'Make or break': Wildcats search for missing piece

In recent weeks, NBL teams from all across the League have locked in their top-level import point guards for the fast-approaching Hungry Jack's NBL27 Season.

From Melbourne and South East Melbourne signing MVP contenders Cole Anthony and Skylar Mays respectively, to Queensland duo adding Arnas Velička (Brisbane) and Jaylon Brown (Cairns), there have been numerous high-profile moves.

That quartet join the likes of Bryce Cotton, Kendric Davis, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Tyler Harvey, who are all returning to their respective side as the number one ball-handler.

When you add in Taran Armstrong returning to Tasmania, only one team remains without an elite point guard, and that's Perth.

On the latest episode of The Marketplace, presented by Paywise, Jack Heverin said Perth's pursuit of a top-level ball-handler would 'make or break their team'.

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While the Wildcats have already started pre-season training ahead of their home opener on Saturday, September 19 against South East Melbourne, ESPN's Olgun Uluc is confident Perth will land their guard soon.

"The market's always been difficult," Uluc said on The Marketplace, presented by Paywise.

"Even Melbourne United when they were pursuing Cole Anthony, they had other high-level options and it wasn't a matter of them necessarily just choosing Cole Anthony over those others. Cole Anthony, from what I was told, was their number one option. But all of those other options, who would all be high-level import guards in the NBL, have all signed elsewhere.

"High-level European teams are signing players right now, and we're in that space where it's not just the NBL that is going through a signing flurry; teams around the world are going through it too and are signing those high-level guards.

"[But] we have seen import signings go this late. I appreciate the wait always sucks, but patience can sometimes be a virtue, especially in the NBL.

"Players often get cut from their respective NBA teams, or they don't make training camp, so you could get a high-level player this late in the piece.

"There is a natural risk that always comes with that, such as a high-level player doesn't become available, and you're just left with the scraps? That's the fear.

"The hope is that that's not the case; the hope is that you can leverage Danny Mills' relationships and John Rillie's relationships to go and find someone high level.

"But as of right now, I'm told they don't have one and are still searching for the right person."

Heverin knows how important landing that 'right' point guard is, for a team that contains the likes of Kristian Doolittle, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., Dylan Windler and Elijah Pepper.

"They've got to land this position, and I have full faith that Danny Mills and John Rillie will do that," he said.

"[If they do], I think they can win it, based on that roster that's there right now.

"They've got two of everything. If they can hit this spot, I'm really confident that they are a top four team and could potentially win the whole thing."

Uluc agrees the Wildcats, who have been eliminated in the Playoffs the past three seasons, have all the foundations of a title contender.

"They have balance, and there's size up front," Uluc said.

"They have [plenty] of shot converters on that roster; they just need the connector to bring them all together."

Rounding out the Wildcats' roster are Cameron Huefner, Jaron Rillie, Jesse Wagstaff, Angus Brandt, Anthony Dell'Orso, Alex Higgins-Titsha, Marley Sam and Jimmy Whitt.