Wildcats Wary in Hawks' Nest

The Perth Wildcats will be out to right their wrongs in Saturday’s game against the bottom of the ladder Illawarra Hawks, after coach John Rillie accused them of falling to the level of teams below them.

Rillie says he is “mindful” of the unwanted habit forming from the team and is aware of the unique challenge Illawarra presents, with a former Wildcat on the Hawks' roster adding some extra spice to the matchup.

Hawks import Michael Frazier II played for Perth last season and was infamously almost released when the Wildcats chased John Brown III. The roster change never happened and Frazier II remained a Wildcat for the rest of the campaign.

Averaging 19 points per game for his new club, Frazier II is expected to put on a show against his former team.

“It’s something that I’m mindful about all the time and throw in the dynamic that there’s a former Wildcat playing for them that will want to put about 40 points on us,” Rillie said.

“There’s a lot of dynamic in this game, I always preach that it’s about how we approach the game more than anything.

“They’re (Illawarra) out to prove a point. He’s (Frazier II) come out here and he’s played very well in his time with Wollongong, and he’s brought a great dimension to their team.”

Rillie said the ‘Cats must make improvements on the defensive end, while ensuring their third-ranked offence remains still up to scratch.

“Our offence is not always going to be picture perfect,” Rillie said.

“We’re gonna have another game where it seems like a bit of a struggle, or the flow of the game isn’t up to the way we would like to play so our defence really needs to be locked in.

“You do reflect, and you can say complacency or just our execution of what we’re doing.”

The Wildcats are sixth on the ladder with a 9-8 record heading into their matchup against the Hawks on Saturday night at 5:30pm AEDT. Watch the game live on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.