To be blunt, Brisbane will be bent over in this one. Which is exactly what they don't want to start off their latest tenure at the Ent Cent.

Expecting Sydney by 12-15, and Brisbane followers to more loudly question how much longer we’re going to hold on to our underperforming imports. (We’ll hold on to them all season because the Bullets are tightarses)

Is it fair to say the Bullets have the worst import trio in the league?

Although Cook has been very solid

Brisbane - worst import trio and overall team tbh.

Scheuler got do what his former boss Vickerman does to Perth, slow the game down, kings will want to run, run and if they do Cooks and mates have a field day. Even if they can play at there pace, Brisbane still can't win. Kings by 10 to 30 points.

Ben,

What do you think of the Bullets surprising move to the Ent Centre? Maybe a bit of punishment to the mgmt of Nissan Arena for leaking the Baynes vs Forde video to the media?

I'd like to see the Bullets win but think the Kings could win in by 40.

Strange things have happened recently, but I can't see Brisbane having enough firepower to beat the Kings. Cooks and Oliver should make Harrison and Zikarsky turnstiles.

Hey Zodiac, have seen you raise this a week or so back. Not the case. Brisbane were selling out Nissan Arena, they simply needed to move to a bigger home to accommodate projected growth. A no brainer.

The Ent Cent is great. Can drive, train or bus there easily. Catering is good. With upcoming Olympics, I'd say the venue will see upgrades of some kind over coming years.

Unfortunately Brisbane has shot itself in the foot by assembling an inferior team. Crowds will stay away and become sparse if the team keeps losing. They really needed to sign a marquee player or two to sell to fans. Someone recognisable to casuals like Trez would've been perfect. The ownership group wants to stay cheap though, and the current team reflects that. Embarrassing.

I can only hope after another season of suffering, management will realise they need to do far better with roster management and what they're providing to the public.

Okay fair enough on the move and thanks for the info.

I was listening to the recent Boti Nagy & Brad Rosen podcast episode with Joey Wright and Joey said re: pre-season form that Brisbane and Perth are the only two teams to win the Blitz and go on to win the NBL championship that season, so still hope for your Bullets yet.

Another thing Joey said which I agree with the Bullets were really pinning all their hopes on Deng Adel this season.

Kings by double figures, surely...

Tf is Casey Prather's wife doing on courtside commentary. At least it’s not Anneli Maley I guess.

It's so random.

Was it a package deal? What if the Bullets need to release him?

Panel discussing why Rocco isn't getting a lot of game time, as if they don't know he's being sheltered until the Draft. He'll continue averaging 10-12 mins no matter what happens.

He's not getting game time because he has a long way to go before he deserves it, he’s a prospect, you don’t just walk in even with raps on him.

Something about Rucker I don't like as a commentator.

I've always thought Cooks was slightly overrated but he means so much his kings team, he gets injured and kings will still be strong but he’d be a massive out.

Would think he would be getting minutes if he deserved them, then looking at shutting him down towards end of the season as draft approaches as most other prospects have done.
Whilst not the potential as Sarr last year, surely the draft process would be similar in getting deserved playing time. Just looks like he hasn't progressed as much in off season, last season had some great short burst moments, would think the plan would have been to get some extended regular minutes, especially with Brisbane in a bit of a mess again. If they were contenders then limited minutes could be acceptable, but might be a slight red flag seeing limited time.
And this will fire a few up, is he in the same boat as Kai Sotto? Looking like a carbon copy really.

Decals strike again.

It's lucky the decals are there, nothing else is defending the kings.

He'll be better than Soto but you are right, lack of an quality point guard is not helping him.

Did I say Kings by 12-15? I meant 52-55.

Great crowd putting up with this shit team. Adel great in preseason is now irrelevant. Who is there absolute quality players, they have none, spoon is looking their way.

It's lucky the decals are there, nothing else is defending the kings.

Did I say Kings by 12-15? I meant 52-55.

It staggers me how a 7 footer can get 1 board in a half of basketball. Heart the size of a pea...

Rocco got no core strength, who is ever guiding him are going about it the wrong way. My geriatric body would still box him out.
Who put this tam together, Scheuler looking like another Mitchell, Kelly type selection.

Prather is BACK

How's that opening dunk

Prather is doing ok but one dunk doesn't mean jack. Bullets got no a grade quality and it shows, again who puts this team together?

Hard to believe Batemon sucks so hard when he made All-Israeli League Second Team last year! *

* true fact, Hooley mentions it every time he talks about Brisbane, in case you haven't heard it 12 times already.

Good question Dunkman.

Stu Lash was dropped in to the Bullets in January by the ownership group as a 'Senior Basketball Advisor'. The press release was vague on his actual responsibilities. If he's had any say in the roster construction he should pack up and leave the fuck back to the US immediately.

Personally I believe Schueller has had most responsibility with recruitment, under the edict that he works to a strict budget. Strict budget aside, shit job also.

Takeaways
- Cooks will win mvp
- Batemon's position must be in peril surely
- Nice seeing Prather looking this good
- Leupepe giving Rocco the too small is kinda funny. Who knew he could score like this though?
- Established Kings players like Noi and L'afa look completely out of touch, Adams hasn't been putting any points up, and they still look this good. It's scary.

The winner league is the top league in Israel, Bannan played in the league below.

Brisbane have big problems, even if their budget is small you still have to spend to cap minimum, they are either paying well overs for the wrong players, Rocco is NS so he paid by nbl. Both import guards just can't play in this league or that team, they could be good elsewhere but not at Brisbane. SEM should get their first win next week.

Kings in second gear, Cooks looking mvp level.

Ultimate straw clutch by Schueller last night with the standing time out.

How was the crowd and attendance?

7k. Believe it will seat 13k in the current configuration

I am curious to know from Ben or anyone else who attended how the atmosphere was like.

Atmosphere was definitely better at Nissan. But Brisbane has always been the quietest venue.

Hopefully Boondall isn't a library like it has been in the past.

I thought the atmosphere was better at Challenge than at RAC, even with the latter packed out. Bigger buildings just aren't the same.

It sure was although in Brisbane even the much smaller (than Nissan Arena) Convention Centre was known for being notoriously quiet. I'm curious how this will translate in a much larger venue they have no chance of selling out.