Basketball On The Internet.

CONGRATULATIONS again are in order for the Perth Wildcats and the NBL club's crack administrative team for securing Nathan Jawai.

Releasing captain Damian Martin, then re-signing him, along with re-rating "a number of others" - NBL general manager Jeremy Loeliger's words - utilising loyalty points, apparently gave the Wildcats sufficient Player Points System space.

Hugh Greenwood "doing a runner" toward an AFL career may have opened some salary cap room but then, come on now, there's no way a game-changer such as Big Nate is going to be on the same money as an untried backcourt rookie.

"I haven't reviewed the paperwork at this point," Loeliger said today.

Have no doubt, it will be emaculate.

So how devastated were the Wildcats truly to lose Greenwood when it further opened the door for Jawai?

I mean this with all due respect to Greenwood, but finding another guard isn't going to be as tough as finding a game-changer such as the big fella.

Kiwis such as Jarrod Kenny, Everard Bartlett, Lindsay Tait ... keep looking, there are guards out there. They may not be Hugh Greenwood, but then Hugh Greenwood isn't Nathan Jawai.

UP, UP AND J-AWAI: Nathan Jawai leaping for the lob with the Boomers against New Zealand.

The softly-spoken Torres Strait Islander is a man-mountain and one of the nicest, friendliest and easy-going guys you ever could hope to meet.

But get him on that basketball court, keep him healthy, and you have a weapon like no other in the NBL.

Surround him with veteran leadership and talent such as Matt Knight, Shawn Redhage, Greg Hire, Jesse Wagstaff and Tom Jervis and that's a frontcourt to make every team sit up and take notice.

Of course, there's also the recently re-signed Damo, and Larry Sengstock Medallist Jermaine Beal in the backcourt and let's not forget the club's latest NBA-quality import swingman, Casey Prather.

The makings of a championship contender?

That's not even a serious question.

Wildcats managing director, Czar Nicholas Marvin on Friday told anyone paying attention that his club would "bounce back" after the shock news about Greenwood quitting one month into a three-year NBL contract.

It is extraordinary Perth pulled this recruiting coup off in less than - cough, cough - 48 hours.

Having Jawai back in the NBL is a fantastic feat for a league-in-transition from irrelevant to "hot ticket".

But then a league which doesn't observe the lessons of history always is bound to repeat that history.

Online

How we reported Nate at Perth today at News Corp: http://bit.ly/1ND4vtR

You can find earlier reports about Nate heading to Perth here at B.O.T.I. as early as August 10 and as recently as August 21.