Wow, uphill battle for Brisbane then. I would have thought their best game plan would have been to get Pardon in foul trouble and force the Breakers to play Timmins (Loe under a injury cloud, such a shame as he started the season so strongly).

They have the offensive power on the perimeter to cover for not having their big men, but it will be hard for them to stop Pardon and Brantley ripping them a new one. They need one of those rare Harry Froling blinders.

Good old Brisbane, never let you down, promise so much but deliver so little. I'd say Sobey will be happy as it’ll be Sobey ball. Harry has been quite good and will get good minutes at the 5 you would think. In all that I don’t see Sobey getting 40 to be able to win it for Brisbane.
Breakers have been fantastic, had a tough schedule and done very well, Maor just has to make sure they got their minds on the job this should be a comfortable win. Leafa on Sobey could be a highlight.
Hopefully NZ by plenty, and Brisbane get what they deserve for being a rabble. Coach sacking is always an easy out.

This has the potential to be very ugly. Expect breakers to pound it inside and get the under size Brisbane lads in trouble. Think that is a given. Unfortunately for Brisbane lacking any real interior threat, the breakers will apply a blow torch to the guards and we will see with a whole heap of highlights from transition action. Breakers 20+ unless Mody decides to rest a few of his stars

I think the Buzz get up tbh. Gut feel.

Wife just pointed out refs may try to keep it close

Anything less than a 15 point Breakers victory would be unexpected.

NZ coming back from Cairns, they should still win but will be doing well to blow it out. If Brisbane can get some speed on the game they're a chance, and they have the line-up to do that.

Don't teams usually do well in the honeymoon period after a coach is sacked? Also, some Bullets may be playing for their minutes and positions and will work harder. That would suggest that Bullets should surprise us.

However, I still think it’s the Breakers game to lose.

Perthworld, if I were to gamble, a 6.5 line seems like ridiculously easy money.

Perhaps the bookies are basing that on NZ travelling back from Cairns after Friday's game, + the unknown about whether Brisbane players get up for the game and play out of their skins.

Refs looking after Brisbane early

Maor ripping into Gliddon at a time out, WMW, Abercrombie both on two fouls in first 5 minutes

30-21 to nz @1/4, nz are a machine, refs picking a few soft fouls on them compared to Brisbane.

Brisbane starting in zone, looking like they are the ones that have played and travelled. As seems norm for Breakers this season, started slow but starting to warm to game now.

Bench starting second half for breakers. Now your chance Brissy

I don't think it would matter who NZ puts on the floor rn. Breakers by 15 and we’re not even two mins in to Q2.

Looking good so far

At least Brisbane played D under Duncan.

Sunday slaughter...

Mercy rule in 2nd

The fish rots from the head, how long has McKinnon been in charge of Brisbane?

Krebs barking at the referee is embarrassing.

Refs keeping Brisbane in it, rubbish

Refs doing their best 22 free throws to 7. Be interesting to see if any Brisbane players use the injure card in second half

Dunkman - think this is his third year in charge of the playing roster.

No secret during this time that's he's been held to a tight budget ownership doesn't want to deviate from, but even giving that due consideration, the roster management has been extremely poor.

Not only ordinary choices for the playing group, but the coaching staff (assistants) they've been provided clearly don't cut the mustard either.

A shit show of an organisation from top to bottom with no end in sight.

Breakers half time score is enough to have beaten several teams' full game totals this season.
Buzzas saving their defensive effort for the winnable game vs Wildcats on Thursday.

Free throws bullets 22 breakers 7. Imo they make different calls at either end.

Thanks Ben, budget might be tight, but Baynes and Sobey would be at top end. I say it's part of the reason why they don’t have a true quality point guard.

No secret during this time that's he's been held to a tight budget ownership doesn't want to deviate from

Sobey elbows and arms offensively whack defenders but it's always a defensive foul. He’s a protected player.

Free throws now 27 - 7 foul count 20 - 8.

Brantley is one of the best fours that has played in this league, gun at both ends.

^^^ yes have done their best for bullets.

This what happens when players get away with holding and fouls go one way

So what are we spending our new money on? What a gift.

I'm a basketball lover, don’t normally have one team, for the rest this season I’m a breakers fan, love how they play, physicality on D, absolute team work on offence, a great coach that doesn’t except mediocrity or whiners.

Not convinced they can beat Sydney but I’ll be cheering.

"Brantley is one of the best fours that has played in this league, gun at both ends."

What a ridiculous statement. He is not even top 5 in the current league for fours. I have the following ahead of him Creek, Cooks, Pinder, Franks, McVeigh

Quickly turned into a massacre.

The player on your list I'd take ahead of him is Cooks, I’ll stick by my conviction, you are certainly allowed yours.
Creek, Pinder, McVeigh, Franks don’t get anywhere near the defensive out put Brantley does, each to there own though.

Agree yet Dunkman each to their own. However maybe need to add I are pinder and , Franks being played as the 4 or 5 and what is Mcveigh 3 or 4

What a pathetic effort from the Bullets. I'll sack the coach(McKinnon).

