JLA believes Wildcats are built to win it all

A week on the road has strengthened Jo Lual-Acuil Jr’s belief that the Perth Wildcats are genuine championship contenders, with the return of point guard Jaron Rillie proving crucial to their momentum.

The Wildcats capped off an impressive road stretch by backing up their New Year’s Day win in Brisbane with an eight-point victory over the New Zealand Breakers on Sunday, remaining solid in fifth place at 13-10.

Lual-Acuil Jr was outstanding against the Breakers, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds and three assists. While Dylan Windler (17 points, 10 rebounds), Kristian Doolittle (21 points) and Rillie (13 points, four assists) all played important roles, the performance was defined by the collective effort rather than any single contributor.

The big man is feeling confident in his own form and increasingly optimistic about the team’s trajectory, believing the past week marked a turning point as Perth pushes toward the title conversation.

"I think we can win a championship and I've been in rhythm all season, it wasn’t anything different," Lual-Acuil Jr said.

"I liked that we won but then again, it's been a tough week and we've been on the road all week and we've got two great road wins.

"That kinda shows character and growth being able to close the game out, which we have kinda struggled in that area. We've taken the right steps and just have to keep growing."

While the Wildcats lost David Duke Jr to an elbow injury in Adelaide last Sunday, they are otherwise close to full strength, highlighted by the return of point guard Rillie.

Sunday’s win over the Breakers marked Rillie’s third game back from a hamstring injury, and he was challenged with a starting role. In just 20 minutes, he made a significant impact with 13 points, four assists, shooting 3-of-5 from the field and 6-of-7 at the foul line.

As the team’s five man, Lual-Acuil Jr relies heavily on chemistry with his point guard, and he believes that connection with Rillie is already strong. But his praise extends well beyond the present, with the big man convinced Rillie’s ceiling stretches far into the future.

"He's been great and I think for a guy that's coming into the league as a rookie, to be able to be given the keys to run our offence, and get guys shots, he's been great," Lual-Acuil Jr said.

"I'm really excited for his future and obviously he's a young Aussie guy so he has a bright future that goes onto internationally too, and I think he's going to be here for many years.

"Hopefully he gets to like EuroLeague, NBA or whatever it is too, but it's been really fun playing with him and he's also a really good kid.

"If you see how he approaches the game and how he prepares, and how he works, it's not surprising to any of us and we all fully trust him to be able to run our team."