Doolittle the "perfect piece" for Wildcats build

Former NBL champion Peter Hooley has praised the Perth Wildcats’ acquisition of import forward Kristian Doolittle, and believes the two-time Puerto Rican champion is “the perfect piece” for the most successful club in NBL history.

Doolittle was announced as the final player on the Wildcats’ roster on Tuesday morning and has joined Bryce Cotton and Jordan Usher as the side’s imports for NBL24.

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“Speaking to John Rillie and Danny Mills, people were saying ‘do you need to rush it? Do you need to get this final piece before the season starts or can you wait a couple of weeks because things were looking good already for them in the Blitz and the pre-season,” Hooley said on NBL Now.

“They said it was important for them to get it done as soon as possible because, in their words, this is their missing piece to go from a contender to one of the top contenders in the league.

“Looking at exactly what Doolittle can do, I think it’s the perfect piece. You don’t want to bring in anyone who’s going to be high usage and potentially try and score 20-plus a game. You want someone who’s going to be up and in defensively, who’s going to get out on the break, and just fill a nice spot.”

Doolittle previously signed with French side Limoges following a pair of titles in the Puerto Rico's Baloncesto Superior Nacional with Bayamon in 2020 and 2023.

He also played a full four-year collegiate career at Oklahoma.

Hooley says Doolittle’s ability to impact the game without needing the ball in his hands is the primary reason he’ll fit into this Perth lineup.

“You’ve got Keanu Pinder – an MVP calibre player. You’ve got Bryce Cotton – one of the greatest of all-time,” Hooley said.

“You’ve got the other pieces around, so I think it was all about bringing in a piece that didn’t disrupt what they’re doing too much, and I think Doolittle is perfect for that.

“This is a nice looking squad for the Wildcats, and especially after the last two years it’s an exciting time to be a part of the Red Army.”

He reportedly became available after an altercation with the head coach at his former team, Limoges.

Limoges released an announcement on Doolittle’s departure on September 20.

Perth General Manager of Basketball Danny Mills said the Wildcats were confident Doolittle was a good fit for the club. 

"We've done a lot of background and due diligence. We feel very comfortable understanding Kristian's background and how we feel he will fit into our current roster and the environment we have here in Perth," Mills told News Corp.

Perth’s NBL24 campaign gets underway on Friday night against the Tasmania JackJumpers.