Perth Wildcats Season Scouting Notes
Izan Almansa was the biggest-name acquisition in NBL Next Stars history, but may not even be the best prospect on his own team.
As a Perth local, I have been blessed with plenty of NBA talent over the years. Miles Plumlee, Bryce Cotton, Dylan Windler, the list is deep and talented. However, with the birth of the NBL Next Stars program, headed by Liam Santamaria, the Perth Wildcats have jumped at the chance to land some elite international talent as those players forge their path the the top flight (hopefully). Last season, we had Alex Sarr, who ended up a Washington Wizard as the second overall selection, and is now having an impressive rookie season.
This year, we landed former G-League Ignite star Izan Almansa, who FIBA’s own website claim to be the best player in youth history. The expectations were sky-high, with Almansa probably being the biggest and most accomplished name to ever sign with the NBL’s development program. And last night, while I was in attendance for Perth’s final game of the regular season, I can assure you that, fortunately, there was plenty of NBA-caliber talent on display. Unfortunately, that was because Montrezl Harrell was on the other side (who has mysteriously added one of the most effective fading mid-range shots to his bag I have ever seen).
But alas, I stumbled upon a gem. He is by no-means a no-name player to the scouting community, but Ben Henshall looked like a legitimate first round pick out there last night. Most impressively, it was probably his worst game of the season.
Here are my thoughts on each of the NBA prospects who took the court.
Izan Almansa
Coming into the 2024 NBA Draft cycle, I was extremely high on Izan Almansa. I had him as high as fourth on my board to open the year. He projected as an intriguing offensive hub, with passing instincts similar to that of Domantas Sabonis or Alperen Sengun. Almansa had an exciting post game with smooth and effortless touch, paired with the footwork of a seasoned pro. He was a solid defender in the pick-and-roll, and had displayed some shooting upside.
After a tumultuous season in the G-League that ended with the Ignite being dissolved, he withdrew from the 2024 NBA Draft and took his talents to Australia. As I stated before, I was beyond excited that one of my favourite prospects in the world right now would be playing on my doorstep for the next 12 months.
However, what we saw this year is a completely different player from the FIBA U18 World Cup and U19 European Championship, where he became the first player to ever win MVP at both events.
He, quite frankly, doesn’t even look like a pro anymore. After a poor first quarter, in which he allowed Montrezl Harrell to score 14 points, and get at least 8 boards, he was sat for pretty much the rest of the game.
His footwork and touch inside are still there, but other than that Almansa is a completely different player. After turnover and decision-making issues at the start of the year, the Spaniard doesn’t even look capable of handling the ball out of the post anymore, let alone operating as an offensive hub. Any sense of the playmaking upside that had me so excited about him as a prospect has gone out the window.
It seems to me that Almansa thinks he is a different player than he is, spending most possessions camped behind the three point line without much movement at all. Its as if he’s a three-and-defense guy stuck in the body of a big man, except he isn’t a shooter and is far too slow to stick with players on the perimeter, oftentimes being blown by without a fight. I will say there has been some improvement on the mechanics side, as I captured during his warm-ups.
What most concerns me though is his mindset. He doesn’t seem to be striving to hit a new level. Instead, he seems focused on the past, what he’s already achieved, and how to get back to that. At least that’s what I can deduce from multiple off-air conversations with him as well as my one-on-one interview with him earlier this year.
Frankly, I fear that spending his prime development years in the G-League, then the best team in the NBL has ruined his chances as an NBA player. Last year there was simply too much star power on the Ignite (I say that with a grain of salt, as they only had two wins on the year). His lack of time on the ball seemingly shut off the creative part of his brain, and stashed away the offensive hub upside that made him so intriguing.
In moving to the NBL, I fear he made another mistake (through no fault of what has been a terrific program). He joined the Perth Wildcats, who already had two former NBA players, including soon-to-be-five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton, as well as Ben Henshall (who I will discuss later) who has had a fairly high usage rate. His offensive creativity went from being stashed away to evaporating, as Almansa became a floor-spacing big man who, I will reiterate, can not shoot.
Quiet frankly, I feel like Izan Almansa may not even be at the caliber of a professional player anymore at any high level, let alone the NBA.
Ben Henshall
Ben Henshall is not an NBL Next Star. He was not a highly-touted prospect coming into the season. Heck, he wasn’t even supposed to get many minutes. Despite all logic that says Ben Henshall will never be an NBA player, he has shown he deserves his shot, maybe more than anyone else in the NBL.
Henshall was quiet last year, and if you weren’t a Perth local or a diehard NBL superfan, you probably wouldn’t know who he was. However, when Bryce Cotton missed some time early in the year, the minutes opened up for someone to take advantage of, and that man was Ben Henshall. I asked Wildcat’s coach John Rillie what he thought of Henshall’s progression, and here’s what he had to say:
He is a terrific, high-energy player who leaves it all on the court. With Cotton now back and routinely dropping 50-balls, Henshall doesn’t get to spend as much time on the ball as he was. However, in the chances he’s gotten he has shown he is smart, dependable playmaker who can orchestrate an offense effectively. He lacks a super-quick first step but is an above average athlete who can finish over and around you at the rim. He could definitely operate as a secondary ball-handler at the NBA level.
His handles have noticeably improved and his clear he’s put the work in to do so. Here’s a video a I took of his handle warm-up:
What makes him such an exciting prospect is that as good as he is on the ball, he’s even better without it, which is exactly what you want from your second round selection if you’re an NBA team.
He moves extremely well off the ball, rarely stopping. He gets to his spots well, and, contrary to what I’ve seen others say, he isn’t afraid to let it fly. His lightning quick trigger and consistent shot mechanics make his shots extremely hard to defend. Here’s a video I took of his shot mechanics:
He is never caught ball-watching, and always makes a contest for every possible board despite his size. It’s almost Josh Hart-like.
He can have lapses defensively, but for the most part is an air-tight defender who routinely badgers guards from 94 feet. He fights well over screens, and makes plenty of hustle plays other players wouldn’t even bother with.
All-in-all, I think Henshall is a terrific prospect who is more than deserving of a shot in the NBA. His playstyle, and ability to play a multitude of roles will make him a very interesting player who, I believe, will translate to the top level with ease.
PA Guy
Henshall wasn’t the only NBA caliber-prospect out there this season for the Wildcats. Someone in the league needs to give this guy a shot. In the span of one game, he threw four chairs to distract players shooting free throws, outed a referee for being a cheater (WHILE ON THE PA), and hit one of the ugliest yet smoothest dances I have ever seen at mid court. He was literally doing laps around the outside of the court while screaming '“WILDCATS, WILDCATS, WILDCATS” at the top of his lungs.
His game most certainly translates to the NBA PA game. I could see him slotting in nicely with the Hornets commentators.