Why Perth’s title hopes could rest on one signing

Perth’s point guard call could make or break their NBL26 campaign. The talent is there, but the right playmaker is what brings it all together.

Pete Hooley says it is not about replacing Bryce Cotton. It’s about finding the guard who fits. Nail that and the Wildcats are right back in the title mix.

With Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. reportedly locked in as their marquee big, just one piece remains.

"This is a piece now that’s going to really put them into the contention category," Hooley said.

"If they nail this point guard, which the names we’re hearing, the type of player they’re after, that’ll happen sooner rather than later. With everything else they’ve got, Sunday Dech coming in, LM (Lat Mayen), Dylan Windler, Kristian Doolittle, this team now has all the pieces to go and make a big splash in NBL26."

ESPN’s Olgun Uluc believes high-energy point guard Zavier Simpson could be on the Wildcats’ radar.

"He's a six-foot point guard, an absolute floor general. If you haven’t seen him, he’s got that patented hook shot. Really unique, really effective," Uluc said on Wednesday.

"That interest from Perth, I’m told, is quite strong. When you speak around the gym, the Wildcats really do like Zavier Simpson. That wasn’t just a throwaway line, they’ve genuinely reached out."

No matter who they land at point guard, adding Lual-Acuil Jr. gives the Wildcats a game-changing presence.

"Lual-Acuil Jr. is someone who said no early in the piece, but they kept prodding. They kept saying, ‘are you sure? What can we do to make you comfortable here?’ John (Rillie) really played a really significant role in the recruitment of Lual-Acuil Jr., and so they kept going," Uluc said.

"This will be a substantial offer, but that’s worth it because he’ll more than likely be their only marquee. Therefore, he’ll hit the cap at a percentage, probably just tenths of a percentage, of his actual salary, which is a huge thing for the Wildcats and their cap sheet.

"I don’t think the JLA contract that’s going to be in front of him is going to deter them from spending on that point guard. If anything, it might swing the other way, where they think, 'alright, we’ve got our marquee, let’s go all out'."

"And basketball-wise, what it means for the Wildcats is they get a premier big man who we’ve seen be an MVP candidate in this competition," Hooley continued.

"They don’t make centres in the NBL like JLA, someone who can put the ball on the floor, play like a guard, step out and shoot the three, be a rim protector, an alley-oop threat. All of that bundled up into one makes him a prominent and dominant force around the NBL.

"We haven’t seen too many JLA stoppers around. One of those a couple of years ago was a great contest, Will Magnay. He may not even be there (NBA interest), but those are the kind of matchups we love because, as we’ve said, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.. is an absolute premier big man, an All-NBL First Team contender, MVP contender.

"They don’t make them like him often."

In his last NBL campaign, Lual-Acuil Jr. averaged 14.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, before embarking on international stints in Turkey, Egypt and China