Four straight wins, now Wildcats face real test

The Perth Wildcats have won four straight since dropping their season opener and now face their first road trip of NBL27, against a Sydney Kings side desperate to bounce back.

Coach John Rillie welcomed the challenge on Thursday.

“You talk about the road, but we spent all pre-season on the road, so to be home for that first stretch was nice,” he said.

“Now to have another challenge like the Kings with the way they’re playing as our first road trip … we got a great chance to see where we actually sit right now.”

Led by Kristian Doolittle and breakout star Elijah Pepper, the Wildcats have been one of the most impressive teams of the early season.

With newly signed point guard Brandon Knight set to play just his second game for the club, Rillie is confident the group is finding its feet despite a steady rotation of players in and out with injury.

“In the off-season you work on what perfect looks like and there’s an element to this team where there can be different lineups, there can be different personnel influencing the game,” he said.

“I think last week was a good indication, like (Dylan) Windler in the fourth quarter really dominated with his shooting … Doolittle, his points were not as productive as people would think, but the way he handled and manipulated the game and distributing the ball was a credit to how this team can evolve.”

Perth pulled away late from a gallant New Zealand Breakers last round, with Windler scoring 32 points and Pepper adding 25.

With marquee big man Jo Lual-Acuil Jr still sidelined by a calf injury, the rest of the roster continues to fill the void, and the wins keep piling up.

Doolittle gave the Wildcats a scare at training on Thursday, injuring his ankle in a battle for a loose ball, but Rillie told The West Australian he expects his star import to line up against the Kings.

“He should be fine to play. It was more precautionary when he went off,” Rillie said.

Whatever the outside noise, Rillie is keeping his focus on his own group.

“Everyone’s trying to figure out who we are and what’s the best version of us, so I’ll worry about how I’m trying to get the best out of us.”

Perth travels to Sydney to take on the Kings, with tip-off from 7:30pm this Saturday night, live on ESPN, 9 (Sydney, Perth), 9Go! (other states) and 9Now.