The Bullets are back baby! Brisbane, after an eight season hiatus, have their basketball team back and look like they are going to be able to compete right from the outset.
Brisbane hasn’t had a club since the 2008 season when the Bullets’ former owner, Eddy Groves, pulled the pin due to financial problems and couldn’t find a new owner.
But with Fox Sports picking up the NBL last season, one condition was that there would be a team in Brisbane from 2016-17 – and, despite the Townsville Crocodiles’ departure, excitement levels couldn’t be higher.
Brisbane are a club based on success, winning three premierships and competing in six grand final series after making the playoffs 21 times in their 30-year tenure.
Maybe the biggest question for the Brisbane-based club this season is whether they can actually make a dent in the sporting landscape of the sunshine state.
Crowds were up for the most part last season, and getting a good position off the court will directly relate to their on-court performance given the talent and leadership they have been able to sign.
Their recruitment, which we will get to in just a moment, has been fantastic. They have signed Australian Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis, who will be joined on the sidelines by the legendary CJ Bruton.
Squad
Jermaine Beal (import), Adam Gibson, Torrey Craig (import), Mitchell Young, Shaun Bruce, Tom Jervis, Daniel Kickert, Matt Kenyon, Anthony Petrie, Reuben Te Rangi, Cameron Bairstow
Coach: Andrej Lemanis
In: The whole squad.
Out: Err… nobody.
Depth Chart
| Starter | Interchange 1 | Interchange 2 | |
| Point guard | Jermaine Beal | Shaun Bruce | |
| Shooting guard | Adam Gibson | Matt Kenyon | |
| Small forward | Torrey Craig | Reuben Te Rangi | |
| Power forward | Cameron Bairstow | Anthony Petrie | |
| Centre | Daniel Kickert | Tom Jervis | Mitchell Young |
The Bullets’ biggest recruitment problem was looking like their lack of a good scoring guard – Adam Gibson was there from the start, sure, but he is known for his defence.
That was until former Perth Wildcats guard Jermaine Beal was picked up. Everyone knows he can light it up – he certainly did last year against Melbourne, nailing ten three-pointers, becoming the first player to do so in the 40-minute-game era.
Inconsistency has been known to hamper Beal, and it will be interesting to see how he goes on a team that probably won’t dominate like the Wildcats did during his tenure there.
Funnily enough, it could be a breakout season for Reuben Te Rangi, who looked good in the Bullets’ opening pre-season game and has been threatening to put a big season together for a while. If he can, then he’ll become a massive asset to Brisbane.
Despite Brisbane’s potential lack of scoring, they may not need a stack of points. Their interior defence is armed to the teeth, and you have to think guys like Daniel Kickert and Anthony Petrie down on the block are going to force teams to beat them from the outside.
The problem with that then is the Adam Gibson factor. Behind Damian Martin and Kevin Lisch he may be the best defensive player in the competition. Teams absolutely must find ways to catch out Beal, or play fast and get the Bullets a step off their rotations.
The Bullets have also pulled off a massive coup by signing Australian Boomers and former Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons forward Cameron Bairstow. He will add a stack of talent on both ends of the court, and his experience will improve the side both on and off the court.
Their most important player, though, is likely to be Kickert. Signed from Melbourne United, he has a massive season ahead and will have freedom to shoot from the perimeter, which, for a big man, he does very well.
While he is going to be an important cog in Brisbane’s defensive play inside, his shooting could well provide them with an X-Factor. He also has a strong passing game, and teams may feel the need to double team, meaning they will have to be careful on rotation by leaving Gibson open over Beal.
One of the Bullet’s less talked about signings is youngster Matt Kenyon. The guard has been averaging some big numbers in the SEABL and earned a full-time NBL contract this season. The intriguing point is that, until the club signed Beal, he was their backup guard to Adam Gibson.
Essentially, it is he and Shaun Bruce who will fight for the minutes when Beal and Gibson are off the court, but Kenyon is going to be an intriguing prospect and could provide the Bullets with a different passing dynamic.
In saying that, their starting guard combination is electric – Gibson with his passing, Beal with the shooting – and opposing teams are going to have to be bang on defensively. The Bullets mightn’t have a lot of shooting from deep, but with Beal’s ability, the inside could open up for some easy baskets.
Having Andrej Lemanis as coach is also a boost. The Boomers coach is used to getting a national team together with a short preparation time, so he’s the ideal man for a new side trying to gel for the first time. You couldn’t think of a better option with former club legends CJ Bruton and Sam McKinnon as support.
The Bullets do have a few options to shift their rotation. While Tom Jervis will probably start on the bench, he could quite easily find his way ahead of Torrey Craig, meaning Bairstow would play the three and Kickert four, giving them extra size – although that’s something they probably don’t need.
To play more of a small ball style, Reuben Te Rangi could come into the starting five, with Bairstow to play at centre and Kickert coming from the bench. This is an option you could see exercised, as it would give the Bullets fresh big men through the back end of the first half.
