BRISBANE BULLETS
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SUN 3 DEC TIP-OFF 2.00PM Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre MATCH PREVIEW • TEAM LINE-UPS • COACHES CORNER STAT ATTACK BREAKING DOWN THE KEY STATISTICS PLAYER PROFILES, COMPETITIONS, PARTNER OFFERS AND MUCH MORE!
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THE SEASON (THUS FAR)
BY THE NUMBERS JUST over a third of the way through the 2017/18 National Basketball League season, we thought we would give you an update on the stats from the team so far and see how your favourite players were performing. As the team prepares to clash with the New Zealand Breakers for this season, we also breakdown several important points in the match up and where the Bullets could earn their first win over their trans-Tasman rivals of the year.
Key Player Stats Leading Scorer: Import swingman Perrin Buford has done an impressive job replacing the hole left by Torrey Craig, who earned a contract in the NBA. Buford is averaging 16.8ppg to lead his team while shooting 58% from the field and 46% from beyond the arc. Another recruit in former Cairns Taipans and Michigan State star Travis Trice is second in the Bullets in scoring with 14.7ppg and veteran Daniel Kickert is also having another solid season at 13.7ppg and shooting 52% from the field, 47% from the three-point line and 96% from the free-throw line. Brisbane are receiving contributions from across the board with five players averaging double figures as Tom Jervis and Stephen Holt complete the list.
Leading Rebounder: Not comparing Bullets star Perrin Buford’s season with the year Torrey Craig put together before departing is difficult because their stats are so similar. Craig led the Bullets in scoring and rebounding and Buford is doing the same with the athletic Alabama native averaging 7.2rpg. Brisbane then have four players grabbing over 4rpg in Kickert, Holt, Jervis and Trice but the team is the second lowest in rebounds per game with just 25 boards per outing. Leading Assists: Travis Trice has been a great pick up for the Bullets and has shown he is one of the best point guards in the NBL, especially with some big performances down the stretch in the games Brisbane have won. He has also formed a damaging partnership with teammate and big man Tom Jervis with the pair almost unstoppable in the pick and roll. Trice not only leads the Bullets in assists but also the entire NBL with 5.6 dimes per game. Brisbane average 16 assists per game, good enough for fifth in the competition.
STAT ATTACK
VS
New Zealand have won their last 5 games played against Brisbane.
The 101 points scored by New Zealand in their last game in Brisbane is their highest score under coach Paul Henare (39 games). THIS SEASON: New Zealand 101 def Brisbane 96 at Brisbane Convention Centre (Round 4), New Zealand 90 def Brisbane 82 at Spark Arena (Round 7).
Both teams are playing their second game of the weekend after Brisbane play in Adelaide on Friday the same night that the Breakers hosted the Wildcats. This will be Brisbane’s last home game until December 23 against the Sydney Kings in Round 11.
These teams will wrap up their four games this season with a rematch back at Spark Arena Auckland next Thursday night.
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Coaches head to head: Andrej Lemanis 1 win, Paul Henare 5 wins.
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ROUND 8 COACHES CORNER
BULLETS V 36ERS Playing four games in eight days and travelling all over the country and beyond over the next fortnight might appear a daunting task, but for Brisbane Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis it’s something he feels could help his team. The Bullets played just four games in all of November so the schedule over Rounds 8 and 9 of the 2017/18 NBL season is considerably different and Lemanis doesn’t see that as such a bad thing. The Bullets handled things well when they had to play four games in the space of eight days upon returning from playing the Phoenix Suns in the United States, culminating in a narrow loss to the league-leading New Zealand Breakers and a good win against Melbourne United. But Lemanis can’t help but feel some of the Bullets’ momentum was lost throughout November with too much time in between games. They played the Illawarra Hawks on November 3 and had nine days to stew over that 31-point loss before hosing the Cairns Taipans, and winning 82-74. There was then just five days in between two games inside three days against the Breakers and Perth Wildcats, the two leagueleading outfits before the FIBA break hasn’t seen the Bullets play since November 19 ahead of the Round 8 Friday night clash in Adelaide against the 36ers. Now following the almost twoweek break, a hectic schedule for the Bullets begins with that clash with Adelaide before returning home to host the Breakers on Sunday December 3. Just four days later and it’s off to New Zealand for a return
clash with the Breakers and two days later stopping off in Sydney to play the Kings. It’s then up to Cairns to face the Taipans on December 14 and in what is undoubtedly the toughest aspect of the schedule, just two days later the Bullets play the Wildcats in Perth. There is no hiding from the daunting nature of that next two weeks for the Bullets. But playing so many games in quick succession and having to band together as a group is something Lemanis feels, and hopes, helps them build some momentum and maintain it. “To be honest I actually like it and it’s good for us now to get into a rhythm of playing games. We had that time coming back from the States where we played four games in eight days, and whilst it was tough I thought it was good and we were starting to find our way,” Lemanis said.
