Brisbane Bullets coach James Duncan looking forward to ‘clean run’ in NBL23

Not much went right for the Brisbane Bullets this season but the side’s coach is hoping to turn things around in NBL23.

Duncan was an assistant coach at the Sydney Kings last season. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

James Duncan is pining for a clean run at 2022-23 for his Brisbane Bullets.

The first-year coach endured a season where what could go wrong, did go wrong as injuries to key players, Covid interruptions and on-court failings combined to ruin their NBL finals hopes.

With only two key pieces in Jason Cadee and Tyrell Harrison — who, along with star Nathan Sobey missed a large chunk through injury — under contract for next season, Duncan is preparing to re-tool in the hope his team can compete for the title.

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“I would love to get a clean run,” Duncan said after his flu-depleted team took it to top-of-the-table Melbourne United, only to fall short late.

“Not making any excuses, but we’ve just had a plethora of different situations come through our team.

“Losing Sobes, obviously (a) top-three MVP-getter (the) previous year, and Ty, our starting five man, all those things affect us.

“But it’s professional sports, you’ve just got to be able to deal with it and next man steps up.

“But we have one eye on next season and trying to build up what I think will help us compete and try make finals.”

Duncan speaks with Bullets import Robert Franks. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

As they prepare to end their season with another Sunshine Stoush against bogey team Cairns, Cadee says the Bullets want to finish the right way.

“I’ve always been a big believer (in) even if you’re leaving next year or whatever, you want to leave on the right note,” Cadee said.

“You never know what can happen next season, you never know who’s around, what (opportunities are) around.

“As a group, we really get along off the court, so I just want to see everyone out there having fun and playing basketball and hopefully a win to finish the season will be the ultimate goal.

“At the end of the day, this is people’s livelihoods, so one game, whether it means nothing or not people say to a standings point of view, it means a lot to people who are off contract and it means a lot to me as I’m trying to get the Bullets back to a place where we think we can push and compete for titles.

“This year hasn’t worked out that way and, as a collective now, it’s about, as JD said, finishing off on the right note and then how do we get better, how can we be a Melbourne (United), how can we be a Sydney (Kings), on top of the ladder next year and being in that spot where we’re getting ready to play finals.”