By R.L. Bynum
The Perth Wildcats are undefeated through four exhibition games, and Brady Manek started to find the perimeter range down under on a Manek Monday.
The “Bang Bang” yells we heard so many times last season in Carolina games may not have happened, but the silky-smooth jumpers slithered through the nets.
The former UNC and Oklahoma star started and nearly had a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds in the Wildcats’ 87–71 victory Monday over the East Melbourne Phoenix, hitting five of 11 shots, including two of five from 3-point range. Manek also had three assists.
Before Monday’s game, Manek had missed 13 consecutive 3-point attempts.
“He knows how to play the game, and we trust him,” teammate Corey Webster, who led Perth with 15 points, told The West Australian. “He’s been a shooter for his whole life, and during his whole college career, so we know that’s going to come. Right now, we just need him to be himself. He can let the game come to him. We fully trust him and know what he brings to the table. It was good for him to hit some shots, and we know he’ll go on from here.”
That better game came after Manek was only 2 of 10 and missed all six 3-point attempts for four points after also starting in Saturday’s 90–80 victory over the Cairns Taipans. He had two rebounds and an assist in that game.
Perth concludes preseason play Wednesday, part of the NBL Blitz, against Melbourne United, before its regular-season opener on Sunday, Oct. 1, against the Brisbane Bullets.
Photo via @PerthWildcats
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