Finals a must for success-starved Bullets

Brisbane coach Justin Schueller says anything but a Finals berth would be a failure for his team in NBL25.

The Bullets haven’t played in the post-season since the 2018-19 season, and after falling agonisingly short last year, are setting their standards high.

“While every year the goal is a championship — we shouldn’t be in it if that’s not it — to me, we need to make playoffs for our city, our city deserves it,” Schueller told Code Sports.

It was an off-season of change at Brisbane, highlighted by the departures of key stars Nathan Sobey and Aron Baynes, and significant moves off the court, with a new training and administration facility and a return to their old home at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre for games. 

Early wins in the pre-season have provided confidence on the court, with some new and familiar faces giving the club plenty of hope.

“We’ve added some imports and Australian talent that we know will impact this league and we’ve got a number of returning players who will improve internally,” Schueller added. 

Guards James Batemon and Keandre Cook have shown they can have an impact, while Tyrell Harrison and Rocco Zikarsky will be hugely important at the rim, alongside a player already familiar to NBL fans, Deng Adel.

“You put all that together, plus adding pieces to our staff and we feel really good about it,” Schueller said.

The Bullets will take on New Zealand in their season-opener on Saturday night at HoopsFest in Perth.