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Cats sign Bryce cotton

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Bryce Cotton Signed

The Perth Wildcats have signed fringe NBA player Bryce Cotton for the remainder of the 2016/17 NBL season.

Cotton is an exciting point guard with quality ball-handling skills and exceptional shooting ability.

He also has the capacity to play off the ball, meaning he’ll be able to carry the ball when required, or bolster the team’s scoring options as a shooting guard.

The 24-year-old American played for the Utah Jazz during the 2014/15 NBA season, and last season he represented both the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies.

His best NBA game was in a 2015 Jazz win over Dallas, where he scored 21 points on eight of 15 shooting while dishing out four assists.

Cotton has also played in the NBA Development League as well as in Turkey and China.

He’s excited for the next chapter in his professional career.

“I consider myself a team-first player, and this is a great opportunity for me to help this very successful organisation really take on the second half of the season.

“I’m looking forward to getting on the court with my new teammates and working my hardest to do whatever I’m required to do.”

Bryce Cotton was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, before heading to Rhode Island to play Division 1 college basketball for the Providence Friars.

In his senior year, he was one of the best college point guards in the United States, averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 assists per game on his way to being named Big East Tournament MVP in 2014.

Despite going unselected in the 2014 NBA Draft, he was picked up by the San Antonio Spurs before being assigned to their affiliated Development League team, the Austin Spurs.

In his time playing in the D-League, he has averaged 22.0 points per game, shooting at outstanding 47.6 per cent, including 44.9 per cent from outside the arc.

He’s also a strong defender, collecting 1.3 steals per game and getting on the end of 4.5 rebounds.

Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson is confident that Cotton is the missing piece of the puzzle.

“We thought we needed more help with our ball handling and perimeter shooting,” he said.

”Bryce is an explosive scorer off the dribble or coming off screens to catch and shoot, with deep three-point range, and that’s really going to help us.

“He brings a lot of energy with his quickness, which our team will feed off. I think he’s going to become a crowd favourite very shortly.”

Bryce Cotton stands at 185cm and weighs 75kg.

He has arrived in Perth and will train with his new teammates for the first time today.

Expect an announcement today. He's in town

Cotton will suit up this weekend. Delayed clearance from Immigration because they are all on holiday due to it being Christmas/End of Year.

Still nothing official yet?
But at least he's been endorsed by Joe Ingles.
Now all we need is a quote from Ennis, and we're set.

Believe what you like Just, doesn't mean anything to those that know

Jarrod Kenny also had some positive news about Damo's progress in this interview posted yesterday
https://audioboom.com/posts/5444518-jarrod-kenny-press-conference-30-december-2016

Lol you have no idea anon, it is 100% NOT roster structuring.

Anon, don't just throw your 2 cents in because you don't know the real reason why jj was released. Multiple people on this forum know and are doing the right thing by not revealing it to the public

what did JJ actually do?

Depending on what it is, I'm not sure why they'd try and cover it up, given the amount of backlash they knew they'd cop from a large number of fans for cutting him again for "roster structure reasons and not being the right fit" or something along those lines. Personally I didn't mind the decision to cut him, but it seemed the majority of fans were unhappy.

I mean, they wouldn't have had to give exact details of what ever happened, but they could have just said something about an 'incident occurring' or 'disciplinary reasons' or something along those lines.

Ahhh no that's not why they pulled the trigger on JJ

Apparently cats were already keen on cotton pre season so when he became available that's when they pulled the trigger on JJ

Dazz, yes JJ was released due to unforeseen circumstances and the cats found BC in a couple of days, how is that so unbelievable.

Dazz, you're ignoring all the times import replacements have been announced within a day or two of the previous import being released. In 2014, Jesse Sanders played a game for Sydney after it was announced he would be replaced by Sam Young, because Young wasn't available quickly enough.

Dazz can you get your head out of Wilbur's ass for a second and talk about import process as a whole. Not just this one situation.

Side note. I'm actually a Wildcats member and I can see why everyone hates Dazzcats. You're way to fixated and bias on the cats...

Ok, so there may in fact be other delays.
But more what I was getting at, was that there may in fact be a forced delay between axing one import and signing another when we have a full quota.
Presumably we have to terminate JJ then officially lodge the paperwork with the NBL, then apply to bring on a new import, only then can we issue a contract and get him a visa???
All whilst people are more interested in Turkey and booze.

So is a FIBA clearance kinda like a reference on a resume?

Yes, you have to get official FIBA clearance from your previous team which with the way he left could be a possible hold up more so than say visa issues or anything else.

I remember when the 36ers had that big blow up with Julius Hodge when he refused to suit for a game despite having been paid his season salary in full that the club terminated his contract and refused to give him his FIBA clearance to sign somewhere else until he repaid the money.

i know you need to get FIBA papers cleared from your previous club so you can then be signed to your new club, along with working VISA stuff.

