Incredible Perth turnaround looms

Everything seems to have swung for Perth over the last two weeks. After starting the season sluggishly the Wildcats have now won three games in a row – but what could happen if they win their pair of Round 8 fixtures this weekend? 

The Wildcats will open their account with a clash against the Taipans on Thursday night, before playing the Brisbane Bullets on Saturday evening. If they win both fixtures, they’ll move to 7-5 ahead of next week’s FIBA break.

NBL analyst and 2018 champion Peter Hooley believes it would be an incredible turnaround should the Wildcats keep on rolling.

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“It’s gone from doomsday,” Hooley said on NBL Now. “ I saw Perth fans saying they hope they lose so everything changes and people get fired.

“All of a sudden they go 7-5, sitting in the top four and people are saying this is a championship calibre team.

“Anything can happen quickly with how many game there are in succession. Imagine they’re 7-5 going into the FIBA break and just looking at that you’d be pretty happy if you’re a Perth Wildcats fan.”

John Rillie oversaw a drastic turnaround in his side’s fortunes late in NBL23, and has gone back to the well of shortening the side’s rotation in order to prompt the new upturn in form.

Three-time NBL champion Corey Webster registered a DNP in the Wildcats’ win over New Zealand last week, in a move that is reminiscent of Rillie’s benching of former Perth pair Mitch Norton and Todd Blanchfield.

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Just nine players saw the floor for Perth in last week’s win – and only Michael Harris registered fewer than 12 minutes.

Hooley believes those players who are currently riding the pine for the Wildcats still have a big role to play in the context of the season.

“The defensive strategy of putting Kristian Doolittle to the three and playing a little bit bigger, the calmness of putting Jesse Wagstaff out there, this is a different looking Perth Wildcats team we’re seeing,” Hooley said.

“I think the rotation’s shortening up is going to help in the games they do struggle. There’s a lot of games left and those ones where maybe Bryce isn’t feeling good or Keanu Pinder’s out don’t be surprised to see John Rillie go with Corey Webster or someone off the bench who hasn’t seen minutes and then they have 15 points in 14 minutes and they still manage to get some wins.

“Defensively they’ve been nowhere near how good they could be until they’ve gone on this little winning streak, and then rebounding – they’ve got Alex Sarr, they’ve got Keanu Pinder, and they kept getting beat up on the boards. That game against Melbourne United they had 17 offensive rebounds and they won that rebounding battle, they won it again against New Zealand.

“Defensively they’ve been a whole lot better – especially on the glass – and if you’re not a good defensive team you’re not winning an NBL title, that’s all that matters.”

Perth play Cairns at 9:30pm AEDT tonight at RAC Arena, live on ESPN via Kayo.