CASEY Prather says there’ll be no animosity between him and his Wildcats ‘brothers’ when he calls on Perth to face his former club on Friday night.

But the Melbourne recruit could face a race against time to be fit for the clash after suffering a knee injury in yesterday's road win over Adelaide.

Prather failed to play in the second half after Mitch Creek dived into his left leg chasing a loose ball, with the import to undergo full assessment upon the team's return home today.

Two-time Cats champion Prather came up short in chasing his NBA dream over the off-season before opting to return to the NBL over several opportunities in Europe.

With Perth’s roster full, Melbourne pounced on the star forward, helping fuel a blockbuster match-up between the league’s two title favourites.

Despite the impending rivalry Prather said there was no bad blood with his old team, as evidenced by a warm chat with Wildcats players including Greg Hire and Jesse Wagstaff when their paths crossed at last month’s pre-season tournament.

“Those guys are still like my brothers,” Prather told The Sunday Times.

“They always reach out to me and I reach out to them. There’s no animosity there whatsoever.

“It was great to catch up with them (at the pre-season tournament). It was all love.

“They didn’t say anything about me leaving or anything like that – they were just asking how I was settling in and enjoying it, and I was asking about them and their children and families.”

Prather said he would afford himself a pre-game moment to recognise the newly-raised championship banner in the Perth Arena rafters.

The University of Florida product played as big a role as any in helping secure the Wildcats’ past two titles, snaring club MVP honours in each campaign.

“It’ll be great to be back in that environment and be in front of the Red Army again,” Prather said.

“To recognise all the hard work we put in last season by seeing the banner hanging there... I’ll definitely take a minute just to appreciate it and take it all in.”

Prather admitted he had “no idea” what reception to expect from the fans, acknowledging some would have mixed feelings about his switch to United.

But one thing the 26-year-old is bracing for is a Wildcats outfit that will be acutely aware of his strengths and weaknesses and looking to keep him in check.

“I can imagine (Perth assistant) Adam Forde would be doing the video of me. I trained with him a lot after practice and he knows my tendencies,” he said.

“But it’s a team game – it’s not about me individually. We’ve just got to do what we do, and play our tempo and our style.”

Meanwhile, Perth coach Trevor Gleeson said he was confident import forward Derek Cooke Jr would find his identity in the Wildcats’ rotation after a quiet start to the season.

Cooke Jr played just four minutes in Friday night’s 74-64 win over Illawarra as he tries to make an impact in Perth’s frontcourt after failing to suit up in the pre-season due to a visa clearance issue.

“My job is to put the best team out there, and whoever’s playing well will stay out there,” Gleeson said.

“DC’s playing behind Lucas (Walker), Angus (Brandt), Jesse (Wagstaff) and now Matty (Knight). It’s a great combination to have.

“It’s going to be his night soon, it’s just the other (bigs) are playing better.”