a lot of those conversations.”