It'll be a very competitive comp but I don't see any reason to think Perth would miss top 4.

They have a deep Aussie group. No stars but good depth.

Elite stud in Cotton.

Cashed up club who will replace White if he's not the right fit. And will bring in a 3rd import if injuries strike the locals.

Gleeson at the helm too.

Perth will be fine.
Their lack of athleticism was exposed by an athletic NBA team, that won't be the case in the NBL and their defense will grind out victories.

Doubt the Wildcats are "cashed up", they also run the Lynx and that costs money as well.
Those who write off their players based on yesterday's performance seem to forget that they won't have to play Utah in the NBL :)
Norton did a reasonable job against NBA guards, he will be ok against NBL guards.
Kay was outplayed, once again, he will play against NBL 4's, he has an indie/out game, he will be more than good.
Brandt is not a star, apart from Cotton nobody is, but he does his job, the Wildcats is built on everyone doing their job, he fits right in.
Their strength will be in the bigs, Brandt, Jervis, Kay, not too many NBL clubs have that front line.
Steindl improved, even against Utah he had a decent game, he got signed to come off the bench and provide offense, he will do that and i reckon consistently.
Vague, so far is a nice surprise: he has confidence, he's got a nice shot also a good size for his position, another piece of the puzzle that fits perfectly this team.
White is a question mark, but no questions about his abilities, the question is on how he will fit it.
Both Hire and Wagstaff are known commodities, both will do exactly what's required of them, rebounding, defense, scoring it's just a bonus.
How anyone can say that Perth will miss the playoffs is beyond me

Realistically they need White to score or create scores. They have good role-playing pieces as always, but will rely on Cotton and White to draw defences and make plays.

No way 4 teams in NBL are better than Perth.
Tb

Spot on Paul.

And they'll pull the trigger on White if he isn't good enough.

It's great to see an overall more competitive league. And as a general rule it would be arrogant to always claim that we're going to make the finals. But I would have to say that confidence is high. They are easily a better team than most, and they have a winning coach.

Plus they have an import slot up their sleeve and lets not forget what happened last time the streak looked in danger.
White is obviously the big question mark. Have to wait and see if he's another Prather or another JJ.

Sos, meant to say a better team than many/some, rather than "most".
ie: there are enough teams likely to finish lower, to give them a decent shot at making the finals.

Will the Perth playoff streak end?
- unless your Nostradamus no-one can answer that unless its just a prediction or a personal desire. Will re-word this to the following 2 questions:

1. Can Perth miss the playoffs?
Answer is yes, of course.

2. Can Perth make the playoffs?
Answer also is yes, of course.

Has White had a decent game yet? In each of the box scores I've checked, he's seemed a bit unremarkable, but that's obviously going just by stats.

White has been patchy so far.
I think Perth could make a change but perhaps they're waiting until after NBA training camp cuts..

Every year we here the same thing.

Something about Perth, they will likely make it the more you wish against it.

It's never nice to be arrogant.

Perth supporters should never be arrogant, they can however have an expectation that their team will be competitive every year.

In a season where Perth doesn't look like a clearly top team, a bad start to the season could easily be the difference between making or missing the playoffs. So yeah, someone recruited to be a star would be replaced if he doesn't perform, but doing so still might not be enough.

Issac,
White has been unremarkable to date. Which is a concern. Perth certainly look to their two imports as major offensive contributors.

Hence my earlier comment. Prather was slow to get going in his first season. Can only hope for something similar.

Perth have added

Norton, Kay, White, Jervis

For

Kenny, Walker, Tokoto, Cooke

I'd say just about all of those moves are upgrades

I personally consider Perth and Melbourne playoff locks for next season

Dont read too much into the pre season people..

Yes the streak can end, but I highly doubt it next season. As Captain Jack points out, they have upgraded on at least 3 of the 4 changes with only White vs Tokoto not known.

I am looking with glass half full glasses and thinking White will be Prather type albeit a better 3 point shooter but less speedy with driving to the hoop, although his highlights show he is capable.

As with any team, any number of serious injuries can derail a season, but the Cats have an import spot up their sleeve to assist in managing that risk

Personally I think the Cats will be top 4 for sure. May be a little sluggish off the line but will be consistent enough throughout season.

The loss to a magnificent Utah team that will stretch the Warriors means ZERO. Cats will WALK into the playoffs yet again thanks to the excellent basketball culture that has built up here.

Gleeson's voice will CRACK and his moobs will WOBBLE precariously as his tight shirt chafes his NIPS.

Just checking but nope, randomly capitalising words in posts doesn't actually make them any more coherent or believable.

LMAO at Gleeson's wobbling moobs

Mock got mocked.

wonder how players react to a 60 point loss...
why i played 3000 games .....it i had lost a game by 60 points at about half way thru my career ....i would have thought about not playing anymore at about 1500 games...