The newest candidate for Best Defensive Player?

The Bullets were thrown a pair of difficult curveballs in Round 15, but rather than falter and fall, Brisbane emerged with two victories to complete its first four-game win streak in four years.

Nathan Sobey was absent from the side with a foot injury for the Bullets’ three-point win over Tasmania, before power forward pair Josh Bannan and Casey Prather missed their Sunday hoops win over Illawarra due to illness.

On both occasions Sam McDaniel stepped up in a big way for Justin Schueller’s side. Against the Hawks he once again shifted up from his traditional wing position to defend former NBA forward and All-NBL team candidate Gary Clark to great effect.

Schueller praised McDaniel’s – and the wider Bullets’ – ability to face up to the adversity that has faced them in their current winning run.

“We’ve been thrown some challenges this week, this is our third game in eight days against three really good opponents,” Schueller said.

“Sobes misses the other night so there’s a challenge there, boys get to the arena today and look like they’re walking on death so we send them home and it’s a last second change.

“All week for this one Sam Mac has been prepping for his usual matchup with Harvey and he goes to Clark. I want to say, he’s outstanding for us defensively. For us to be able to throw those challenges to him – Harvey gets off in the first half, we switch that and put him on there – he’s doing a heck of a job.

“Straight away it went to Sammy Mac, he’s had to play the four for us a few times when ‘Banno’ (Josh Bannan) was out previously, so that’s where we started but as I started thinking about things ‘Baynesy’ can stretch the floor and is there something in that for us, we might as well find out now, and that’s where my head went.

“We hadn’t practiced a second with it so it’s pleasing for us that if we go back, review it and believe in it, then we’ll find a way to be way better at it.”

“It gives us a lot of confidence knowing if there’s a guy who’s feeling hot we can throw him at them,” Mitch Norton added.

“He deserves to be in the running for Best Defensive Player.”

Bullets legend and NBL analyst Derek Rucker echoed Norton’s statement that McDaniel’s name should be raised when discussing the competition’s Best Defensive Player and believes the former Melbourne and Tasmania wing’s versatility gives his game an added dimension.

“Let’s talk about him for Defensive Player of the Year. I think it’s Will Magnay, but Sam McDaniel has a case to be made,” Rucker said on Moments That Matter.

“He is so versatile defensively, there are not many guys who can guard point guard, two guard – he can guard all the way up to a four. When he’s on defensively it’s huge for that Bullets lineup.

“His individual defensive rating is at about league average, but the eye test says what he does impact wise on the defensive side of the Brisbane Bullets is significant.

“I’m not sure there’s another perimeter guys out there – Jaylin Galloway perhaps – I think we’ve got to start talking about Sam McDaniel legitimately.”

The Bullets will look to extend their current four-game winning run when they take on Perth on Friday night at 9:30pm AEDT.