Perth Wildcats knew Doolittle was perfect fit

• Kristian Doolittle is averaging 16.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 51%
• His season-high of 33 points came against Melbourne United on January 22
• Wildcats GM Danny Mills said plans were already underway to keep Doolittle in Perth long term

Perth Wildcats general manager Danny Mills has revealed plans are already underway to re-sign star import Kristian Doolittle on the eve of a do-or-die game three semi-finals clash with Melbourne United.

A new deal would lock the versatile forward in for at least a third season – something which seemed a long stretch when the Wildcats were criticised from pillar to post when they signed Doolittle just days out from the start of the 2023/24 season after he was released from his previous contract in France before even playing a game.

The 27-year-old has gone on to become one of the best buys in the past two seasons in the NBL, where he has established himself as one of the best defenders in the league, guarding everything from dynamic guards to powerful big men. Offensively, he has taken his offensive game to a new level this season, with his almost 1990s style of basketball, finding his way to his mid-range spots almost at will.

Mills gave an insight into the process of recruiting Doolittle and why they thought he was a perfect fit for the championship culture of the Wildcats.

“One of the international scouts that I worked with when I was in Philadelphia, he was the sporting director at Limoges in France, where Kristian was that pre-season and when we got wind that he'd been released, we obviously made some calls there,” he said.

“You have close contacts, and you gather a lot of information on players before you make a call on and having a trusted source like that was important because when he was released, we were comfortable and confident in who he was and what he could bring to us.

“I'd seen him a lot through college. Obviously, we had Brady Manick a couple of years ago, he'd been teammates with Kristian at Oklahoma and he'd had a great college career. He went undrafted and then kind of had stops around the world and hadn't just hadn't really found a home yet. So, we jumped at the opportunity when he became available.

“It was late in the signing period, but for us, it's about finding the right guys and it's about finding the right pieces that are going to fit around a core of guys that have been here for a while and Kristian's been exactly that.”

Doolittle’s signing had many people, including the fanatical Red Army, wondering if he was the right choice after his release from his French club but Mills said their in-depth research left them with no doubt he would be a perfect addition.

“When we started doing our background and then going back through scouting reports and notes from when he was in college and I'd seen him, like there was no character issues,” he said.

“A lot of it's about finding the right situation for players and for him, it didn't work out in France for various reasons. But, sometimes when opportunity knocks, you just got to be ready and we were looking for exactly that type of player at the right time.

“You have to have some luck in sport and life and for us, we were lucky that the timing worked out great and two years later, we've got an amazing player on our roster.”

Often taking the opposition’s best player defensively, Doolittle’s value started to really shine through when the Wildcats went on a rampage to turn their season around during the 2023/24 season after a poor start to the year. The Wildcats travelled to Brisbane in November to face the Bullets with then star guard Nathan Sobey in red-hot form but it was Doolittle, who picked up the Olympic bronze medallist full court, an impressive feat given the size of the Perth forward.

It was one of Sobey’s quietest games of the season with just 13 points as the Wildcats recorded another road win and Doolittle also had 21 points of his own.

His scoring output also proved he has become a reliable second option offensively behind five-time MVP Bryce Cotton and Mills said it was his ability to fill so many different roles, which made him so valuable to the Wildcats. He also said Doolittle’s aggressive mentality had grown on the offensive end after trying to “fit in” in his first season.

“I think everyone can see over the course of time, it takes guys a while,” he said.

“I know everyone wants instant gratification and wants guys to come in and average 25 from day dot but it just doesn't happen that way. For us, it was about finding the best role in the system for us and I think you've seen over the past two years, he's really found himself into a versatile two-way player in our league.

“Someone that can really be a secondary scorer when we need that, but can also fill other roles. We went small on Saturday and he played the five and then, at times he started for us at the two. Every team around the world wants a 6'8", versatile athlete that can play all those positions and it's exactly the position that Kristian fills for us.

“He didn't want to come in right away (last season) and start taking on a major role and disrupting where the team was at. He missed all of our pre-season and so he slowly kind of found his way within the group and had some big games towards the end of last year.

“I think game two in the semi-finals last year at Tassie, he went on for 20 or 22. He's someone that can definitely take on that role but he's so unselfish and as a competitor and just wants to win. If that means he has to come out and go get 25 points, then that's what he'll do but otherwise he can fit in and kind of feel out where the game's going and then play that secondary role to Bryce.”

Asked if he believed Doolittle was one of the best signings in the NBL over the past two seasons and went under the radar amongst experts, Mills responded emphatically and said they were already planning to keep him at the club long term.

“No doubt,” he said.

“I think that's for obviously external people to figure out and rate I guess but there’s no doubt we totally understand Kristian's value to our group and how him being on the floor is driving success at a high level.

“Kristian's someone we would love to have at our club long term and those discussions will take place with his management but Kristian is a priority for us in the offseason to bring back.”

The Wildcats will take on Melbourne United in an elimination game three semi-finals clash after coming back from 20 points down at RAC Arena on Saturday to keep their season alive, thanks to a second half explosion from Dylan Windler. As the general manager, Mills said Windler’s playoff performance is what you recruit players like him for.

Tip-off at John Cain Arena tonight is at 7.30pm AEDT.