Baynes “Finding His Legs” for Desperate Bullets

Brisbane Bullets star centre Aron Baynes is “finding his legs” after his best game of the season in Monday night’s victory over the Illawarra Hawks.

Baynes was an imposing force on Monday with 17 points and 14 rebounds, as he continues to build back from a career threatening spinal cord injury at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I think he’s just finding his legs a little bit more,” Bullets coach James Duncan said of Baynes. 

“The guys made an asserted effort to try to get him the ball in areas where he can be super effective.

"I know that patience is not something that the world really has at times and guys are coming back from serious injuries and it takes time for them to find a rhythm.

"He is getting his legs and the more we progress they're just going to get better and better."

Baynes said he is “happy to be playing basketball” and added the team was finally able to put together a 40-minute effort in the 82-56 win.

"We were able to put a few more minutes together - that was the biggest thing for us," Baynes said.

“We have been too hit and miss with our defence and that hurts our offence. The internal focus is about trying to put more minutes together.

"If we can keep doing that, we can hopefully start ticking that win column over a few more times."

Desperation was in high order for the Bullets in the victory, as they ignited a flame and put their bodies on the line to secure their first win of the season.

Duncan commended his team on their efforts and the result that reflected, as they avoided what would have been a disastrous 0-6 start to the season.

“Tonight was just a different story,” Duncan said.

“We really tried to focus in on what we needed to do to get this W.

“That’s what you need, diving on the floor and making that effort.”

Bullets guard Nathan Sobey stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Despite the 0-5 recording entering the game, Sobey explained the team maintained a positive attitude and never stopped looking ahead.

“I think the coaches have a done a great job of just trying to show us good stuff as well during those bad times,” Sobey said.

“The group’s been pretty well level-headed with everything that’s been going on with the zero and five start.

“In the past, we might have dropped our heads and went a different way about it but I think the group stayed together. 

“We had guys diving on the floor just giving everything they had.

“We’ve got to bring our best every night and the first five games, we just had a few lapses and it hurt us. That just goes to show how strong the competition is, so we were able to do it more consistently over the game tonight and ultimately got a win.”

The Bullets will play the Hawks again on Thursday night at 7:30pm AEDT at Nissan Arena.