Brisbane Bullets rookie Will Magnay out to prove his worth

Will Magnay’s performances in the QBL state league have already made an impact and now the 21-year-old wants to prove he can do the same for Brisbane.

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He has already caught the eye of some US talent scouts who are in Australia to follow the progress of NBA-bound duo LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton.

But Brisbane young gun Will Magnay’s first order of business is repaying the faith that the Bullets have shown in him.

Brisbane did not go into the player market looking to replace former Chicago Bulls and Australian Boomers power forward Cam Bairstow because they already had the 208cm-tall, 106kg Magnay on their books.

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Magnay looks set sfor a big season with the Bullets. Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

The 21-year-old went to school at Brisbane’s Nudgee College before attending the AIS and the University of Tulsa. He headed home in 2017 and played 16 NBL games across the past two seasons, with injury and illness limiting his opportunities with the Bullets.

The boy became a man over winter with Magnay hitting the gym, staying healthy and tearing apart the QBL state league with the Sam Mackinnon-coached Brisbane Capitals, who convincingly claimed the title.

The power forward/centre carried that barnstorming form through to the Bullets’ pre-season campaign including the NBL Blitz in Tasmania where he showcased his slam-dunking and shot-blocking abilities along with a sneak peek at his three-point range to impress NBA scouts.

Magnay did not play against Illawarra last Sunday due to an ankle injury but is set to hit the court against Cairns on Friday night when the Bullets play their first home game at Nathan’s QSNC.

The Brisbanke rookie has a bright future. Photo: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Magnay is relishing his beefed-up role in Brisbane’s front court alongside fellow tall timber Matt Hodgson and Tyrell Harrison, with the Bullets boasting a smaller, more versatile, roster around their big men in the middle.

“I had a good off-season and put in a good body of work and the game experience and skill came with it so I’m rolling in confident because everyone is confident in me,’’ Magnay said.

“Drej (coach Andrej Lemanis) and the coaching staff put trust in me to have a good off-season. They needed me to do the work.

“I’ve got a much bigger role than last year and I’m feeling good about it.

“Sam (Mackinnon, the Capitals coach and Bullets assistant coach) gave me a lot of confidence during the QBL season. He gave me a licence to try some new things to build my game.’’

Magnay said Brisbane set a standard last season by making the play-offs and would be “coming out firing” to improve on their semi-final exit.