Rucker: 'Cats can defy the stats'

With just three rounds remaining of the regular season, Derek Rucker believes the Perth Wildcats have a chance to beat history and win a title.

“I mentioned the possibility that a champion comes from a team that finishes outside the top four defensive rating… and Perth could be that team,” Rucker said on Moments That Mattered.

“It could be one of the years where we see something go against the historical trend.”

The last time a team won a championship with a defensive rating that wasn’t in the top three, was way back in 2008 when the Melbourne Tigers were fourth and beat the Sydney Kings.

The Wildcats currently sit sixth in terms of defensive rating (117.2), which is a considerable difference to the Hawks on top (109.7).

With Bryce Cotton continuing to put up big numbers, it was Kristian Doolittle who stepped up on Friday night against Adelaide to help them secure a big win at home.

“They need those two guys to play good basketball if they want to win a championship,” Rucker said about Doolittle and Keanu Pinder.

“It’s going to be very difficult to win a championship solely on Bryce Cotton’s brilliance… it may happen, it’s possible, but it’s highly unlikely.”

The Wildcats returned to RAC Arena after a road stretch that saw them win six of seven games, and it puts them in a position for a top two finish and an automatic spot in the semi-finals.

“They’re one of the hottest teams in the league,” Rucker added.

“They’ve got the best player in the league and if they can stay healthy, I see them maybe only dropping one more game from here.”

The Wildcats play Melbourne United on Wednesday night at 9:30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.