Beware the wounded Wildcats

Adelaide will be looking to build on Thursday night’s win in Wollongong when the 36ers welcome arch-rival Perth Wildcats to Brett Maher Court at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.

The Wildcats, who missed the NBL playoffs for the first time in over three decades last season, have lost their past five matches, most recently an 85-77 defeat to Tasmania JackJumpers on their home court on Thursday night.

Perth, led by new coach and 1998 Adelaide 36ers championship guard John Rillie, will be desperate to turn their season around and get back on track against their fierce rivals.

It’s the first time the Wildcats have lost five in a row since January 2005.

“Right now, we’re not a good team when we show up on game night,” Rillie said.

“We’re not a good basketball team when we get critiqued the heaviest. We’re going to keep chipping away at this. I believe the work ethic behind the closed doors gets rewarded at some stage."

Despite the losing streak, the Wildcats 3-5 record could have been a lot better with two of their defeats decided on the final play of the game.

But the Wildcats have lost their past two games on the road heavily, a 94-77 loss to Melbourne United on October 31, and a 103-72 thrashing by the JackJumpers in Hobart on October 22.

THE KEY
You don’t play the Perth Wildcats and say Bryce Cotton is not the key to success.

Cotton has dominated the NBL since he touched down in Perth in 2017.

The three-time NBL champion and three-time NBL MVP has been the constant for the Wildcats and is the key reason behind Perth’s success.

The 182cm combo guard, who is currently averaging 21.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per night, is a nightmare to defend and can beat you in so many different ways.

Expect Adelaide coach CJ Bruton to throw a number of different defenders at Cotton, including reigning NBL Defensive Player of the Year Antonius Cleveland, captain Mitch McCarron, Sunday Dech and even Anthony Drmic, just to keep him busy and for the best possible chance to shut him down.

THE SECRET
Perth Wildcats import pair Brady Manek and Tashawn Thomas have come under fire during the Wildcats’ five-game losing streak, but don’t underestimate their influence.

Manek has been sent to the bench by Rillie, but the 24-year-old is in his first professional season after graduating for the University of North Carolina.

The 206cm big man hasn’t had the impact so far, averaging just 8.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per night, but he can be a matchwinner.

Thomas, who has been battling an ankle injury since joining the Wildcats, has had similar struggles, only scoring 9.0 points and grabbing 3.6 rebounds per match.

But the import pair can cause headaches against the 36ers, especially with the offensive rebound trouble Adelaide has been having, both Manek and Thomas can create an impact on the glass.

THE FINAL WORD
Adelaide will be on high alert against a Wildcats side which defeated them twice in the pre-season.

Perth will come to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre with their season on the line and against all odds, so the 36ers should expect a Perth team breathing fire.

The Wildcats have a number of matchwinners who have yet to make their mark in NBL23, including former New Zealand Breaker Corey Webster, point guard Mitch Norton and sharpshooter Todd Blanchfield.

And the Wildcats also have the NBA-bound Luke Travers, who has sparked Perth in multiple games this year.

Limiting their turnovers will be key for Adelaide to get the result in this match, especially with Norton, Cotton and company known for their hard-nosed, Wildcats defence.

Adelaide will be out to make amends on their home floor, where they have only won one of their three matches this season.

With a rivalry as big as this, it doesn’t matter where the two sides are on the ladder or what the form line is, these games are always a huge battle.

DEPTH CHART
PG Norton | Zunic
SG Cotton | Webster
SF Blanchfield | Travers
PF Wagstaff | Manek
C Thomas | Majok