Preview: Perth vs Illawarra - Round 17, NBL24

Thursday, January 25 at 9:30pm AEDT | RAC Arena

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Wildcats head coach John Rillie has confirmed Alexandre Sarr will return to Perth’s active roster following a hip injury. The Next Star last played in Round 13.

Jordan Usher has likened the meshing of the personalities on Perth’s roster to a party, but the import says his side needs to start better than they did in their last meeting with the Hawks.

If Perth wins its Round 17 double-header and other results fall its way, it could end the round on the top of the table.

Interim Hawks head coach Justin Tatum has said while a return to Illawarra in a head coaching capacity is his priority next season, he will consider other head coaching jobs in the NBL, if he isn’t named to the Hawks’ job.

Damon Lowery has called on Hawks duo Justin Robinson and Sam Froling to lift their games ahead of a crucial run-in to the Finals.

Perth
108-104 win over Sydney
118-86 win over Brisbane
100-79 win over South East Melbourne

Illawarra
89-96 loss to Adelaide
93-92 loss to Cairns
103-110 loss to Brisbaen

Jordan Usher
While Perth has established itself as one of the teams to be in NBL24, the injury-enforced absences of Alexandre Sarr and Kristian Doolittle threatened to derail what looked like a finely poised assault on top spot.

While most Wildcats stepped up to cover the breach, one stood out more than the rest - Jordan Usher.

Although Usher is far from a like-for-like replacement for Doolittle given the difference in the pair’s skillset, he provided the biggest intangibles the Wildcats would have been seeking, with hustle and energy.

He almost double-doubled in the massive win over the Bullets, before starring with 24 points and five assists against the Kings.

Now we know the Wildcats have players who are willing and able to step up if there are key absences on the roster, and that’s a scary prospect for anyone facing them in the Finals.

“It’s kind of like throwing a party ... you can’t invite everyone who’s crazy, you might need to bring two or three crazy people, a couple of chill guys, a couple of homegirls that just kick it, I think it’s a perfect mixture. Shoutout to Danny Mills and whoever put the whole team together, because it’s a really good mixture and now we have a taste of how everybody likes it and we’re on a roll.” – Jordan Usher mid-week.

Justin Robinson
As the Hawks approach what is, quite possibly, the most crucial juncture of their season, one major question will be on fans’ lips. Which Justin Robinson is going to turn up?

Robinson has established that at his best he’s a swashbuckling multi-dimensional offensive threat who can change the game all by himself. But he has the tendency to fade into anonymity, and has done so on more than one occasion in NBL24.

He hit just one of a combined 13 shots across Illawarra’s pair of Round 16 losses, and for those massive games where he’s had 20 points and nine assists, 21 points and five assists, and 26 points and seven assists, he’s also had five games where he’s scored fewer than five points.

His three points on 1-15 shooting in Round 3 still lives long in the memory.

When he’s firing Robinson is one of the potent and exciting offensive talents in the NBL, and he makes the Hawks one of the most threatening offensive teams in the competition. Now, when the chips are down, it’s time to fire.

“Justin Robinson is in one of the biggest slumps of all time. To quote my old mate Adam Caporn, ‘he couldn’t hit the side of a barn with a frozen chicken. That is some serious brick shooting, poor old Justin Robinson can’t turn a trick right now, but he’s going to have to dig deep and find something, because that team still needs him.” – Damon Lowery on NBL Now.

Keanu Pinder vs Sam Froling
The NBL’s contingent of players included in the Boomers’ extended World Cup squad included Keanu Pinder and Sam Froling, and while neither were named to the final roster, the pair looked to be the next cabs off the rank when it came to Olympic selection time.

Both Pinder and Froling have experienced strong NBL24 campaigns, however both have likely been leapfrogged in recent weeks by Isaac Humphries in the line for the plane to Paris, and the only way to continue to hammer home their credentials to be in the Olympic squad is to perform against the best.

Damon Lowery challenged Sam Froling to improve his output, both on the scoreboard and the glass in order to help pull Illawarra out of its mini-slump, while the likely return of Alexandre Sarr could see a shift in Pinder’s minutes and role in this flying Perth side.

While Perth can safely put one eye on the post-season, it would be remiss not to suggest fringe Boomers re hoping they impress Brian Goorjian enough to earn an opportunity to make the plane to Paris. This is one of those opportunities for both Pinder and Froling.

The Wildcats currently hold a 15-2 record when Bryce Cotton scores 15+ points in a game in NBL24. They’re 0-5 on the campaign when the star guard scores fewer than 15 points.

Bryce Cotton.

Perth
Nil

Illawarra
Dan Grida – knee (TBC)