Hoops

Have Brisbane "Done it Wrong, Again"?

People are harsh on Bairstow I think. He's been very good whenever he played for the Boomers, and I think if he's fit, he'll be one of the best bigs in the league.

Bairstow has been an important contributor internationally for Australian junior and senior teams. His college trajectory showed serious potential as evidenced by huge improvement in his senior year.

He was a great prospect coming out of college and into NBA. Then injuries.

The question is whether or not he can regain that trajectory.

Anon #748, no Bullets supporter is excited by the prospects of the current squad. Lol.

"Perhaps this post could have waited until their roster has been finalised."
They've signed 10 of 11 players, which is closer to finalised than any other team

"They have an improved squad on last season"
They have lost their top 4 scorers Buford, Trice, Kickert, and Jervis, Plus Young and Bruce.

Really hoping for humongous things from their 2nd Import

"Fit & Healthy" and Bairstow don't seem to belong in the same sentence, but if it happens he should be very good. Will probably take a while to regain touch, but that's ok.
He doesn't have to be MVP (although the potential is there) but if he sticks around could become the backbone of a good core.

As I said from the start, this isn't so much about having a go at Brisbane, but examining the model required for New teams.

Aren't they potentially adopting Gliddon, Cadee, Hodgson, etc? Or at least starting what might become that?

I think you aim to win and things like marquee players and homegrown heroes emerge from that.

Your rational points and reasoned arguments do not belong here, Silencer! Begone!

What you are alluding to is true - they aren't really going for the title. Just going through the motions and that's what they're there for - to have a team in Brisbane until they can sell the team and in the meantime not threaten as a title contender.

In the NBL you should either have a roster that is competing for the title or one that is setting you up for the title.

Every season NBL franchises have the opportunity to bring in at least 1 big name local signing and of course quality imports, how you manage this whilst also protecting your core is what tend to set apart the better managed clubs.

On Brisbane – Personally I just don’t get it and this looks like a squad that is assembled with the prime focus of not finishing last but equally this will most likely mean it probably won’t finish first.

An Aussie core of Bairstow, Gliddon, Cadee, Gibson and Hodgson and throwing in Mika & Te Rangi ….it’s going to need to hit a serious home run with imports to be a competitive top 4 team. Bringing Holt back so early to me is another sign of just being happy to be in a safe space. Surely you at least wait for the beginning of the season to target those who have not made Europe or the NBA rosters?

On the plus side all appear to be very savvy basketball players and maybe that will be the edge Lemanis is going for. To me Bairstow aside (health willing) and maybe Gliddon …..all it looks like to me is a pretty strong bench line up. If Bairstow cannot stay on the court or Gliddon isn’t paired with a creative import point ….they are going to be in a world of pain.

In all honesty, I don't know how important birthplace is for "Home Grown" heroes?
Maybe it's just a Perth thing, but we have a penchant for "adopting" people. People who don't attend Perth games have no idea just how popular Damo is with the Red Army. I've always just imagined other crowds were the same.

I think there initial squad for a start up was spot on, veteran leadership, exciting imports and a star local in bairstow. It all came crashing down quickly & they haven’t recovered.

The squad they’ve built this year is perplexing to say the least. Caddee as starting PG, vukona to play a meaningful role and Hodgson to be there starting centre? They’d need to nail both imports and have bairstow in all nbl form to be finalists - which is unfair given he’ll likely need a year to recover. Qld teams to battle for the spoon I feel.

I think people need to stop thinking of basketball like Aussie rules in that you get in an 18 year old, he hits his peak at 23-26 and by 30, he's signing 1 year extensions, and more like cricket (very rare to see players under 25 debut for the test team). NBL has extended the DP to 25 so someone that's elevated like say Rhys Vague would do well getting 6 seasons as a fully contracted player.

The stud youngster that can be a household name like Newley or Ingles when they came into the league aren't going to stick around long enough to make a heap of merchandise for. Simple fact is that Leroy Loggins is still the most well known Brisbane Bullet and there's nobody they will build a statue for anytime soon in this squad.

In saying that, I don't think this is a terrible squad, I like the look of Fullerton but I'm afraid he won't be seen on court much which will be a shame.

Takes a while to rebuild a club especially without engaging much of history/legacy. Give Bullets a couple more years. If by year 5 things haven't improved then start worrying.

AD, so this season should they be trying to win or signing young players that stay with them for a decade?

Do you think Perth knew that they had Hire at the time and that he wasn’t someone who’d struggle to crack the roster?

Adelaide don’t have a homegrown hero. Illawarra don’t either. Sydney?

Bullets are looking every bit like the Kings were when they came back. Hopefully for their sake (and for NBL success in Brisbane) it wont take 8 years before they assemble a team that should start winning.

Just on the youth side of things - i feel this is a much older league, generally speaking. Aside from imports, there seems to be alot of veterans playing and a lot of players in their late 20's. Is that a fair assessment?

AD you know next season there will be 4 imports.? No reason to assume it will change the year after at all.

Isaac - your post prompted me to check those guys' ages. Gliddon'll be 29 next season, Cadee's 27 and Hodgson will be 27.

I have to admit to being surprised at how old Gliddon and Hodgson are. Gliddon has 6 NBL seasons under his belt, Cadee about 8 and Hodgson 3. Gliddon and Cadee are probably closer to the ends of their NBL careers than the starts, now. That said, Gliddon may go on for a while, as he seems pretty robust and injury free.

I wouldn't call them a young core but I could see them forming the Aussie core for 4-5 years, which probably supports your point.

Slopernator that's what I mean by placeholder - they are only in the league due to NBL needing a team in the Brisbane market. The way they are going about things though they aren't trying to win.

Bairstow is a Brisbane local.

Young players: it would also help to have at least 1 local player born and/or raised in the town. Someone the fans will love, who has character or charisma. The NBL used to get this from long term imports too.

They're improving but lots to learn from after the inaugural two seasons and I'm saying this from the perspective of a foundation season member.

Right steps were taken initially in the signing of Lemanis and Bairstow/Craig but unfortunately injury and other opportunities have robbed momentum in that respect. The squad this year appears more balanced but time will tell. Brisbane is notorious for only ever getting behind a winner, look at the crowd figures of the Lions and Roar.

Placeholder is the last thing I'd use to describe them though, the league can't not have a presence in the nation's third largest city and ignore 2.5 million potential eyeballs. It will carve its niche here sooner or later.

Just a placeholder team. Going through the motions. Quite obvious to me.

They had Bairstow and then he got injured and managed part of one season, and then none of the next. Then they resigned him for two years after that. But for that, it could've gone some way to answering all three of your points.

And aren't they now signing young Australian players to build around - Gliddon, Hodgson, Cadee, etc?

A large part of that would be due to Bairstow missing 1.5 seasons with injury.