Perth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton’s fourth consecutive 40-point game is proof he is too good to be in the NBL

Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde has declared Bryce Cotton is too good for the NBL and should be playing at a higher level after he became the first man in 33 years to produce four consecutive 40-point games. Just one week after Adelaide coach Mike Wells called Cotton the hottest player on the planet, Cotton followed games on 59 points, 40 points and 49 points with a 44-point masterclass as the Wildcats won 128-92 in Cairns. Cotton didn’t score until the last minute of the first quarter and went to the first break with just four points. But he was unstoppable from there. Forde worked as an assistant coach at the Wildcats when Cotton arrived and has coached against him at both Cairns and Sydney. “He doesn’t belong in this league,” Forde said. “I’ll give Bryce credit. I’ve seen the contracts he’s knocked back earlier in his career. He’s amazing. He doesn’t belong in this league. He should be balling out somewhere else at a high level.” Cotton had multiple short stints in the NBA before joining the Wildcats in 2017 and knocked back a 10-day contract with Atlanta to help Perth win a championship. There has always been questions about why he hasn’t had more chances. Teammate Dylan Windler played more than 100 NBA games and said there was no clear way to guard him. “Youve just got to put a hand up and pray,” he said. Cotton is the third player behind Andrew Gaze and Al Green to produce four 40-point games in a row in the NBL. He’s shown off all of his skills along the way because in some games he’s made an abundance of three-pointers and free throws while against the Taipans he needed only three triples and seven free throws to score his 44 points.. Windler said his variety was remarkable. “It’s fun to play with him and fun to watch. He’s scoring in a lot of different ways right now. That’s the most impressive,” he said. “With his size, being able to take guys off the dribble, be creative and finish in the paint is impressive. His maturity to get off the ball when teams are doubling him, be patient and know the ball is going to come back to him - it’s fun playing with him.” The Wildcats will face enormous pressure to retain Cotton next season with clubs from around the world expected to throw massive contract offers at him. He is leading a team that is producing massive scores. They piled on 39 points in the third quarter and 35 in the last term, and their 128 points was the club’s highest score in a 40-minute game. Windler had 18 points, Keanu Pinder scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds in his return from illness and Elijah Pepper was also in double figures with 10 points. It was the Wlidcats’ second interstate win in a row and came during a huge stretch of matches on the road. They will return home now to prepare for ladder leaders Illawarra in New South Wales next Sunday.