36ers’ plan to limit fine Cotton

Adelaide 36ers will be looking to bounce back in a big way when Perth Wildcats come to town for a Saturday night blockbuster at the Entertainment Centre.

Both sides come into the match coming off disappointing defeats and are searching to find some consistency.

Adelaide fell 111-90 to Brisbane Bullets at home on Christmas Eve, while the Wildcats went down 120-88 against the Hawks in Illawarra last round.

Head coach Mike Wells will have one name at the top of his whiteboard ahead of this clash, Bryce Cotton.

READ MORE

• MATCH PREVIEW: Vasiljevic says 36ers keen to bounce back
• TEAM SCOUT: 36ers' plan to limit fine Cotton
• PRESS CALL: Wells praises Humphries during 'tough stretch'
• MATCH WRAP: Davis dazzles, but 36ers fall to Bullets
• Davis wants team success, not big numbers

THE KEY
Cotton has been breaking records over the past month, including a 49-point effort against the 36ers in Adelaide earlier this month.

The three-time MVP is not only the most important player on his team, he is arguably the best import the NBL has seen for quite some time.

Cotton has scored 205 points in the past five games at an average of 41 per game, but only managed 13 points in his last outing against the Hawks.

Adelaide must contain the influence of the 182cm combo guard and expect head coach Mike Wells to send multiple bodies onto the Cotton assignment.

THE SECRET
In the final quarter of the last contest, it wasn’t any Cotton heroics that got Perth across the line.

Perth got big shots out of several players down the stretch, with the 36ers so mindful on stopping the Cotton impact, his teammates stepped up to win the game.

The likes of Dylan Windler, David Okwera, Ben Henshall and Elijah Pepper can hit the three-pointer at a great percentage, and Perth will welcome back Keanu Pinder to the side after he missed the last Adelaide visit with illness.

Pinder gives the Wildcats much-needed size inside the paint to battle against Adelaide’s trio of big men led by Isaac Humphries. 

DEPTH CHART
Henshall / Russo-Nance
Cotton / Pepper / M. Harris
Windler / H. Harris
Okwera / Wagstaff / Withers
Almansa / Pinder

FINAL WORD
With only 12 games remaining in the regular season, the time is now for the 36ers to make a move. How the side responds to the Christmas Eve home loss will be intriguing.

Cotton should be the focus, but Adelaide needs to also stop the Perth team, who have been averaging well over 100 points per night.

Improvements must come at the defensive end, while gaining more flow at structure at the offensive end is vital, especially against the Wildcats’ defense, which is known to give up points.

The Kendric Davis match-up against Cotton is mouthwatering, but don’t expect the pair to be guarding each other, and the 36ers must also contain the effect Pinder can have at both ends of the floor.