NBL23: Brisbane Bullets marquee Aron Baynes in doubt for NBL trial debut
Brisbane Bullets marquee Aron Baynes’s anticipated NBL debut is set to be delayed following an injury setback.
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Brisbane Bullets marquee signing Aron Baynes is in doubt to make his NBL debut in this weekend’s trials due to an ankle injury.
The Bullets are closely monitoring Baynes after the veteran NBA and Boomers big man rolled his ankle at training.
He won’t play in Brisbane’s opening pre-season clash against Melbourne United in Ballarat on Thursday.
Baynes is also uncertain to play in the Bullets’ return clash against United in Cranbourne East on Saturday night.
Brisbane officials remain optimistic that the injury isn’t long-term.
The club wants to take the cautious approach, with the team’s opening NBL game against the Perth Wildcats just four weeks away.
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The pre-season NBL Blitz is also on next week in Darwin, so the Bullets want to give their star signing as much time to recover from his ankle as possible.
Baynes, who has a wealth of experience with 576 NBA games to his name, is expected to make a significant impact in the NBL this season.
He is already helping the Bullets become a better team through his professionalism and diligence at training.
The road has brought me back to home soil 💪🻠pic.twitter.com/r76s7kyPal
— Aron Baynes (@aronbaynes) August 3, 2022
Brisbane players have also internally praised Baynes for his honesty when it comes to driving high standards.
The Bullets believe ex-NBA big man who won a champion with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 can help the franchise’s climb up the ladder after finishing eighth last season.
The NBL pre-season officially ramps up this week, with seven games scheduled across the country.
The Tasmania JackJumpers will tip-off a busy week of hoops when they host the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Tuesday night.
BULLETS COMPLETE ROSTER WITH NBA SHARPSHOOTER
The Brisbane Bullets were forced to sign their plan B import after discussions with veteran NBA forward James Johnson broke down due to timing.
The Bullets announced former Perth and South East Melbourne wing Devondrick Walker as the club’s final import on Monday, but Johnson was their prime target.
Brisbane’s ownership group were keen on securing the 35-year-old, who has played 771 NBA games and has previously played with Bullets import guard Tyler Johnson at the Miami Heat.
The Bullets held serious discussions with Johnson, but talks stalled when the forward indicated was still in the mix to return to the NBA.
Brisbane officials couldn’t afford to wait with their 2022/2023 NBL season to tip-off against the Perth Wildcats on October 2.
It’s why the Bullets moved quickly to sign Walker to a one-year deal.
The American had a standout season in the NBL1 West this season, named NBL1 West MVP and selected in the All Star Five after leading the league in points scored, averaging 27 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
The sharpshooter also led the Rockingham Flames to the NBL1 West Championship, claiming the NBL1 West Grand Final MVP with 26 points (53% from the field) and four steals.
Walker, a 196cm wing, has featured in the NBL previously.
He signed with the Wildcats for the 2017-18 season before a foot injury prevented him from making his NBL debut.
In 2019/20, Walker joined the Phoenix midway through the season averaging 7.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Walker has also spent four seasons in the NBA G-League, named Most Improved Player in the 2016-2017 season, before plying his trade in Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Latvia.
He also competed at NBA Summer League with the Utah Jazz in 2017 and Philadelphia 76ers in 2018.
Brisbane General Manager of Basketball, Sam Mackinnon, pinpointed Walker’s NBL experience as a key to his signing.
“He understands the league and his shooting will help space the floor for us to be more effective,” Mackinnon said.
Bullets coach James Duncan rates Walker as a potential difference maker for a Brisbane side desperate to climb up the ladder.
“Devondrick’s length, athleticism and ability to stretch the floor are key attributes that will help our squad,” Duncan said.
“We’re eager to have him join the group and start building chemistry ahead of the season.”
Walker believes he can make the Bullets a better team.
“I’m definitely excited for the opportunity and looking forward to getting a fresh start with a hungry group of guys,” Walker said.
“Outside of my athletic ability, that led me to this moment. Bullets fans can expect a positive mindset, winning mentality, and constant desire to get better.”
Aron Baynes ☑ï¸
— Corey “Homicide†Williams (@chomicide) September 2, 2022
Tyler Johnson ☑ï¸
Nathan Sobey ☑ï¸
If the @BrisbaneBullets pull off the unthinkable by signing James Johnson, the club would not only be resurrected, THEY ARE WINNING NBL23. 💯
I’ll be on that train too 🚂 💨 #Nbl23pic.twitter.com/0XjDAIi6td
Walker joins a star-studded Brisbane roster, including Aron Baynes, Tyler Johnson, Nathan Sobey, Jason Cadee, and Tyrrell Harrison.
NBL commentator Corey Homicide Williams had declared the Bullets as title favourites if they managed to sign Johnson.
