NBL basketball returned to Brisbane in 2015 with much fanfare as the league finally had a team in every capital city. But after two seasons at the bottom of the NBL ladder, Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis struggling to find success at national level, and  former Chicago Bulls Forward Cam Bairstow still a long way from returning to NBA form, one must ask if 18/19 is the makfe or break season for the Bullets.

When the franchise returned to life in 2015, CJ Bruton was immediately appointed as both head of basketball operations and assistant coach. Shortly after that appointment Andrej Lemanis was announced as head coach for the latest Brisbane Bullets incarnation.

“The brand is strong and that for me was an exciting challenge and a fantastic opportunity.” Lemanis said upon his announcement as head coach.

“Hopefully I can give the people of Brisbane a team they can be proud of.”

In addition to leading the Boomers squad, Lemanis had already earned NBL Coach of the Year honors in 2011 and 2013 during his run with the New Zealand Breakers – a run which yielded three championships titles to the Breakers in eight years (2005-13).However it is fair to say his appointment with Brisbane brought with it an expectation of rapid success which up until now, hasn’t come to fruition.

So in season 16/17 the Bullets set sail with a new roster, featuring a former NBA player in Cameron Bairstow, talented import Jermaine “Dollar” Beal also made his way over from the Perth Wildcats and they signed a “trio of young guns” in Reuben Te Rangi, Mitch Young and Shaun Bruce.

At the time Beal was coming of two championships in three seasons with the Wildcats, and he was one of the leagues most devastating scorers from beyond the arc (he drained 245 triples in his three seasons in Perth)

“It’s too early to say we can win it all but it can be done.” Beal was quoted as saying shortly signing with the Bullets.

Fast forward to January 21, 2017,  after Beal seemingly sleepwalked through another demoralizing Bullets loss, adding no points or assists to the stat sheet,  and Coach Lemanis was forced to take action.

“We have decided it is best for the team to let Jermaine leave and to focus on the rest of the group for the remainder of the season.” He also said, “We are building a long term programme here and believe this is in the best interests of continuing to develop our team and club culture.”

Ouch! Take that Jermaine. Translation:

1) Let’s cut him as soon as humanly possible.
2) He’s a negative influence on the group.

The Bullets finished dead last in their debut season with a 10-18 record. The struggle to find the right mixture of talent was evident in the fact Brisbane suited up 17 players that season.

It wasn’t just difficulties with imports that was the cause of that however. NBA star Cam Bairstow suffered a season ending knee injury (he missed 14 games), veteran leader Anthony Petrie was unavailable for 14 games and captain Adam Gibson missed 7 games.

It was a rapid descent for the team who sat only a couple of games away from top position (with a record of 8-8) before injuries and import woes caused them to finish with a 2-10 record for the second half of the season. This included blowout losses to Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Illawarra.

The roster was too guard heavy, executed poorly, often resulting in someone having to heave a long range bomb with 4 seconds left on the shot clock. The team was constantly giving up lay ups off through non existent defensive rotations and poor defensive transition.

The faster you fail, the faster you can succeed is a well known quote among start-up businesses, so despite the team’s obvious short-comings, the pedigree of the coaching staff and experience of the players had fans positive  that year two would finally yield the success everyone originally expected.

To compensate for their front line heavy lineup in 2016, the Bullets decided to bring in two import guards, Stephen Holt and Travis Trice and coupled that with under-sized forward Perrin Buford and many predicted that we would see playoff basketball in Brisbane once again.

“Surely they could improve on last year’s 10-18 record”, fans thought to themselves, “after all it was a low bar and the there’s no way they could have a dismal finish to the season two years in a row? Surely?”

Fast forward to February 6, 2018, and when your team’s General Manager feels it’s time to speak to the media about his team’s under performance, you know things aren’t looking great for your squad.

“It had become obvious over the last week that Perin was no longer committed to the team and the situation had become untenable.” Is how Bullets GM Richard Clarke addressed the media after Buford’s firing.

“The rest of the playing group are committed to the vision and values of the club, and competing for Brisbane in out remaining games.”

Sound familiar Bullets fans? Two highly rated imports in two years, and apparently the club line is that both were not competing, not committed and not complying with the clubs value system. The Bullets finished 2018 with a 9-19 record, allowing Coach Lemanis to earn another wooden spoon for his kitchen draw and an alarming 19-37 coaching report during his time with the Bullets.

Third time is a charm they say and this season we see the Bullets only have three players returning from the club’s debut roster. Bairstow, Gibson and Te Rangi. These Bullets stalwarts will be joined by new additions Will Magnay (208cm and 106kg) Harrison Tyrell (213 cm) a former volleyball player listed as a development player, Jason Cadee who jumped ship from the Kings (smart) when they recruited a host of guards, Cam Gliddon (via Cairns), Matt Hodgson (via Adelaide), Mika Vukona Note: who is in the authors opinion a basketball God amongst men – all hail The King! and Japanese league MVP Hiejma Makoto, .

