Free Agency Analysis: Jarred Bairstow to Perth

NBL Media’s Liam Santamaria continues his look at each and every signing, breaking down what it all means ahead of #NBL21.

Signed by: Perth Wildcats

The deal: One year

Age: 28

2020 team: Brisbane Capitals (Queensland State League)

2020 stats (per game): 20.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 53.6 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 75.4 FT%

Projected role: Back-up big.

Quote: “I can’t believe Jarred isn’t already playing in the NBL. He’s got the talent and I’m glad he’s available at this stage. We’re excited to give Jarred the opportunity, now it’s up to him to prove he belongs in the league.” – Trevor Gleeson (Perth Wildcats head coach)  

My take: Majok Majok’s pre-season Achilles injury really was a major blow to the Wildcats.

With the two-time defending champs waiting patiently for Cotton to become an Aussie (so that they could re-sign Miles Plumlee), Majok was staring at the likelihood of an increased role in NBL21. Who knows? If Cotton remained an import, Majok may have become Perth’s starting centre.

By all accounts, he was looking good too. Reports out of WA were saying that the big fella had worked hard on his body and was coming in ready to rumble. All that got torn away, however, when Majok ruptured his Achilles tendon at a team practice session.

That, of course, left the Wildcats scrambling. With only John Mooney and Jesse Wagstaff as fully-rostered bigs, they’ve spent the past couple of months scouring the planet for large, warm bodies.

Enter Jarred Bairstow.

The younger brother of Hawks forward Cam Bairstow dipped his toes in NBL waters a few years ago as a DP with the Bullets. Since then he’s been doing his thing in the Queensland State League while advancing his off-court career as a medical engineer.

Desperate for someone to come in and help out, the Wildcats brought Bairstow over, tried him out and have signed the 28-year-old for the upcoming season. It’s a very cool opportunity for a guy who thought his NBL days were behind him.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Perth Wildcats have signed versatile forward Jarred Bairstow for the upcoming season. Welcome, Jarred! <br><br>Full details: <a href="https://t.co/r4k8nozQXi">https://t.co/r4k8nozQXi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xp3SuROyve">pic.twitter.com/Xp3SuROyve</a></p>&mdash; Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats/status/1336584162858299393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


The problem is: Bairstow’s not a centre. He’s really a power forward at the NBL level, to be honest. I mean, he’s strong – very strong – but at 6’7, without great length or athleticism, he’s going to struggle with guys like Nathan Jawai, Jo Lual-Acuil, Rob Loe and Yanni Wetzell around the hoop.

With that in mind, the ‘Cats now have one last rostered spot to fill and that will need to be a BIG guy. If Cotton’s papers come through, expect that to be Plumlee. If not? Well, they’ve got a massive hole to fill.