“If the Brisbane Bullets are able to pull off James Johnson joining Nathan Sobey, Aron Baynes, and Tyler Johnson,” Williams said.
“There is no way in hell that they aren’t winning the championship.
“That would be an incredible (side). Three NBA players. All of a sudden Brisbane comes back alive because you know they’ve been dead.
“If Johnson happens, I’m on the Brisbane Bullets train. I’m telling you straight up.”
NBA master helping Kings reach NBL’s Holy Grail
The difficulty of defending a championship is summed up when NBA super coach Gregg Popovich just laughs, more out of helplessness than anything, when asked about backing up a title.
Popovich is one of the NBA’s most successful coaches, having won five championships with the San Antonio Spurs.
For all ‘Pop’s’ success, he is yet to claim consecutive championships.
In fact, his Spurs never made it back to the NBA Finals after winning the title the previous season.
It’s a reality that Popovich was reminded of recently when talking to Sydney Kings coach Chase Buford at the NBL mentor’s wedding.
Buford, the son the legendary Spurs GM R.C. Buford, took time away from his special day to joke with ‘Pop’ about the challenges of winning back-to-back championships.
“It’s funny, I was with Pop at my wedding a few weeks ago and I said to him, ‘I think I understand why you guys never repeated’,” Buford told News Corp.
“We just had a laugh about it because he understands how hard it is.
“Everyone is kissing your arse and telling you how great you are, and you can fall into the trap of believing it all.”
Buford knows Sydney will go from the hunters to the hunted this season, but he still wanted his team to enjoy the spoils of success.
It’s why he organised a fortnight of social events for his players and staff after winning the Kings’ first NBL championship in 17 years.
Sydney’s imports, barring big man Jarell Martin who had to leave for the birth of a child, stayed around to lap up the historic title with teammates.
Buford believes the bonding helped the Kings become an even tighter unit.
“Makur Maker even put off his NBA Draft preparation just to be around his teammates for another week,” he said.
“I mean, if you aren’t enjoying what you accomplish, then why are you doing it?
“That was one of the cool things about our group last year. We had two weeks after the season where our imports stayed around, and we just hung out together.
“We went to a Swans game; we went to Coogee and spent the day at the bar hanging out as a team and organisation.
“We tried to do fun things that you probably don’t do if you don’t win the title.”
The partying, at least temporarily, has now stopped for Sydney as they focus on repeating their championship triumph in NBL23.
Buford and his coaching staff arrived at the Kings’ training base in Auburn in mid-July with a one thought in mind: how do we climb the mountain again when it’s going to be even higher?
According to the Sydney mentor, simplicity will be the key to success.
“We have to live our life in this beautiful world of simple habits that are repeated,” he said.
“We run similar drills and we’re probably more monotonously consistent with our defence than anyone in the league.
“If we do that, then we will live with the result at the other end.”
#NBL23 pre-season week ✌ï¸#WeTheKingspic.twitter.com/1p475Gin0g
— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) August 29, 2022
Buford also feels blessed to have more familiarity in his second season with Sydney.
Whereas last season he found himself constantly having to coach and teach, with little time to focus on building bigger plans.
“But now it is great to have half the team understand your terminology,” he said.
“Xavier (Cooks) is out there, and he is like a coach on the floor and I’m thinking, ‘this is great’.
“I’m excited in that respect, but I know we’ll have a target on our back this season and everyone is going to be gunning for us.
“That is going to be a fun challenge as well.
History has proven that winning consecutive NBL championships isn’t easy.
Only four teams have won back-to-back titles since the league’s inception in 1979.
Adelaide (98-99), Kings (2003, 04 and 05), New Zealand Breakers (11, 12, 13) and Perth twice in 2016/17 and 2019/20.
Buford is expecting the NBL season to be even closer this year after the league introduced an expanded six-team finals format.
He points out that teams like Adelaide and Brisbane have loaded up with talent in a bid to knock the Kings off their championship perch.
The NBL’s soft salary cap, which is set up to send money to the lower clubs if the higher clubs spend over the gap, will also play a significant role in deciding NBL23 according to Buford.
“Yes, there are teams that operate in bigger markets, but because of the salary ceiling, we all operate in a world that is similar,” he reasoned.
“It may not be the same, but it’s similar.
“So, if you are going to spent X amount of dollars, but spending X plus 10 per cent gets you closer to the other guys, you do it.
“People get tired of losing, and I think we’ve seen that from a lot of teams. “They will spend as much as they can to compete.
“I know last year wasn’t our biggest spending year in recent history. I think the Kings have spent much more in previous seasons and it has worked out for us.
“Now this season, Dejan Vasiljevic and Cooks had to be given more money, so we are in a different world this season.”
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