Mackinnon Comfortably Slotting Into Coaching Role

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Brisbane interim coach Sam Mackinnon may be the key to the Bullets turning their season around, after positively influencing the team in his three games in the lead chair.

Mackinnon was an assistant coach with the Bullets from 2017-2020, before being taking over as general manager of Basketball. He is now back on the coaching staff, taking over from James Duncan who the team parted ways with just over a week ago.

A club legend after leading Brisbane to a championship in 2007 as a player, Mackinnon’s leadership has seen an instant uprise in effort and energy from the Bullets.

Despite their loss to the Tasmania JackJumpers on Sunday, Mackinnon is seeing positive changes in the team.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It was a high-tempo affair at Nissan Arena, but the <a href="https://twitter.com/JackJumpers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackJumpers</a> proved too strong with a huge last quarter.<br><br>Milton Doyle's 33 points have earned him the Foot Locker Player of the Game honours. <a href="https://t.co/VFY3MkfSUI">pic.twitter.com/VFY3MkfSUI</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1599296806415835136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It’s been a tough nine days for everyone, new coach, it was our third game, I loved the way we played, everyone had a next man up mentality, everyone competed,” Mackinnon said.

“We’ve had two training sessions, and we had a walk through yesterday with a venue full of noise. We’re trying to manage how many bodies we have available; the guys are trying to adapt to what I want them to do, and in the 37 minutes tonight we were fantastic.

“I was wrapped, I said it after the game I was very proud of them, the scoreboard is what it is. I’ve said from day one this is a group that’s a really good bunch of human beings, I think right now you’re seeing everyone come together and do their best for the club and themselves.

“When I got out of basketball I missed the mateship and the friendship and being back involved in an assistant coach role allowed me to do that.”

Centre Gorjok Gak added the team trusts Mackinnon and is looking forward to leaning into his style of play.

“Sam is an accomplished player, we all trust him and trust that we’re just trying to buy in to what he’s trying to tell us to do at the moment and just play a little bit faster,” Gak said.

With twin towers Aron Baynes and Tyrell Harrison out with injury, Mackinnon has turned to Gak, who has impressed in increased minutes.

“Gak hasn’t played prior to me coming in and with injuries and opportunities he has a game like he has on (Sunday) so there’s some positives out of it,” Mackinnon said.

“When we recruited him (Gak) I did want him here earlier to get his body right, because athletically in length he’s elite in our league and I think we saw tonight what it can be. Once he really goes after it, he’s next level, I was really happy for Gorjok to have that breakout game.”

Gak was happy with his performance on Sunday and could be a difference maker for the Bullets this season.

“I thought I came out and played with energy, I got passes from our great guards, just disappointed we didn’t get the win today,” he said.

Brisbane next play Melbourne United at 8:00pm AEDT on Saturday.