Two-year rise from ‘intolerable’ to ‘best player in the NBL’… yet you may not know his name

Praise is rarely handed out freely in the NBL – particularly by opposition coaches. So, when Tasmania JackJumpers head coach Scott Roth described Kristian Doolittle as “the best player in the league”, it stopped people in their tracks.

The comment wasn’t hyperbole, nor was it a throwaway compliment. It was a reflection of what Doolittle has quietly become: one of the league’s most complete, influential, and reliable two-way players – and the cornerstone of a new era for the Perth Wildcats.

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Just over two years earlier, Doolittle’s career looked far less settled. In September 2023, he signed with the Wildcats after being released by French club Limoges CSP before the season had even begun, with the club citing “intolerable” behaviour as the reason for the split. It was a moment that cast uncertainty over his next chapter.

Fast forward to December 2025 and the contrast could not be starker. Doolittle has rebuilt both his reputation and his standing within the game, establishing himself not only as one of the NBL’s premier forwards, but as the face of a retooled Wildcats franchise navigating life without its long-time superstar.

Across three seasons and 78 career NBL games, Doolittle’s production has been remarkably consistent. He is averaging 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.8 steals and just 1.8 turnovers per game on 46 per cent shooting from the field – numbers that only begin to capture his true impact.

This season, however, has demanded more.

With Bryce Cotton no longer in Perth, the Wildcats were forced into a fundamental reset. Their offensive structure changed. Their late-game identity shifted. And the responsibility of leading the franchise fell squarely on Doolittle’s shoulders.

Through 21 games, he is averaging 15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 0.7 steals per game on 43 per cent shooting. Perth sit at 11-10 – a record that reflects both the potential of the group and the inevitable growing pains of a roster still finding its rhythm.

Speaking exclusively to foxsports.com.au, Doolittle explained just how challenging that transition has been, particularly with the volume of change the Wildcats faced early in the season.

“With having as many new players as we did at the start of the season, we had like five or six guys all playing together for the first time,” Doolittle said.

“It kind of took us back to square one – understanding how people play and what spots on the floor people are successful in.”

Last season, Doolittle’s role was clearly defined. His job was to complement Cotton, apply pressure defensively and attack opportunistically to ease the load on the league’s most dangerous scorer.

This season, opponents have adjusted accordingly – and so has his role within the offence.

“Last year was more so just trying to leave my mark on the game,” he said.

“My role was to be aggressive to relieve some of the pressure on him. This year its having teams put their best player on me to take me out of the game. It’s been a lot different trying to still have an impact with the additional coverage.”

Despite the challenges, the Wildcats have been encouraged by their balance across the roster, particularly on the defensive end. Still, the adjustment period was evident early, with Doolittle’s numbers dipping across the opening five rounds as the group searched for cohesion.

Rather than forcing the issue, Doolittle leaned into patience.

“I had to allow the growing pains to happen, understanding that nothing personal is bigger than team success,” he said.

“There’ll be times where my number gets called and I’ll have a good game, and there’ll be other times where I’ll have four shots for the whole game.”

That selfless approach has helped stabilise Perth through an uneven stretch, but a concerning trend has emerged – fourth-quarter fadeouts. Losses to the Adelaide 36ers and South East Melbourne Phoenix have highlighted execution issues late in games.

Doolittle believes the problems are as much about tempo and decision-making as they are about personnel.

“We’ve lost in dramatic fashion, and it’s easy to magnify everything,” he said.

“But everybody understands we have to be better for the entire fourth quarter. We’ve slowed down, and we’re not doing multiple actions in our offence.”

Without a single, defined closer – a role Cotton once filled – external questions have followed. Internally, however, the messaging has been consistent: this is a collective responsibility.

“Our situation is a lot different than other teams,” Doolittle said.

“We have more than one player capable of taking that shot. We’re not the only team that’s lost fourth-quarter leads.”

If there was any doubt about Doolittle’s ceiling, it was answered emphatically against the Tasmania JackJumpers, when he delivered a dominant 30-point, six-rebound performance – the kind that forces league-wide attention.

Reflecting on that outing, Doolittle admitted the breakthrough was as much mental as physical.

“When I feel like I’m not at my best is when I’m thinking too much,” he said.

“If I just go out there being aggressive, I feel like I’ll have a pretty high success.”

Roth’s post-game assessment of Doolittle as the “best player in the league” only reinforced what many around the competition are beginning to recognise.

“I read what he said and I appreciate it,” Doolittle said.

“It’s a testament to the hard work I’ve put into my game. My wife actually told me about it on the way home.”

Asked to define what separates him from others, Doolittle kept the answer simple.

“Not being one-dimensional – trying to impact the game in multiple ways, whether it’s offence or defence.”

While the Wildcats were unable to replicate that performance against Adelaide days later, the trajectory is clear. Perth’s new identity is still forming, but its leader has already emerged.

With three road games remaining in a demanding five-game away stretch, the Wildcats will be desperate to build momentum heading into the business end of the season. And as their evolution continues, one thing is becoming increasingly undeniable:

Kristian Doolittle isn’t just carrying the load – he’s defining the future of the Perth Wildcats.