Does anybody actually KNOW what the process is to get a new import on board???

I don't know specifically, but based on other requirements I would imagine he needs a (correct) visa to be able to play (ie work)? Which would mean he needs an employment contract and NBL approval?

We'd all like to think that the outgoing player could finish, and his replacement line-up the next day, but when does that actually happen.

If people are claiming the Cats had no foreknowledge, were forced to sack JJ, then somehow found Cotton in a couple of days over Christmas, then FMD they are GOOD. In a period when nobody in the Western world is working, much less worrying about new contracts, they somehow managed to cold-call the right people to unearth a genuine talent.

Although, I suppose if you believe that, then you also believe in Santa Claus, so maybe Father Christmas brought Cotton down Gleeson's chimney in a big sack?

All reports stated already that he wouldn't be available for the hawks game. So that's nothing new.
Just curious in regards to all imports what do the NBL look at to sign off on?
Also who exactly is it that gives the ok?

He will probably miss the Hawks game if he has not been cleared by now.

With the wildcats yet to announce the signing and all reports saying wait for NBL to sign off on it.
What exactly wpuld the NBL look at to approve imports?
Does anyone know? Other than Crimial records?

So with Wildcats yet to make rhe

He was pretty decent with Utah.

Wildcats needs a person who will not turn over the ball frequently, in other words a good ball distributor.

I hate it each time Redhage, Matty and Wagstaff try to handle the ball. They turn it over.

So Cotton not being ready to go makes JJ the right fit?

Some people aren't very bright lol

It seems credible with Cotton still not in the country. If it were about fit, I don't see why you'd release Johnson before Cotton was ready to go.

"WHY WAS JJ RELEASED????? Why are there so many rebuttals but no one who knows has the balls to say."

yeah, people on here either need to say the 'truth' that they think they know behind his release, or stop with the "thats not why he was released" and the "i know why he was really released" type comments

WHY WAS JJ RELEASED????? Why are there so many rebuttals but no one who knows has the balls to say. I really hope Cotton is good, and the Cats still stink overall, really turn that knife on their season.

Joe Ingles (@joeingles7) on Perth recruiting his former teammate

"The @PerthWildcats got themselves a great player & person in Bryce Cotton. He will dunk on someone that doesn't expect it. #bounce"

Is he playing v the Hawks?

I think he sounds like a good candidate, and he's the TYPE of player we want. Beyond that, we can only wait and see.
I doubt any team deliberately looks for a bad import, yet we've had them, we can only keep our fingers crossed.

Dazz thinks he's good, so he'll probably struggle.

MCL injuries are fickle. It starts to feel better as scar tissues heal around the tear. It then when you begin to push it you can tear the scar tissue again which is when the set back occurs.

Must play 8 games to make finals, no that's not why JJ was released

whats the minimum games needed by a player to play finals?

Damo not back until late Jan at the earliest. Rumored setback is true

I wouldn't believe Shane Heal... probably owes Marto money

I heard Shane Heal saying on foxsports that Martin has had a setback with his knee and won't be back when they expected.

It's really hard to know. I haven't been following Euroleague as much this year, but European clubs, like the Wildcats, rarely say what they mean when a player is departing!

His second last Euroleague game he had 19p on 7/10 (including 5/8 triples) so was obviously going ok then. His minutes had dropped away a little bit though.

I guess the Wildcats will screen him medically when he arrives so you'd hope that would find any concerns.

If you look at Euroleague games where he got more than five shots (6 of his 10) he averaged 13ppg in 24mpg which is a pretty impressive. You'd imagine he'll get more than five shots most nights for Perth!

Damian Martin is due back within the next two weeks as well. Exciting times for Perth, but they are behind the eight ball, hopefully they haven't left their run too late

It's not necessarily a few days. Immigration etc will be closed for more than a few days. Depends how far the paperwork has already proceeded.

Nice insight Paul. He definitely looks like he can shoot it very well and a solid playmaker too. From your euro watching experience, is there any concern about the nature of his departure from Turkey? Or do we take it for what it is and he will be fit? Did note the knee strapping on the euro league highlights

What's all this talk of Ware, Randle and Cotton being too small for Europe? They've all played quality basketball over there.

In 19mpg in the Turkish league (which is a similar standard to the NBL) Cotton was averaging 10ppg on 60% on 2p and 46% on 3p. That's incredible efficiency for a guard.

His Euroleague numbers were respectable too, 8ppg in 18mpg at 47% 2p and 38% 3p. The only concern for mine would be if he's injured, if fit he should be quality here.

He won't play New Year's Eve game. Article says 'awaiting NBL clearance' which usually only takes a day or two, but seeing as he wouldn't of trained and the team will fly out tomorrow, you wouldn't expect him before the kings game.

When will he suit up?

He didn't say "we don't need a Randle." He said Perth don't need someone to be better than Randle.