Former Perth Wildcats legend Ricky Grace has been confirmed as guest speaker for the Goldfields Giants’ Most Valuable Player count next month.

Giants chairman Graham Crew said the club was negotiating with another high-profile former NBL star to join Grace at the Tower Hotel on August 29.

Grace played 482 games for the Wildcats, including four championships, between 1990 and 2005.
He had a brief stint with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks in 1993-94, but is remembered as Perth’s match-winning point-guard over 16 seasons.

Grace represented Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was judged the Wildcats’ MVP a record six times – 1991, 1997, 1998, 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Next month’s MVP count will be held in conjunction with the unveiling of the Giants’ greatest-ever line-up, dubbed Team20 to coincide with the club’s 20th anniversary season.

Crew is hopeful three-time Giants MVP winner Brian Tudman, a high school basketball coach in the United States, and games record-holder Leon Williamson, now living in Queensland, will both attend.

Tudman and Williamson were both short-listed for Team20 selection when they were named in a 20-man squad in April, which included seven members of the Giants’ 2009 roster.

The final team will be announced at the MVP count and will comprise nine Australians, three imports, a coach and captain.

“We’re hopeful the majority of the Team20 squad will be there,” Crew said.

The Giants’ inaugural captain, Keith Malcolm, who played 38 games between 1990 and 1991, has also told Crew he will attend.

Meanwhile, Giants coach Stephen Charlton says the team still has room for improvement following Saturday’s 104-89 win over Willetton.

It was the Giants’ sixth win in a row leading into the State Basketball League play-offs, which get under way against the Kalamunda Eastern Suns next Saturday.

The Giants play the first leg of the best-of-three quarter-finals on the road before returning home for games two and three, if required, on August 1-2.

“We can still get better defensively and get a bit cleaner offensively,” Charlton said.

“It’s about making better decisions because we know our sets, we know what we’re doing and it’s a matter of making sure we’re mentally strong enough to do the right thing.

“There’s not really much we can do at this stage – it’s just about hard work and making sure we front up to play.”

Under Charlton, the Giants boast an imposing record in the play-offs, having won 14 of 16 games, including an unbeaten run of 10 consecutive games dating back to the 2007 quarter-finals against Rockingham.

The Giants have appeared in three grand finals in as many seasons with Charlton, who has led the team to 92 wins and 24 losses since taking charge in 2006.

SBL QUARTER-FINALS:

Lakeside Lightning v Perth Redbacks; Goldfields Giants v Kalamunda Eastern Suns; Wanneroo Wolves v Perry Lakes Hawks; Geraldton Buccaneers v Cockburn Cougars.

Article from Kalgoorlie Miner