Williams: Claws out at Wildcats

By Rob Burton - NBL Media
Photo: Wildcats import Brady Manek. 

As one of the most famous, proudest sporting clubs in Australia, missing last year’s finals cut deep for the Perth Wildcats.

That 35-year finals streak deserves to be celebrated and will go down in history as a remarkable sporting feat. It may never be repeated. 

But as amazing as that run was, and will be remembered, it perhaps makes it even harder to fathom for those in and around the club – the streak is over. 

“They (the Wildcats) are under some serious pressure, and you know with the Perth Wildcats they usually respond,” commentator Corey Williams said on the first episode of NBL Overtime. 

“They are going to be p*ssed off, they are going to be angry, they are going to be physical.”

The Wildcats are a proud organisation and their players, staff and fans have high expectations. They’ll want nothing more than to prove the doubters wrong in NBL23.

They’ve recruited strongly, kept the core of their roster in place, and now have John Rillie at the helm with a defence-first approach.  

“What they were able to do in terms of the players they’ve brought in … I love what they’ve done,” Williams said. 

“Brady Manek; this guy’s going to be a freak, he’s going to be a great addition. He can stretch the floor, he’s aggressive, he’s a champion … and UNC (where he played), I don’t need to say anything more about him.

“Corey Webster; reliable three-point shooter, a star in this league. 

“Luke Travers is back better than ever. That’s how you want to see a young player who’s been in this league four or five years … develop. We’re going to see the best version of Luke Travers this year.

“TaShawn Thomas; this guy’s the real deal. (He’s an) Israeli Cup champion and MVP … top five in France … he was a finalist in the French league for MVP. This dude can go. He can be a huge difference-maker as to where this team goes.”

Williams said the Wildcats deserve to be championship favourites. They’ve done it many times before and arguably the most vital piece of the puzzle is still there – Bryce Cotton. 

“I believe in this team. I believe in this roster. They have more to prove than ever.  They have more to prove right now than any other team in this league,” Williams added. 

“I believe in Perth … because of these reasons, they are going to win this chip.” 

Perth is set to kick off its pre-season campaign with two games against Adelaide this weekend.

Fans can watch the pre-season fixtures via NBL.com.au, the NBL App, YouTube and Facebook.