Schedule
| Round | Date | Time (AEST) | Opponent | Venue |
| 1 | Thu Oct 6 | 7:30 PM | Perth Wildcats | Brisbane Entertainment Centre |
| 1 | Sat Oct 8 | 7:30 PM | Sydney Kings | Qudos Bank Arena |
| 2 | Sun Oct 16 | TBC | Adelaide 36ers | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 3 | Thu Oct 20 | 7:30 PM | Melbourne United | Hisense Arena |
| 3 | Sat Oct 22 | 7:30 PM | New Zealand Breakers | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 4 | Sun Oct 30 | TBC | Sydney Kings | Qudos Bank Arena |
| 5 | Sun Nov 6 | TBC | New Zealand Breakers | Vector Arena |
| 6 | Thu Nov 10 | 7:30 PM | Sydney Kings | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 6 | Sun Nov 13 | TBC | Cairns Taipans | Cairns Convention Centre |
| 7 | Sat Nov 19 | 5:30 PM | Adelaide 36ers | Titanium Security Arena |
| 8 | Thu Nov 24 | 7:30 PM | Adelaide 36ers | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 9 | Thu Dec 1 | 9:30 PM | Perth Wildcats | Perth Arena |
| 9 | Sat Dec 3 | 5:30 PM | Cairns Taipans | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 10 | Thu Dec 8 | 5:30 PM | New Zealand Breakers | Vector Arena |
| 10 | Sat Dec 10 | 7:30 PM | Illawarra Hawks | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 11 | Sat Dec 17 | 7:30 PM | Melbourne United | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 11 | Mon Dec 19 | 7:30 PM | Illawarra Hawks | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 12 | Mon Dec 26 | 7:30 PM | Melbourne United | Hisense Arena |
| 13 | Sat Dec 31 | 7:30 PM | Cairns Taipans | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 14 | Mon Jan 9 | 7:30 PM | Perth Wildcats | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 15 | Fri Jan 13 | 7:30 PM | Illawarra Hawks | WIN Entertainment Centre |
| 15 | Sun Jan 15 | TBC | New Zealand Breakers | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 16 | Thu Jan 19 | 7:30 PM | Adelaide 36ers | Titanium Security Arena |
| 16 | Sat Jan 21 | 5:30 PM | Melbourne United | Gold Coast Convention Centre |
| 17 | Fri Jan 27 | 7:30 PM | Sydney Kings | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 17 | Sun Jan 29 | TBC | Cairns Taipans | Cairns Convention Centre |
| 18 | Fri Feb 3 | 9:30 PM | Perth Wildcats | Perth Arena |
| 19 | Sat Feb 11 | 5:30 PM | Illawarra Hawks | WIN Entertainment Centre |
The Bullets have six two-day turnarounds this season, which is quite a lot really. While they have a blockbuster draw, that might mean they will struggle with fatigue, which becomes more of a prevalent issue when you consider the size they will play in the paint with.
What they do have is one of the biggest home stands of the season across the Christmas and New Year period. Incredibly, they play seven out of nine games in a row at home between Rounds 9 and Round 15.
While they play three of their first six at home, it does mean that, leading into that home stand, they play just five out of eight games on the roar, so don’t be surprised if Brisbane get into a little bit of trouble midway through the season.
The Bullets also finish their season with three games on the road in the form of trips to Cairns, Perth and Wollongong, so they won’t want to be fighting for a playoff spot come that point of the season.
Prediction
This is a ridiculously tough competition to try and predict from the outset. You could just about make a case for every team to make the finals, as was the case last year.
Brisbane have built up a really strong roster, and while they won’t be right at the top, they certainly aren’t going to be right at the bottom. Offence alone is going to ensure they pick up some victories.
Their first couple of matches of the season are going to be really testing. They come against the Wildcats and Kings, who are expected to be two of the better teams throughout the season.
I’m going to make a prediction and say Brisbane will get behind the Bullets and the side will just miss the playoffs, but don’t be at all surprised if they scrape in.
Fifth.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow as we have a look at the Sydney Kings.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde
News from on and off court around the NBL.
The Cairns Taipans' NBL season is still alive with an important 73-69 win at home over Queensland rivals Brisbane.
After a 28-match 2019-20 NBL season, these are my player rankings for the fifth-placed Brisbane Bullets. Lamar Patterson: 9.5/10 The initial narrative from the…
Andrej Lemanis is left looking for answers as the Brisbane Bullets' defensive woes add to a tough week for the former Boomers coach. Brisbane…
The Perth Wildcats and Melbourne United look set to provide an NBL grand final series for the ages. Though the vanquished Brisbane Bullets and…
They will have to buck history to bounce back successfully from losing Game 1 in Perth on Thursday night, but the Brisbane Bullets have…
