Why Doolittle Belongs in Major NBL Awards Conversations
As the Hungry Jack's NBL season moves toward finals, award discussions inevitably intensify.
MVP debates, NBL First Team selections, and Defensive Player of the Year conversations dominate league-wide analysis, yet one name continues to sit curiously on the fringe of those discussions.
Perth Wildcats star import Kristian Doolittle’s omission is becoming harder to justify.
For Perth Wildcats head coach John Rillie, the case is clear and increasingly perplexing.
“It perplexes me that he doesn’t get mentioned for awards categories,” Rillie said. “Very versatile, all over the floor… his last month has been very productive, and there’s probably a correlation to the way we’re playing as well.”
That correlation is impossible to ignore, as the Wildcats have surged toward the top four.
Over the past month, Kristian Doolittle’s production has surged alongside Perth’s strongest stretch of the season and the consistency across every column tells the story.
Across six games, Doolittle is averaging 21.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists, while logging heavy minutes and shooting at elite efficiency, including over 55 percent from the field and an outstanding 88 percent from the free-throw line.
Doolittle's ability to score efficiently without dominating the ball and make the right play under pressure has made him one of the most reliable two-way presences in the league this season.
Rillie pointed to nights where Perth’s offensive flow stalled early, placing greater responsibility on its most dependable players.
“That’s when you need your stars to step up and just keep the team going until you find a rhythm,” he said. “Doolittle and Jo (Lual-Acuil), these guys keep us in the game.”
Doolittle has repeatedly been that stabiliser, reinforcing his candidacy within a winning system.
MVP cases are often framed around who lifts a team when conditions are imperfect. Doolittle has done exactly that.
If there is one award where Doolittle’s absence from the conversation is most glaring, it is Defensive Player of the Year.
Rillie didn’t hesitate when outlining why.
“If you’re to just line up and play one on one, he can defend every player in the league. Tell me one other player that has that ability.”
Week to week, Doolittle’s assignment changes, centres one night, point guards the next, elite wings when matchups demand it.
“Last week it was JaVale McGee. Then it’s a point guard. Then it’s Jack McVeigh.”
That versatility is trusted in key moments. When games tighten, Doolittle wants and is given the responsibility of shutting down the opponent’s most influential player.
“It is nice where he wants that responsibility in the key moments of the game,” Rillie said.
For Doolittle, defence is an identity shaped long before professional basketball.
“I grew up playing on a blacktop,” he said. “If you can’t guard, you’re going to get exposed.”
That mindset has carried through every level of his career. Defence earned him minutes as a junior and preparation sustains him now. Film and understanding opponent tendencies are as important as physical tools.
“There’s film and there’s ways to get a mental advantage on your opponent,” he explained. “Understanding what shots they want to take.”
Yet Doolittle is quick to deflect individual credit, pointing to trust in teammates and collective structure.
“It’s not just me playing defence. It’s the help I have behind me and the confidence I have from my teammates and coaches.”
When asked whether individual recognition matters, Doolittle’s answer was blunt.
“I don’t care.”
Instead, his focus is firmly on the post-season and bringing an eleventh championship to the Perth Wildcats.
“As we get closer to the playoffs, I take it upon myself to get in a good rhythm… I live for the playoffs.”
That mentality has translated directly into performance and results.
Whether measured by versatility, impact on winning, or defensive responsibility, Kristian Doolittle checks every box typically used to define an elite NBL season.
At this point, the only real question is not whether Kristian Doolittle belongs in league award conversations, but why he isn’t already at the centre of them.
The Perth Wildcats take on the Brisbane Bullets, Friday 13 February, as they look to cement themselves in the top four on the Hungry Jack's NBL ladder.
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