Hard work trumps lazy talent. Brisbane has a cultural issue. When you have guys like Cadee, Sobey, and a management that's lacks accountability it spells failure. Lemanis for a while masked those short comings with his brilliant coaching and player management skills but once he left it came all to apprant

A lot of people are sleeping on Brantley. He is a true two way player, unselfish, and makes his teammates better. The Breakers got lucky with the situation in Ukraine to sign him. He started slow but is getting comfortable and starting to impose himself on games efficiently. I'd only sign Cooks ahead of him.

https://www.espn.com/nbl/story/_/id/35103334/brisbane-bullets-gm-basketball-mackinnon-juggling-act-interim-head-coach

Reading between the lines here it was an ownership decision not MacKinnon

Power forwards who are mobile, strong 3-4s like Brantley, Cooks, Mackinnon, Redhage, Petrie, Worthington, Vukona, Creek etc are worth their weight in gold in the NBL. Breakers have nailed their imports and a good role-playing local core.

^^^
Not only the nbl, most overseas leagues as well.

Sobey put on a flopfest today .Real sad when you have to fall over and yell Hey ! everytime you drive to the hoop . Acts like a tough guy and plays like a boy .

Sobey did flop all night long. There was one hilarious one where it sounded like he had been shot and went down. Always looked like he wanted to be involved in scuffles with everyone.
It was my first look at DJ Mitchell and he looked disinterested out there.
Tyler Johnson repeatedly looked frustrated when he came to the bench.
I know they would have been a lot better with Baynes out there with his passion but the rest of them didn't look like a team at all.

Nobody even bothered with a game thread for Phoenix vs Hawks. Save to say that was the most uninspiring day of NBL in a very long time.

Yeah I switched off both games about 10 mins in. Bullets and Hawks both depressingly bad.

What does it say about Brisbane's assistant coaches when the organisation doesn't even trust them to hold the reigns until a new coach is found?
The GM steps instead, wtf???
Absolute shitshow....

MacKinnon being interim indicates they're looking to sign a head coach in season - easier than having assistant step up then go back.

I didn't pick them in my finals sides, Baynes is no Bogut. Cadee teams hardly play finals and Sobey to unreliable, plus only finals under Joey when Randle was main man. Normally injuries get them as well. Still a fair way to go but I still don’t see them in finals.

So scuttlebutt is that Duncan lost the playing group, in particular Baynes/Sobey.

Sam steps in, because I guess those two will listen to him.

Interim tag sure, Rucker suggests done only so Sam doesn't seem like Stabby Mcbackstabby, decent chance he stays on for remainder of season.

Obviously a shitshow, but realistically I think Sam remains stays til season's end. Dreams of making noise in the playoffs are gone. Scrooge McDuck Bullets will not expend cash (wonder how much they're on the hook for Duncan still). No *good* coach in their right mind will want to land in this mess in-season, without a solid multi-year deal. And realistically who is available right now who would suit the janitor's job that needs to be done? Bullets gonna Bullet, but the least they could do is wait until the season's done, and do a thorough coaching search through the off-season, and perhaps give the coach a say in the roster. Something small, but could sell that to the downtrodden Brisbane public. Maybe Sam could go over to Vegas this time and actually sign some decent imports instead of faffing around.

Was it MacKinnons decision to go head Coach and fire Duncan or ownership?

Can understand the Bullets passed up CJ - prob wanted to get away from the Lemanis but there were red flags with Duncan - not a ton of heading coaching experience and has bounced from place to place.

Judd Flavell and Mick Downer would be good options if available

Sobey probably upset because he wasn't allowed every shot, some of his defence played yesterday so bad, you would drag an under 12 for it.
Brisbane have spent big money this season, if the rumours are correct, 750k on Baynes and 450k on Sobey. That’s not being Scrooge.

(wonder how much they're on the hook for Duncan still)

Baynes is on $900K-$1M per year for 2 years and it's no rumour was confirmed in the press a month or so ago.

36ers were supposedly interested in Sobey at the end of last season so Bullets locked him up on a new 3 year deal, we dodged a massive bullet there.

So that's not being scrooge, 1.5 million on two players who have been very average imo.

Brisbane couldn't stop Pardon or Brantley. Mitchell and Gak easily outmuscled and Froling too slow. I was surprised how slow Froling was. I think every team would have a big man that is too quick for him.

Zodiac - the Bullets would still be on the hook for Duncan until end of season though right? If so, difficult seeing them expend any money on another coach unless he's a cheapie. Don’t forget there are 2 free import slots to consider also (possible both go unfilled).

Baynes on big money sure, my guess though is a decent portion is subsidised by the NBL through him being a marquee signing or whatever they call it.

The nbl doesn't pay Baynes wage as a marquee, Brisbane do, they just don’t have to put all his wage to the salary cap.

Ben,

Sure they have to pay Duncan this season regardless and I dare say MacKinnon probably isn't getting paid any extra to now also coach the team he put together. It will be interesting to see if they do sign a coach or another import for that matter, they cut Walker before the cut off so wouldn't have to pay him out for the rest of the season.

Part of Baynes' earnings, around $200k from memory, is being paid by the NBL in a marketing/ambassador type role like Delly at United last season.

Walker had previously played in the league so his contract should have been guaranteed from the start of the season.

450k on Sobey

That was my information, again he had interest from a few clubs, so had bargaining power.

Walker had previously played in the league so his contract should have been guaranteed from the start of the season.