Rillie Feels Perth Side "Could Compete for a Championship"

In NBL23 the Perth Wildcats, like every other team, was a side built with the aim of toppling the Sydney Kings and winning the NBL championship.

Like eight other teams though they’re left to lament what might have been and will be watching the NBL Championship Series between New Zealand and Sydney from the comfort of their own homes rather than battling it out for glory.

In his first season as head coach John Rillie helped return the Wildcats to the post-season after a one-year absence. They defeated the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the first ever Play-In Qualifier, but fell at the hands of the Cairns Taipans in the Play-In Game.

The incredible thing is that this team succeeded in its goal of beating the reigning champions. In fact, the Wildcats were one of three teams – the others being Tasmania and Cairns – to have a winning record against the Kings in the regular season.

The Wildcats suffered elimination at the hands of the Cairns Taipans in the Play-In Game.

Rillie believes his team – at its best – could take the battle to any side in the competition this past year.

“I felt like we had a team that could compete for a championship,” Rillie told SEN. “But we had to play at a higher level more consistently.

“Ever since I took the job whoever beat the Sydney Kings. I certainly had a focus and mentality towards that, and I thought we addressed that well during the regular season.

“Our highs were very good, and that reflected in the top three teams – we were 6-3 against those teams.

“Teams around our mark on the ladder, we weren’t good enough. That’s why we ended up sixth … we had to play at a higher level more consistently.

“When we were playing well we had a chance to compete for a championship. We just weren’t good enough on every night.”

After enduring a slow start to his tenure in charge of the Wildcats, Rillie and his side found an exceptional level of rhythm towards the back end of the season – with their hot streak culminating in their final day win over Sydney to secure a spot in the Play-In.

That rhythm came at a cost though. The likes of veteran influences Mitch Norton, Jesse Wagstaff and Todd Blanchfield were all but removed from the rotation, and the pressure placed on the starting five and Luke Travers – particularly Bryce Cotton – became immense.

Rillie, who won an NBL championship in 1998, drew on his experience playing in Greece when approaching shortening his rotation.

“What helped me through is I went over to Europe for a very short time in my playing career, so I felt what it was like to be an import and be sacked. That really opened up my eyes to life.

“I took the wrong approach in that scenario, I was cautious, I was trying to do the right thing as opposed to going and playing.

“I reflect and look back on that and only have myself to blame with the way I approached it. Anything in life, if you really want to go and get it you can’t worry about what you’re saying, or tweeting, or the next guy and all that kind of stuff.

“If I truly believe in what I’m about it’ll work out. At this point of the season I truly believed in what I was about – we moved in a forward direction.

“Did we get to where we wanted to go? No, but progress was made.”

At this point in time though the Wildcats as an organisation are firmly focused on the future, and there are a number of players whose futures are up in the air.

Luke Travers may have done enough to earn a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jesse Wagstaff could be considering retirement, and imports Brady Manek and TaShawn Thomas could elect to take their services elsewhere.

Rillie says Manek, who has recently linked up with Tasmania guard Milton Doyle in Turkey could yet return for NBL24.

“The way we’ll approach this one is we need to see which local – Australian or New Zealand – players, when we sort out those situations, we can address the imports.

“Unfortunately, when you’re an import you have to swing in the breeze for a little bit until we get that roster settled.

“I like the way he (Manek) performed. I think people saw the value of having him on the roster and now he’s taken up an opportunity in Europe, so he’ll get to see it from a different side now.”