Duncan puts heat on Patterson, Bullets

The Brisbane Bullets need to greatly improve their defence and need star import Lamar Patterson to “be better” if they’re going to make noise in NBL22.

That’s the message from new head coach James Duncan as the Bullets begin on-court preparations for the 2021-22 season.

Speaking on The Huddle Podcast late last week, the former Sydney Kings assistant outlined the keys to success for his new club, beginning with a greater emphasis on the defensive end of the floor.

“For the past two years Brisbane has been my scout so I kind of understood what they were trying to do,” Duncan explained.

“They were very good offensively and, at times, okay defensively. So, for me, this is the message that I've been putting forward to the organisation and to the playing group: if y'all want to play, you better play defence.”

The Bullets missed the finals for a second-straight year last season after finishing sixth with an 18-18 record.

Led by three-time championship-winning coach Andrej Lemanis, Brisbane were the second-highest scoring team in NBL21, averaging 89.0 points per game, and ranked fourth in the league for offensive efficiency.

Their defence, however, was nowhere near as effective. The Bullets gave up a league-worst 90.9 points per game, ranking second-last for defensive efficiency.

Duncan is looking to address those issues right out of the gate.

“If we want teams to take us seriously we have to defend,” the Bullets coach added.

“We have to have an edge to us. We have to be physical. And to finish off the defence, we’ve got to rebound. Then we can run and push the offence which is what guys want to do anyway.”

Another key for Brisbane this season will be the play of Patterson, who re-signed with the club in late July on a new one-year deal.

The former NBA player earned All-NBL First Team honours in each of his first two seasons in Brisbane and hopes are high that he can return to that level in NBL22.

“Sam (Mackinnon), myself and the coaching staff challenged ‘LP’ to be better,” Duncan explained.

“(We told him): ‘we know your skill set. Everybody knows your skill set and what you can do and not many players have that. So now it's on you to take it upon yourself to do something about it.’

“He's been here in Brisbane the whole winter getting himself ready for the new season. Getting himself fit.

“Our high performance team has been working with him and I'm super excited about what I think he's going to bring to us. He's definitely motivated, I can tell you that. Very motivated.”

The Bullets will again be led by star guard Nathan Sobey this year, with the Olympic bronze medallist looking to build on a career-best season that saw him finish third in MVP voting and gain selection into the All-NBL First Team.

And with buzz around import recruit Robert Franks as well as NBA prospect Tom Digbeu and Chinese big man Chuanxing Liu, there’s plenty for Bullets fans to get excited about.

For Duncan, a coach known for his work in player development, the key measure for his team’s success will be their commitment to ongoing improvement.

“Are we getting better each and every day?” he said.

“Are we getting better on and off the court? Are we getting better in the weight room? Are we getting better defensively? This is what I'm going to hammer home over and over again: if we're consistent there, I feel like we'll have success.

“I don't know how much success because I'm sure every other team is saying the exact same thing, but if we're consistent there and everyone is buying in, we're going to be alright.

“I'm just excited for it, man. Let's get it rolling.”

For the full conversation between James Duncan and NBL Media’s Liam Santamaria on The Huddle, click on the video link below.

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