Point of contention: Patience or panic for Perth?

The 2026 CODE Sports NBL Blitz is just days away, which gives all the League's loyal fans their first chance to truly experience what their team's revamped rosters look like.

For Perth Wildcats fans, though, that clarity remains elusive, with the club's hunt for an import point guard still very much unresolved heading into the opening round.

During the off-season, General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills emphasised the importance for the club to nail this signing.

"Clearly we have to address that," Mills said to the West Australian of the Wildcats' point guard conundrum.

"Jaron [Rillie] only played 16 games, and it was his first year as a pro. What we saw from him was really exciting; there is a bright future there and having a local in that spot is a great building block. But clearly we need to add depth in that position and playmaking so guys like Windler, Doolittle and JLA's offence can come even easier.

"Then we can have a real playmaker at the end of games who can control the clock and the score. That's definitely a focus for the off-season.

"It was clearly the one deficiency in our roster that we needed to address and tried to address, but the market dictates a lot."

Now former NBL MVPs Derek Rucker and Chris Anstey have weighed in on the topic.

"I've spoken with Mark Arena (Wildcats owner) a couple of times via messaging, and he ensures everyone has patience that they have it under control," Rucker said on NBL Now.

"I don't like waiting this long to have my point guard. Your point guard is your barometer; he's the leader, and he decides often what you're going to do away from the court.

"There's so many things that come with a really good point guard and having your point guard present in the off-season that if I were not a point guard myself and part of a team, there would be some level of anxiety and stress about not having this guy in the building."

Anstey said patience was key.

"There's the mindset that I'd rather make the right choice late than the wrong choice early," Anstey said.

"[In the meantime] they'll get their systems and structures in place, they'll get a little bit of role clarity so that when whatever import is walks in [it's a seamless transition] and all of a sudden you get this additional boost midway through the pre-season.

"We've been running this with Jaron Rillie and now we can go to another level with the guy we've brought in.

"There is a little bit of anxiety, undoubtedly, but I'd rather get the right [piece], which is a pure point guard and not a combo guard.

"They've brought in a couple of combo guards [in the past], but a pure point guard would make a massive difference.

"They're behind the eight-ball, but I'll give them one more shot to get this right."

At the Blitz in Bendigo, the Wildcats play Cairns (Wednesday, September 2) and Melbourne (Friday, September 4).

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