NBL expert Damon Lowery has issued a stark warning to the Perth Wildcats ahead of their highly anticipated Sunday clash against the Adelaide 36ers: double-team Bryce Cotton or face the consequences.
The Cotton Conundrum
The brilliant guard, who now plays for the 36ers, will be facing his former club for the first time at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Cotton is averaging an impressive 28 points per game this season, a statistic punctuated by a monstrous 53-point performance last month. Lowery insists that a one-on-one defensive approach against the five-time NBL MVP would be nothing short of basketball suicide.
He points to a successful blueprint already executed this season. The Sydney Kings focused their entire defensive strategy on preventing Cotton from shooting, sending multiple defenders his way and forcing him to pass. The result was telling: Cotton was held to a mere seven points in that encounter.
A Defensive Blueprint for the Wildcats
Lowery has urged Wildcats coach John Rillie to deploy a similar tactic, leveraging his team's height advantage. He specifically named Dylan Windler, Kristian Doolittle, and Ben Henshall as players with the size to effectively smother Cotton on dribble hand-offs and ball screens.
There is precedent for this strategy's success with the Wildcats. Last season, after Brisbane's James Batemon scored 51 points against them, Windler's 198cm frame was crucial in holding him to just 10 points in the rematch.
New Wildcats import David Duke Jr, who stands 193cm, has expressed his desire to defend the opposition's best players. He will have a significant height advantage over the 182cm Cotton. However, Lowery issued a caution, noting that Duke's lack of NBL experience could be a critical factor.
Experience Versus Enthusiasm
Ignorance is not bliss, Lowery stated, warning that Duke must be fully aware of Cotton's capabilities to avoid being embarrassed on the court. Bryce has been doing this for a very long time, he emphasised, suggesting that foot speed and rigorous preparation would be just as important as physical size in containing the prolific scorer.
The stage is set for a tactical showdown this Sunday, with the Wildcats' defensive strategy under the microscope. The central question remains: can Perth execute a team-based plan to neutralise one of the NBL's most devastating individual talents?