Former NBL coach of the year Shawn Dennis, now with the Shiga Lakestars (Japanese Naitonal League) coached Makoto and helped Lemanis recruit the 190cm whirling dervish by promoting how good the NBL would be for his development as a player.

“He is a very good talent. One of the things that separates him from others over here is his ability to create his own shot. He is a constant threat to make a play and can take the ball either way and effectively use a pick and roll.” Dennis told Aussie Hoopla.

Dennis notes that one area he has really improved over the last 12 months is his three point shooting, which has made him a real threat on offence. He is also a sneaky athlete who can get on the rim and finish strong.

His challenge is going to be becoming a more consistent defender and understanding that in the NBL he cannot take plays off especially at the defensive end of the floor. He is a smart player and has shown that with the National team where he has adapted well to the level of play. As he settles into the life style of Australia and his team mates he will make these adjustments and I believe have a very good impact on the league” Dennis said.

Unlike other players who have come into the NBL under the Asian rule, Hiejma is actually one of the best players in Japan and is sacrificing a lot to challenge himself in an uncomfortable situation. A clear testament to the type of person he is.

“I think Brisbane will unearth a very good player and an impact player that will have an influence on games.” said Dennis.

The Bullets played their first preseason game recently against Hawaii University and went with a starting unit of Gibson, Cadee, Hodgson, Vukona and Te Rangi. Development player Tyrell did well off the bench and Makoto, who played limited minutes, did enough to impress in his first outing.

Gliddon was absent after minor surgery and Bairstow was also also didn’t play but is tipped to return for the NBL Blitz, expected to be held in Canberra in September.

The Bullets have their eyes on the playoffs this season but the NBL schedule won’t be helping them. Their draw features a tough start, playing Perth four times, reigning champs Melbourne United three times, grand final runners-up Adelaide three times and the vastly improved NZ Breakers twice in the team’s first 15 games.

To develop the team chemistry the Bullets have decided to forgo playing against NBA teams in the NBLxNBA events. Then in a move which seems to add insult to injury for Bullets fans, the team’s scheduled open air Boxing Day match-up against Melbourne United has instead been handed to the 36ers. Let’s hope the disappointing news for Bullets fans develops a more cohesive team and some extra victories, making missing out on two very high profile match-ups easy to bare.

If success is to be achieved this time around, it’s going to be via key big men Vukona (did I mention he is a God?) and Bairstow. We haven’t seen the best of the Bear since his return from the  Olympics and hopefully he can be a superstar for the Bullets. The Bullets have spent a lot of money on Cam Bairstow while he sits on the sidelines but if they can get him back in form and have Vukona, Hodgson, Magnay and Tyrell adding valuable minutes inside, Brisbane could have the best front-line in the league… even if there is just some guy by the name of Andrew Bogut or something in Sydney.

The team’s back-court has undergone a major overhaul with youth, balance and local talent being added. Gliddon and Cadee can fire and contribute offensively, as will import guard Holt.

Cadee will be useful running the offence and Holt can develop his bench scoring role he started to find form with backing up Travis Trice last year. Two-time NBL champion Adam Gibson should move to a role in the team’s second unit, while continuing to be Lemanis voice on the court.

Vukona’s addition WILL change the team’s defensive mindset, which has yet to consistent level and even if the 36 year old Vukona is only in Brisbane for one season, the mindset he will instil into the team’s younger players will pay dividends for many seasons to come. It won’t be a surprise to see Brisbane become the best defensive team in the league.

Offence is where they have struggled – in previous seasons they have routinely used up a lot of time without gaining any significant advantage over opposing teams. The rushed shots as the shot clock winds down which occur as a result of this isn’t pretty and leads to easy transition points for the opposition.

It’s something that this year’s team needs to address. Will they do so with the vancant import spot they appear to be holding on to? This is something we will have to wait and see, but why they wouldn’t move now and find a 200cm scoring swingman, ala Casey Prather or Carrick Felix from Melbourne United last year, both who can create their own shot and get to the rim puzzles me.

It hasn’t yet proven to be a good move “holding” onto an import spot, especially if things start slowing in 2018-19 and you have another losing record on your hands. I don’t think a national coach has been sacked in the domestic league while in office – hopefully for the sake of Australian Basketball it doesn’t occur this season with the Brisbane Bullets.

While it’s important for the NBL to have a strong presence in Queensland, it’s also important that presence is a winning one. Lemanis has the runs on the board with his national team success but one more sub-par season and is his removal then required?

It’s an important season for Lemanis, it’s crucial for Cam Bairstow, who still has hopes to return to the NBA and it’s critical that Bullets fans see some on court success to really get the people on their feet.

It’s exciting and slightly daunting to know tip-off for the Bullets is only a few short weeks away.