Matt McQuade previews the Brisbane Bullets in his next instalment of team by team season previews.

Last season: 17-15, sixth in regular season, lost to Perth first round playoffs
Points: 105ppg, second
Points Against: 102ppg, sixth
Field Goal Percentage: 47%, second
Rebounds: 48rpg, eighth
Assists: 25apg, first
Steals: 6spg, tenth
Blocked Shots: 4bpg, seventh
NBL Titles: Two (1985, 1987)
NBL Playoff Appearances: 19 (last time 2005/06)
Homecourt: Brisbane Convention Centre, capacity 4000
Head Coach: Joey Wright (5th season with Brisbane, career record 65-50)
Projected Starters: CJ Bruton, Ebi Ere, Sam Mackinnon, Dusty Rychart, Mark Bradtke
Bench: Stephen Black (injured), Michael Hill, Dillon Boucher, Brad Williamson, Adam Gibson, Cameron Tragardh, Callum Baynes (development)
Current odds to win Philips Championship: $2.75

Prior to last season, the Brisbane Bullets were the sexy pick to win the Philips Championship after an extraordinary recruiting campaign netted them a pair of future Hall of Famers, added to a squad that had made the semi-finals in 04/05 and looked to be the emergent power in the league.

But it didn’t work out for the Bullets they way they planned, with poor chemistry, injuries, and players not truly understanding their roles all many reasons why the team touted by some to claim the franchise’s third NBL title could finish no better than sixth in the regular season, followed by a tough first round playoff loss at home to the Perth Wildcats.

When heavy expectations aren’t met, some will pay the price, and so it was with the Bullets, as Derek Rucker, Bobby Brannen, Lanard Copeland and Daniel Egan were all shown the door. It was an unfortunate end for Rucker in particular, once a favorite son in Brisbane, and making things worse from a league perspective was the fact one of the best point guards ever to ply his wares in Australia was unable to secure another gig elsewhere. We’ll miss you, D-Ruck.

Once again, Brisbane has been incredibly active in free agency. Former Adelaide standout Dusty Rychart was brought in to replace Brannen, New Zealander Dillon Boucher came on board to be that role player and character guy the roster desperately needed, and Cam Tragardh was picked up to give the bench some size and strength.

But the key signings were the reuniting of a successful backcourt combination in CJ Bruton and Ebi Ere, who helped Sydney to a title in 2004. No question Bruton represents an upgrade on Rucker, while the surprise signing of Ere takes some of the pain away from Stephen Black’s injury concerns that will see him miss the first month of the season following leg surgery.

Clearly, the man on the hot seat is Coach Joey Wright. He’s been given extremely talented rosters to work with the last three years, and last season’s finish, considering what was expected of his team, is unacceptable to the organisation. Wright has a Coach of the Year award on his resume so we know he’s got the ability to get things done, but the pressure is well and truly on. If he can’t win with this group, it’s reasonable to think his days in Brisbane might be numbered.

They won the 2006 Blitz, which will kick this season’s expectation up to an all new level, and with the talent on this squad assembled by Jeff Van Groningen and co, you’d have to believe that nothing short of a Grand Final appearance will do for the Bullets.

CENTRE
He is almost universally recognised as the best big man ever to play in the National Basketball League. He’s been a colossus for Adelaide, Melbourne, and now Brisbane. But Mark Bradtke (15.2ppg, 8.9rpg, 2.1apg, 56.7% FG) is slowing down, and injuries are starting to take their toll on a body that has a hell of a lot of miles on it. Consider his latest problem – a freak back injury suffered when he was making his kids some toast, of all things. It will see him miss some time this season, and that might be a problem for a team that’s one glaring weakness is a lack of quality backup bigs. If Hogey can go, he still provides the group with a dominant post target, a solid rebounder, and all that veteran guile and experience.

FORWARDS
Dusty Rychart (18.8ppg, 9.2rpg, 2.1apg) was an astute pickup for this ballclub. The unassuming power forward isn’t flashy, dunks rarely, yet is as cerebral as they come on the floor and will get you 20 and 10 consistently, which is what Bobby Brannen could never provide. D-Rych will come in and do his job with a minimum of fuss, and he’ll be a solid citizen off the floor. That’s all anyone can ask for.

Slammin’ Sam Mackinnon (13.9ppg, 9.7rpg, 4.4apg, 1.4spg, 1.4bpg, 52.6% FG) had a much-publicised alleged spat with his coach last season, but like the total professional he is didn’t let anything affect his on-court performance. He led the team in rebounds, steals and blocks, was tireless at the defensive end, passed the ball very well and was a monster in transition as usual. He played well as an undersized four for Australia at the Worlds, and if healthy throughout the season will be a focal point for his team.

GUARDS
With Stephen Black (18.5ppg, 6.0apg, 3.5rpg, 42.7% 3PT FG, 82.0% FT) out for at least the first handful of games, Brisbane wasted no time securing a quality replacement in Ebi Ere, last seen in these parts hitting 8 points in about 40 seconds to totally demoralise the West Sydney Razorbacks in a classic Grand Final Game Five. The former Oklahoma Sooner is a tremendous athlete with great perimeter range, and once Black makes his expected return, he can slide to the three spot when Joey Wright wants to play smallball.

CJ Bruton (18.2ppg, 5.7apg, 3.7rpg, 1.7spg, 44.7% 3PT FG) was the prize signing of the offseason, and an unexpected bonus for the Bullets given he was expected to head to Europe after being released by Sydney. Instead, he tried out unsuccessfully with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, and was quickly snapped up by a delighted Bullet front office once he became available. CJ was awesome in the 05/06 regular season before an ankle injury limited him greatly in the playoffs, and he might have a point to prove with a club he has previously spent time with. He won the preseason Blitz Most Valuable Player, and at his best, he’s a tremendous offensive weapon with great handles who is a much better passer than given credit for at times.

BENCH
Losing Daniel Egan and his ability on the offensive glass hurts a little, but the Bullets did a good job acquiring Dillon Boucher, one of the league’s best defenders and a player who does all the difficult stuff on the floor that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. Mick Hill is one of the better sixth men in the NBL, and another guy who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. Brisbane has a couple of good youngsters in point guard Adam Gibson and small forward Brad Williamson, both of whom played very well in the Blitz and might start one day, and Cameron Tragardh will try to get his career started after going nowhere fast in Townsville.

X FACTOR
In last year’s preview, I said injuries were Brisbane’s X factor, and the same is true again, what with the uncertainty surrounding Stephen Black and the freak back problem suffered by Mark Bradtke. But you can add chemistry as well – the Bullets have been searching for the right formula for a while now, and if they finally have it right, this is a unit capable of dominating the league. However, as we all know, when it comes to Brisbane, talk is cheap.

PROGNOSIS
My ‘Fearless Predictions’ article a while back stirred up Bullet fans no end, when I said I didn’t believe they would be a league powerhouse this season. Well, last season I, along with many others, also said this team was a can’t miss prospect, and did we all get burnt in the end. So, until they prove otherwise, and despite their highly impressive win in the Blitz, I still feel there are question marks over this group, particularly if they lose Bradtke for an appreciable length of time. And Joey Wright has got to demonstrate he can get this incredibly talented group all on the same page, and play consistent defence for that matter – too many teams scored against the Bullets with impunity last season. In the final analysis, there’s too much talent, experience, and offensive firepower on this ballclub to suggest they’ll finish anywhere lower than the top four, but are they championship calibre? Given their recent history, that’s debatable.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not neccessarily reflect those of the NBL