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“That’s going to take some managing for sure. But it is what it is and it’s good to play games and hopefully we can get into a good rhythm.” Lemanis didn’t get much chance to reflect on the season so far during the FIBA break given he was in charge of the Boomers for their FIBA World Cup qualifying matches against Chinese Taipei and Japan. He put full faith in his Bullets assistant coaches, strength and conditioning staff, and players to do all the right things and he is confident they will be ready and roaring to go to start this stretch of games on Friday against the Sixers in Adelaide. “From all reports the guys did a good job of maintaining intensity and focus whilst I was away and it’s a tough time when there’s a break of that size in-season with the coach away,” Lemanis said.
“Then we had that stretch where we played one game in 16 days and only four games in all of November. For me I just prefer us playing games so you can get in a rhythm, guys get into a comfort level about what’s going on and most of your learning happens in games.
“Getting the balance right between resting people up, taking the opportunity to get extra work into people and to understand who needs to increase and decrease their loading, and also getting some work done in the gym that you can’t do when you have games on.
“If you have just a day or two to make adjustments then that’s beneficial providing the travel schedule allows you enough time to still be fresh for each game, then it’s a good thing.
“Hopefully all that was managed well but the test will be how we come out on Friday. But we put a lot of time and effort into planning in it, but this was the first experience of it so everyone will have their own ideas on it. We’ll see how we come out and respond, but practice has had a good energy about it and that continual focus on being a good defensive team is still there.”
“We do have a challenge on this trip because we end up doing the width and depth of the league going from Brisbane to Adelaide, then back to Brisbane, over to New Zealand, back to Sydney, up to Cairns and then two days later we play in Perth.
BRISBANE
BULLETS
Travis Trice Guard Springfield, Ohio
Matt Kenyon Guard Gosford, NSW
Daniel Kickert Forward Melbourne, VIC
Perrin Buford Forward Decatur, Alabama
Shaun Bruce Guard Horsham, VIC
Reuben Te Rangi Forward Auckland, NZ
Adam Gibson Guard Launceston, TAS
Stephen Holt Guard Portland, Oregon
Anthony Petrie Forward Tenterfield, NSW
Mitch Young Forward Brisbane, QLD
Tom Jervis Centre Kalgoorlie, WA
Andrej Lemanis Coach Melbourne, VIC
NEW ZEALAND
BREAKERS
Finn Delany Forward Nelson, NZ
Thomas Abercrombie Forward Auckland, NZ
Jordan Ngatai Forward Porirua, NZ
Edgar Sosa Guard New York, New York
James Hunter Centre Nowra, NSW
Devonte Newbill Guard Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Shea Ili Guard Auckland, NZ
Mika Vukona Forward Suva, Fiji
Alex Pledger Centre Blenheim, NZ
Kirk Penny Guard Auckland, NZ
Robert Loe Centre Leicester, England
Paul Henare Coach 29 games
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PLAYER PROFILE
ADAM GIBSON GIBBO is back! But don’t think he didn’t put the past three weeks, which he sat out due to a calf injury, to good use. That just wouldn’t be the two-time NBL champion, Olympian and former Defensive Player of the Year’s style. The 12-year veteran has been even more of a vocal leader during his absence on the court helping his teammates, especially the team’s youngsters, as he prepares for life after playing. “It’s frustrating not being able to help on the court, I’m always a talker so that has amped up being on the sidelines and pointing out stuff. I’ve also been able to notice some things so just helping the boys out with details of what I see,” Gibson said. “I definitely enjoy helping out our young boys. I see myself as a coach post playing career so I’m always pointing out things, or helping with individual skills at practise. It’s great for them to get better, but it’s great for me moving forward as well.”
However, that doesn’t mean the injury hasn’t frustrated Gibson, who wants to help the Bullets return to the club’s former glory and lift another NBL championship trophy with the club before he retires. “I love being back in Brisbane, it’s always felt like home and I always wanted to come back. It’s early days as a club but the plans are in place and it’s fun being part of them and seeing them slowly take shape,” he said. “This is a whole new team, we have our own identity we want to create, tapping into the past but creating our own history is what we’re about. I’d love nothing more than to hold up the cup again as a Bullet, it takes a whole team buy in to achieve these things so we will keep working until we get it done.” Gibson has played for four different NBL teams (Brisbane, South Dragons, Gold Coast and Adelaide) after coming out of Tasmania and despite the inconsistent start from the Bullets, he still believes the team can do some major damage in season 2017/18. And it starts with the return to the court against his former team in Adelaide on Friday. “Obviously I’m going to say I think we can go the whole way, we have enough pieces to beat anyone. We’ve been close in most of our loses so if we can take care of some little things and all come
together, then why not,” he said. “The calf is feeling good, I’ve had three solid days back full training, so I’ll be good to go for the game Friday in Adelaide and see how it pulls up after that.” The Bullets take on the fastpaced Adelaide 36ers at Titanium Security Arena from 6.30pm (AEST) on Friday before returning to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre to host New Zealand at 2pm (AEST) on Sunday.
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