Clawing Back: Patience Needed With Pinder

Former Sydney and Illawarra forward Cody Ellis fired a warning to Perth fans ahead of the upcoming campaign, and believes star signing Keanu Pinder could experience "growing pains" under Wildcats coach John Rillie.

Ellis – who played over 100 NBL games across five seasons with the Hawks and Kings – currently plays for the Warwick Senators in NBL1 West.

He says the different player management styles of Rillie and Pinder’s former coach Adam Forde could lead to a period of adaptation for the Boomers centre.

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“He’s developed so much, and to be able to come home and put on the home colours is going to be awesome for him, and I’m sure he’s excited for that,” Ellis said of Pinder on Hoops Heaven’s Basketball Hustle.

“(John) Rillie is a very different coach to what Forde is, so it’s going to be very interesting to see how he reacts to that and play under Rillie.

“A couple of years under a coach pumping his tyres up [means] he’s matured a lot over the past couple of seasons … but I think there are going to be some growing pains for sure.

“It’s awesome and it’s great they’ve been able to bring him in and that he was open to coming it … I’m excited to see him in the Cats’ squad.”

Pinder looks primed to forge a lethal frontcourt partnership with 18-year-old French Next Star Alexandre Sarr in NBL24.

Sarr will physically loom large over the more experienced Pinder – the French phenom stands a full 11cm taller than the former Taipan – but the pair’s versatility could see them play large minutes alongside each other this upcoming season.

“It’s good to see the Wildcats get into the Next Star pool and see what they can bring out of it, because it’s been such a successful area the NBL has introduced.

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“I think you’re not going to have any real letdown when you sub them. You’ve got Keanu coming in and playing lots of minutes, I’m sure, and then Alex Sarr coming in and hopefully being a big impact for them.”

A new-look Wildcats roster will get their NBL24 campaign underway against Tasmania on Friday, September 29.