There are some big guns still on board, some exciting new additions and plenty of reasons for optimism about the Brisbane Bullets as the NBL season gets underway this weekend.
It’s a decidedly new-look Bullets outfit heading into NBL26, starting with a change in coach – with Stu Lash assuming the responsibilities having been the man largely responsible for putting the roster together over the past couple of seasons.
The Bullets have been able to retain the services of last season’s club MVP Casey Prather with captain Mitch Norton, imposing big man Tyrell Harrison, and Tohi Smith-Milner among the other key players back on deck.
Then there are the new additions headlined by former NBL MVP and Sydney Kings championship winning point guard Jaylen Adams, while fellow import Javon Freeman-Liberty looks capable of providing the Bullets with plenty of points.
West Australian product Alex Ducas will also play in the NBL for the first time and will do so at the Bullets on the back of being part of the NBA championship winning squad with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Taine Murray and Jack Purchase are among the other additions, while Sam McDaniel will return after missing all but one game of last season with injury.
The season starts on the road for the Bullets this Friday against the New Zealand Breakers at Auckland’s Spark Arena, with both teams looking for a fast start after missing out on playoff action in NBL25.
Lash might be coming into his first season as Bullets coach, but having worked with the club as senior basketball advisor the past couple of years, he’s familiar with the league and will look to empower those players as much as possible.
“I’m high energy and I’m really positive so there will be a vibe like that with the way our team plays,” Lash said. “I’m big on empowering the players and the staff too so this is not me sitting on a mountain top screaming down at everybody.
“I sometimes candidly joke that there’s a team head coach, but there’s no head player. You might have a team captain and you have teammates, and I look at the coaching staff sometimes the same way.
“Now obviously a head coach has to be accountable and you have to be able to drop the hammer on guys when you need to, and I have no issue with that.”
The first home game of the season for the Bullets at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre will be Saturday,
October 4 against the Tasmania JackJumpers.
It will be part of Hungry Jack’s Rookie Round with kids allowed in for free.
This Friday’s game will be at 5.30pm AEST–watch live on ESPN via Foxtel, Disney+, Kayo and Fetch.
