Preview: Perth vs Tasmania - Round 11, NBL24

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

The Wildcats put 100 points up against the JackJumpers in Round 1, and no team has done it since.

Friday, December 15 at 9:30pm AEDT | RAC Arena

Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo Sports | Sky Sport in NZ | International viewership details
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Perth’s six-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Illawarra Hawks in Round 10. Captain Jesse Wagstaff said mid-week he felt his team had chances to take the game, but the slow start proved crucial in the final result.

Jesse Wagstaff indicated Tai Webster is likely to return from illness, following his absence from the loss to Illawarra.

Tasmania has announced Milton Doyle will return to the lineup after missing Round 10 to attend his father’s funeral in the United States.

Marcus Lee played just two minutes in Tasmania’s Round 10 win over New Zealand, and Scott Roth offered no suggestion of any injury to the import big following the win.

Perth
82-100 loss to Illawarra
114-105 win over Sydney
79-76 win over Brisbane

Tasmania
97-80 win over New Zealand
94-59 win over Adelaide
90-87 win over Cairns

Bryce Cotton
Bryce Cotton was in some of the best form of his NBL career heading into last week’s clash between Perth and Illawarra, and although he still found ways to positively influence the game for the Wildcats, he faltered when it came to scoring.

He scored just seven points on nine shot attempts for the game, and didn’t make a two-point field goal for the second time this season.

Those seven points equaled his season low that had previously been set in Round 2 against South East Melbourne, and the Hawks’ ability to limit him to single figure shot attempts for just the sixth time in his NBL career has left some suggesting Illawarra has found a new way to limit the impact of the three-time MVP.

Cotton has a history of absolutely dominating in the game he plays after a less than impressive performance – it’s a known fact in the NBL that he very, very rarely suffers from two bad games in a row.

Tasmania has improved to currently hold the third-best defensive rating in the league this season, and with Milton Doyle returning to beef up their guard rotation, how will the JackJumpers wrangle one of the greatest NBL players of all time?

“Bryce has been in the league for six, seven years now and I don’t think there’s any new information garnered from last week. He’s a big part of what we do, he’s a significant part of our offence and defence, and teams are going to throw a lot of energy and a lot of bodies at him to try and limit his effectiveness.” – Jesse Wagstaff mid-week.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Backing our guy in. ?<br><br>Jesse Wagstaff spoke to the media today about Bryce Cotton, DC round, our upcoming game with the JackJumpers.<br><br>Watch the full presser: <a href="https://t.co/ekmZXHKBOj">https://t.co/ekmZXHKBOj</a> <a href="https://t.co/F6a5N6QkJS">pic.twitter.com/F6a5N6QkJS</a></p>— Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats/status/1734802119050641789?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Marcus Lee
Right up until Will Magnay’s return, there were questions as to how he and Marcus Lee would operate in tandem with Tasmania, and the former looks set to be the starter for the foreseeable future if last week’s result against New Zealand is anything to go by.

Lee started the game but picked up a pair of personal fouls and missed two shots in just two minutes of action. He then went to the bench and wasn’t seen again for the contest.

Magnay, on the other hand, played 18 minutes off the bench and finished with 12 points,12 rebounds, two steals and a crucial block in the final minutes of the game.

Lee was at his best last season when he was used in tandem rotation with Isaac Humphries, and thrived as the anchor for Melbourne’s second unit – and that’s the type of role that he could easily slot back into at the JackJumpers.

Whether Scott Roth continues to play Fabijan Krslovic ahead of him like he did at the Breakers is another kettle of fish though.

“Marcus didn’t get off to a great start and I didn’t play him for the rest of the game, I just felt comfortable with the guys we have, but Marcus gives us another dynamic which is really handy and helpful too. To have those two guys (Lee and Magnay) and their skillset helps our defence.” – Scott Roth following the win over New Zealand.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Strike a pose with Marcus Lee ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/bccFaHGb70">pic.twitter.com/bccFaHGb70</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1730895823376900355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Will Magnay vs Keanu Pinder
Two-way Magnay has well and truly returned in NBL24, and he’s showcasing exactly why Damon Lowery has him penciled in as a Boomers smokey for the upcoming Olympics. He's scoring, grabbing boards, swatting shots and has re-established himself as one of the most intimidating paint presences in the NBL.

Keanu Pinder looks to be one of the backup bigs elected into Brian Goorjian’s plans given his inclusion in Australia’s extended World Cup squad and, like Magnay, has taken some time to find his feet upon his return from a string of injuries this off-season, and is once again thriving.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There's rim protection, and there's ??? ??????????. Will Magnay that is incredible ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/vAZTxTfPFL">pic.twitter.com/vAZTxTfPFL</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1733401984718230002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pinder has had some massive performances for the Wildcats so far this season, and that group is likely headlined by his 18 points, nine boards and five assists in the Round 9 win over Sydney, but he’s struggled to replicate the form that led to him being named an early-season MVP candidate in NBL23 on a consistent basis.

While Pinder and Magnay both possess the ability to step out and hit mid-range and three-point jumpshots, and they’re both more than capable distributors from the post, they’re both at their best when they’re putting their opposition to the sword under the rim.

Expect this battle to be physical, expect it to be chippy, and expect it to be fun.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Keanu Pinder rocks the rim ? <br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/X6SoQ3r93Y">pic.twitter.com/X6SoQ3r93Y</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1730544467168432474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tasmania has won for of its last five games against Perth, while the Wildcats have won its last four home games. The only Wildcats win in that stretch was Round 1 at RAC Arena, when Jordan Usher scored 35 points in his NBL debut.

Gettyimages 1707896915
Jordan Usher.