Why Perth’s build might be just right

The Perth Wildcats were already riding high after securing Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., but re-signing Ben Henshall might be the move that takes their off-season to the next level.

While replacing a superstar like Bryce Cotton is a near-impossible task, the Wildcats have kept their eyes on the bigger picture. Their methodical approach is now starting to show real promise.

“This (Henshall) is a big signing for the Perth Wildcats because from what I understand, he left some more enticing offers on the table to return home to the Wildcats,” Pete Hooley said.

“The Cairns Taipans were very interested in him. The Illawarra Hawks were very interested in him,” ESPN’s Olgun Uluc revealed.

Choosing to stay in Western Australia speaks volumes about Henshall's belief in John Rillie and the direction the Wildcats are heading.

“We said this prior to Summer League, that if the Wildcats were able to retain Ben Henshall and get a marquee center, then they’re looking just fine. If anything, they’re looking really, really good,” Uluc continued.

“And what did they do? They went and got Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., and they retained Ben Henshall. So this is huge for them.”

Henshall made a big leap in his second NBL season, lifting his averages to 9.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1 steal per game.

If he continues on this trajectory, he could quickly become a key piece in Perth’s core lineup.

“I’m curious to see what they put next to him. I don’t know if Ben Henshall and Bryce Cotton was the perfect match, those two playing alongside each other. So do they get a guy who can maybe create a little bit more, maybe more of a distributor? That’s the sort of guy they’ve been looking at,” Uluc said.

“But let’s see if they do that now. Ben Henshall is someone who, again, if we can see the growth that we saw from him from year one to year two, if we see something similar to that from year two to year three, then this is an obvious starter-level guy for the Perth Wildcats, and I think makes them an obvious Finals contender.”

Perth still has one import slot to fill at point guard, with Lual-Acuil Jr, Kristian Doolittle and Dylan Windler leading the starting group.

Lat Mayen, Sunday Dech, David Okwera and Jesse Wagstaff provide depth off the bench, while Elijah Pepper has impressed with his scoring output in the NBL1.

“I know fans want to see signings the minute the off-season opens. And then when everyone else is filling out their team, Sydney Kings were done early, the 36ers were done pretty early, fans start to stress, and understandably so," Hooley added.

"But the Perth Wildcats have slowly stuck the course and ended up putting together a Finals contender already, probably without having to nail this last piece.

"From all reports of what they’re going after, if they get this done, then the Wildcats are going to be around the mark, and it’s going to be fun to watch.”