9 notes from 5 press conferences
Brisbane guard Raul Neto hasn't played in two to three months and trained alone, but says travel and the time difference may hit his body more than his game: "I've had enough experience in my career to not need so much practice and not need so much game to be able to perform."
Tyrell Harrison is out with an ankle injury and day by day, Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver said. Arnas Velicka is out; he, Jacob Holt, Sam McDaniel and Taine Murray are in return-to-play. New signing Raul Neto is being tested and Weaver wouldn't commit to a debut.
Nate Hinton is now the Brisbane Bullets' primary ball handler, a role coach Will Weaver said he wasn't recruited for: "and here he is." Max Mackinnon was involved in 35 pick and rolls in a recent game, also a bigger role with the ball than the club signed him for.
Tyrell Harrison and Jacob Holt both have ankle injuries. Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver: "I'm concerned about their ankles, and no, I don't have any updates." Asked if he can cover centre if both miss time, he called it "a hypothetical I'm not going to talk about."
Mitch Norton started at point guard in his 400th NBL game, a Brisbane Bullets win, and says he'll retire the day he stops getting up for games: "The day that's not there is probably the day you need to hang them up. It's the best job in the world."
Brisbane's Arnas Velicka sat out. Mitch Norton: "there's not one person that's going to step up and fill his shoes. It needs to be a group job." Will Weaver said Sam McDaniel and Taine Murray missed earlier games, and players manned spots "they've never played before."
"I'm rocking with Max Mackinnon every day of the week to let it rip." Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver backed the rookie to keep shooting after a reported 3-of-16 game against Cairns. What Mackinnon has to learn, Weaver said, is drawing fouls on his shots.
No return date for Sam McDaniel, who missed Brisbane's game against Cairns. Will Weaver said a broken pinky cost him conditioning and makes ramping up harder, but "the plan that we've got in place is going to return him to career best fitness during this season."
"Really disappointed to see another time a player slipped on a sticker... it's really concerning to me about our players' health and safety." Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver says the club has voiced that concern. Three games in, he said of both sides: "Nobody's healthy."