Defence-first mentality as Bullets look to fire

Brisbane coach Justin Schueller has backed his team to become a “top two defensive team” in NBL25, piling praise on his new-look roster.

The Bullets just missed Finals last season, but have undergone significant changes to their squad in the off-season.

They’ll go in younger and less experienced, with a duo of new imports ready to shine.

Schueller praised the addition of his new imports James Batemon and Keandre Cook, highlighting their impacts on both ends of the court.

“We brought James Batemon in as our starting guard … with him and Norto (Mitch Norton), we’ve got the best two point guards we feel, that can really go out there and have an impact. So not just at the offensive end, but the defensive end as well,” Schueller said.

The second-year coach also discussed Cook’s defensive prowess, stating “some games you’ll see him be just a key defender, and we know he is gonna bring whatever it takes to, to get the result on any given night.

“He’s just a total basketball player and what we love is his impact on both ends.”

That ability to stop opposition scoring was key in the Bullets’ roster build.

“We recruit with a mindset to try and be a top two defensive team in the league,” Schueller added.

“So the guys we brought in definitely had to tick that box and it’s early stages for us, but that’s something that we are going to constantly be about our identity at that defensive end.”

The Bullets got their pre-season campaign underway with a scrimmage against the Shanghai Sharks on Wednesday evening, with both Cook and Batemon influential. Big man Tyrell Harrison was the star on the night.

Brisbane will play Shanghai again on Friday night at Nissan Arena, with tip-off from 6.30pm AEST.