Greg Hire has a different plan. According to nbl site, he's pushing for Ennis (currently a free agent) to make a return for the short-term, until he gets a gig back in the NBA.

Sportando is very reputable RobT

Yeah, I think I'll be going with Sportando over Greg Hire's little fantasy.

Once again, not a very tall line up but lots of range, is Angus Brandt still an option?

Who is going to get rebounds, and be an defensive presence in the paint for this team?

Wouldn't that be the glaring requirement?

Nevermind...apaprently its been confirmed.

They've covered the 'singular point of failure' part that was highlighted last year, but this is a rather unbalanced team.

If Majok needs time off, who is the 5?

Purchase? No.
Law? Short stretches only.
Wagstaff? No.
Bring back Jervis?

On the flip side the Wildcats seem to have success with Florida Gators.

I feel like we're going to see a different Wildcats team this year that'll be trying to play a bit faster, less defensive focus.

So what you're saying is they're big in Japan?

@Perthworld,

"Yeah, I think I'll be going with Sportando over Greg Hire's little fantasy."

I am not saying that I trust Hire over Sportando and I am not a Wildcats follower so I wouldn't know. My first thoughts were "Ennis? You're dreaming, Hire!" just like you did.

Aaahhh, 2nd thoughts are either wonderful or stupid but here goes!

Frazier v Ennis

*Frazier as a SG. Do Perth move Cotton to PG, start Frazier in the SG role and move Norton or White to the back-up 2, or stay as is and Frazier is on the bench? In fact, the only reason you would want a back-up at all is to rest Cotton. And that may be for a minute or 2 at the end of the first three quarters, 3 to 6 mins per game. Is it worth your last import spot for 3 to 6 mins p/g. If Frazier is really a Combo Guard and could be starting as PG, then that strengthens his case. Frazier is also a season-long signing, I think. If he is not up to starting, or at least, relieving the PGs, and found not to be worth keeping, it gets messy.
*Ennis as a 3 Guard/SF. He replaces Blanch in the starting line up. Blanch becomes back-up 3. Either one of them can double as Cotton's back-up, as can both PGs. Ennis is NBA bound, if called upon. That's ok. He would be a great asset, for a few games or even the whole season, if he does not get THAT call.

[Kyle Zunic is now also a DP at the PG/SG spot. I have added him as a SG back-up below. Both Shervill and Purchase are listed as forwards so add them as you want.]

*With Frazier (as posted above) ;
Norton/White
Cotton/Frazier?/Zunic
Blanchfield/Travers
Law/Wagstaff
Mathiang?/Majok
Shervill dp
Purchase
or
Frazier?/Norton
Cotton//White/Zunic
Blanchfield/Travers
Law/Wagstaff
Mathiang?/Majok
Shervill dp
Purchase

*With Ennis;
Norton/White
Cotton/Travers/Zunic
Ennis?/Blanchfield
Law/Wagstaff
Mathiang?/Majok
Shervill dp
Purchase
[I also switched the roles of Blanch, who is listed as a forward and Travis, who is listed as a guard.]

Now if Ennis hangs around at least until Cotton gets the big C (citizenship), Perth would have the best import trio imaginable. After Cotton gets it, and if Ennis still hasn't been recalled to the NBA, the team gets even better as Cotton vacates his import spot.

Would Perth fans like that?

As mentioned above the Wildcats didn;t outbid the VJJ's just to put him on the bench.

This new guy can be somewhat an insurance policy for both Norton and Cotton.

But comes at a big cost to team balance.

Wildcats were consistently near the top of the rebounding stats (normal and advanced) (in particular Off.) in the last few seasons, you can forget about that this season.

Law, if healthy, barely covers for Mooney.

Not sure why people are surprised. This was always the plan, whether it was Frazier or someone else.
Even when Trev was still around, using an import slot for a backup Wing Player was always the plan.

I did think they might go for more of a 2/3, but with Blanch, Travers, and Shervill, they're well covered at the 3. Be interesting to see how much time Cotton and Frazier play together... I guess Cotton can also run the point when Norton is off.

Off course the other part of that plan, at least under Trev, was a local Centre. But who's left??
Perhaps they're banking on Cotton naturalising...

@ Anon. "Frazier will be the backup to Bryce, and I'd suggest Bryce would play PG when Norto is off,"

Ever heard of the "Peter Principle"?
[Dr. Peter was a psychologist and business mentor mid to late 1900s.]

For those who haven't, here it is, in brief.

An employee who excels at his job (read, Bryce Cotton) gets a promotion that involves stuff he may not be good at. The Firm (Perth Wildcats) loses the employee's excellence (in what he did to get him the reward), and gains mediocre returns while doing the "other" stuff. If Cotton is on the floor, I want him shooting!

Cotton needs rest, not an additional role, responsibility or distraction from what he does best.

Whoever the import is, he needs to help fill gaps. With the bench Perth already have, they easily cover the 3 to 6 mins required for back-up SG.

Just read his signing has happened. NBL site.

The description of him is exactly what I am fearing. Bryce Cotton2.0.

For the sake of team balance, and not wasting his spot on the 3 to 6 mins I've been bagging on about, I hope he can at least be a 3-guard and get mins that way.

His stats are all about shooting, steals and rebounds. Nothing about assists, so he's not a distributor. Cotton might not like seeing the ball in his hands. Surely he has played with other shooters who would/could have padded his assist-stats.

Perth fans, I really am not bagging his selection out of "who?" but what I am reading just doesn't fit for all the reasons above.

I honestly don't doubt that he is good enough and I hope that he proves me wrong in every respect.

Cotton played some minutes at point guard last year

A bit of an unexpected signing, but usually we trust the selections and see how it pans out, if he doesn't fit well he'll get replaced I guess. I'm a glass half empty type of guy, so what's better than 1 Bryce Cotton? 2 Bryce Cottons, if he's 75% as good as Cotton is or better then that's not a bad thing.

guessing matt hodgson will help with the boards then

I'm hearing from Lachy Reid that Matt Hodgeson is signing in Perth.

Roster finalised

Be interesting to see what they do when Cotton naturalises, but would think they hold that import spot for injury cover

Norton/White
Cotton/Frazier/Zunic
Blanchfield/Travers/Shervill (dp)
Law/Purchase/Wagstaff
Hodgson/Majok

a fair bit of flexibility in that line up with Frazier, Travers likely to play multiple positions, Cotton slide to PG for odd minutes

Good looking squad

"Enough is a Enough! Get this mother &$!#% Wildcats, off this mother &$!#% plane."

That's true. Will be very difficult to make finals this season with only 4 teams out of 10. If Perth wins enough home games they should be fine.

I am not saying that I trust Hire over Sportando and I am not a Wildcats follower so I wouldn't know. My first thoughts were "Ennis? You're dreaming, Hire!" just like you did.