NBL news 2024: Josh Bannan set to return from injury as Brisbane Bullets close in on Matt Johns signing
Injured last month during a stint with the national team, Josh Bannan has watched on as his Brisbane has revived its season. His return is locked in as the Bullets close in on a new signing.
Resurgent Brisbane “ran out of legs” after four NBL games in nine days.
But they’ll reload to do it all again with another four-game run over the festive season, this time with the return of one of their best players locked in and a new signing in the works.
Amid news reserve forward Jared Bairstow will have ankle surgery and miss the remainder of NBL25, Code Sports understands Brisbane are likely to sign former Bullet Matthew Johns as a replacement.
Johns, 25, spent the past two seasons in Brisbane as a development player. As a disciple of coach Justin Schueller from his years in Geelong and on junior national teams, Johns knows both the club and system well.
While Johns isn’t locked in yet, It’s understood Bullets basketball boss Stu Lash has jetted in from the states, with Bairstow’s replacement among his top priorities.
The Bullets begin the second of back-to-back four-in-nine-day slates, beginning Friday with a Sunshine Stoush against northern rival Cairns. Young Boomer Josh Bannan is confirmed to return to action for the first time since mid-November.
The versatile forward hasn’t played an NBL game since he injured his ankle while on national team duties but the Bullets have found a way to turn around their season in his absence with three wins on the trot, led by rejuvenated veteran Casey Prather.
With Prather, fellow imports James Batemon and Keandre Cook and man-mountain Tyrell Harrison all feasting offensively in the starting line-up, Schueller said it was likely Bannan would be eased back in off the bench.
“Banno will be good to go,” Schueller told Code Sports.
“We haven’t really dug our heels into it (Bannan coming off the bench) yet, but it’s where my gut goes, initially.
“He gives us some really good versatility coming in, he can play the four or the five, gets his minutes with Tohi (Smith-Milner) and allows us to keep having the shooting on the floor that we’ve got right now.
“It will be a different role but one that he can still be as impactful.”
It’s an area Bannan’s aggressiveness and skill at his size can help the Bullets improve, given they are third-last in bench scoring at just 22.5 per game.
While Bannan hurt himself during FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, Schueller remains a staunch advocate for his players being encouraged to represent the national team.
“I’ll always view it as a positive, injuries can happen in our practice environment as well, it is what it is,” said Schueller, who lost wing Deng Adel to a broken hand during a training session.
Schueller said Adel was eyeing a return against the Kings on January 4.
Without the injured trio, the Bullets managed to roar back into play-in calculations with three straight wins, before the depleted outfit gave up a nine-point fourth-quarter lead to Sydney.
“Ran out of legs, mate, ran out of legs,” Schueller said.
“Four in nine days was always going to catch up to us at some point but, yeah, that said, we felt like we were the better team for large stretches on the day and that gives us a positivity for once we get everyone back.”
Schueller said the nature of the NBL season had teams playing snakes and ladders on the table and he believes 14 wins might be enough to sneak into the top-6.
“It’s pretty crazy, we’re dead on seven wins at the midway point for us and we’ve got seven wins so if we can do what we did through this little period and keep improving on that, then it gives us a shot,” he said.
“To have the adversity part we’ve dealt with has put us in a good position for a late charge at this thing, so we’ll keep plugging away.”
The tough stretch begins against at home against a desperate Cairns, staring down the barrel of 13 straight losses.
FOUR GAMES IN NINE DAYS FOR THE BULLETS
FRI, DEC 20, 6.30pm v Cairns
TUES, DEC 24, 4.30pm @ Adelaide
FRI, DEC 27, 6.30pm v Illawarra
SUN, DEC 29, 1.30pm @ Tasmania
*All times AEST
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