They're only there for the TV deal to be in place. 3rd biggest market needs an NBL representation. If this was a regional team then there would be pressure to get rid of them, but being Brisbane and owned by the league, they are there mainly for TV and sponsors despite no one really caring much in Brisbane.

Clearly need to change their name to Brisbane City FC

Brisbane will survive as long as LK wants them to.

As for crowds, it is traditionally a low-crowd city, even when they blitzed the league in 06/07 with one of the best rosters in league history they would get crowds of around the 3000-mark to weekend games, so 2200 on a Thursdays with a team that's been mediocre in their two years back isn't all that surprising.

How to improve that? Well generating new members is a massive one, for which community work, media exposure, social media reach and on-court success all help. It takes time, but they need to start making some progress this year, they have a team that has shown they can play exciting basketball and Patterson should hopefully help that.

The place used to get 10,000 people to games.

30 years ago!

paul - I think the point is that the Bullets were once capable of pulling NBL record crowd numbers but now they're very far from that. Given the league has shown significant growth in crowd numbers, why isn't Brisbane recovering to historical crowd numbers, let alone approaching the record crowds it pulled in the early 1990s?

More specifically, Melbourne and Sydney crowds have both grown appreciably over the last few years. Sydney have managed that while challenging Brisbane for worst team in the NBL over the last 2 years. Why aren't Bullets crowds growing or, more scarily, are they shrinking?

As I said, even with a very successful team in relatively recent history they struggled to get crowds. Now, after eight years out and two poor years back, it's unrealistic to think they would suddenly attract the numbers.

What a dog of a crowd.

I doubt there were actually 2200 bums on seats last night. Tickets sold including memberships more likely.

The major problem is that the NBL persists with 6:50pm tip-offs. Basketball shouldn't be played at all on a Thursday night in Brisbane, but if they wish to continue with this at the peril of the team, be fair and allow for at least a 7:30pm start on weeknights. I'm sure southern viewers won't mind.

Fighting through traffic to get to the venue is horrible on any weeknight, and moving the time back gives the team a better opportunity to attract patronage. Many people are turned off currently by the traffic woes presented.

I know many family groups that are planning to go to the Saturday/Sunday games coming up, but no thoughts given to any other day.

Another reason for lowly crowd numbers is that the team simply isn't exciting. No marquee players as such that have people wanting to go and watch a game in person. Pair that with dual wooden spoons and they have a battle to turn things around, which I really hope they do.

The city never wanted the Bullets back, they were forced on to them again. They'll be gone soon, Huskie's are stuffed,and LK will just walk away. It's coming, don't be shocked when it happens.

Really, what you want to see is progress. United's crowds have grown every season, at maybe 10% a year or something like that, and that dates back to the last 2 or 3 seasons as the Tigers.

It has happened gradually rather than overnight, but after 6 or 7 years of growth, here we are with a Monday night crowd of 6,478 this week and weekend games substantially more than that.

So- what was the Bullets average crowd in 16/17, and then 17/18- is in increasing?

The factors Paul mentioned will help- community work, media exposure, social media reach and on-court success.

And I'd add straight up marketing/advertising. Get in people's faces- put your name out there, in places that people read/visit/look. The place to start is basketball stadiums, but obviously it needs to go much wider and more mainstream than that

Wonder if Lemanis is the wrong choice of coach? If the city needs a middling but exciting team sooner rather than later, then you probably don't want a Boomers B-C team and going light on imports because you want to build long term.

If the only way to get the NBL on FTA TV is to have a team in every capital city, then maybe the league financing one of those teams might just be what they have to do. They don't need regional teams to be relevant on the national stage, but they sure need the capital city teams.
The AFL did that with the Sydney Swans - they moved Sth Melb to Syndey so they could play in Australias biggest city even with empty stands. It took time and a lot of money, but they were in for the long haul and knew had to have a team in Sydney and eventually Brisbane to get the TV deal they now have.

Was writing an essay to post. When I git bored writing it, I figured no-else deserves that!

Point is no continuity. Brisbane and Gold Coast, read:- S.E.Queensland has failed severally in the NBL. Sad but true. I think that apart from die-hards, most fans may be very cautious before they commit to "another" attempt.

Results/performance in first 2 seasons has not helped. Hoping that the inclusion of Lamar Patterson helps with continued good results, now at 3 great wins and 2 ordinary losses, this season.

I will dispute a previous comment that 'the team was forced on the city'.

Certainly not the case. Interest levels re basketball in SEQ have increased significantly in alignment wuth participation rates that have blown out across most (if not all) associations. Subsequent interest in having an NBL team return was great.

It's just that the product being offered so far has not been good. Not rubbishing who is managing the club, it's just a fact sadly.

Shut up Ben!

I know there's been talk of Joey Wright looking for an NBA gig next season but I wouldn't be surprised if he applies for the Bullets job again and this time gets it.

How long is Joey tied up to Adelaide?

Would like to see him back, which means Joe could return also.

I think their ticketing and management has improve this season plus advertising has definitely stepped up. More community engagement would be helpful as although they represent Brisbane they don't fully feel entrenched yet. Like most markets Brisbane is heavily results based too, things are starting to look better on that front with 50% games won this season. Next home game is a Sunday and that will be a better indicator of what the team can draw crowds wise as opposed to Thursdays at 6:40pm.

He's got another 3 years to go after this season but enough hints have been dropped he's likely not staying on after the season.