Melbourne United vs. Brisbane Bullets Preview: Brisbane Bullets Pre-season in Hot Form, Can Melbourne United Win at Home?

At 5:30 PM on August 29th, the new season of the Australian National Basketball League kicks off with Melbourne United hosting the Brisbane Bullets.

Melbourne United only managed a record of 10 wins and 18 losses last season, ranking last in the NBL and missing out on the playoffs, performing very poorly, winning just one game in their last 10 matches. Prior to the start of the new league season, Melbourne United did not participate in any pre-season games.

Last season, Melbourne United averaged 88.6 points per game, with Mitchell Creek leading the team with an average of 20.7 points on a 49% shooting percentage, Williams averaging 16.7 points, and Will Cummings contributing 14.5 points. Six players on the team averaged double digits in scoring. Unfortunately, Melbourne United’s defense was very poor, which was the main reason for their final last-place ranking.

The Brisbane Bullets finished seventh with a record of 13 wins and 15 losses last season, also missing the playoffs. Last season, the Brisbane Bullets averaged 87.8 points per game, with only three players averaging double digits in scoring, including Nash Sobey with an average of 20.1 points, Josh Boone with 11.95 points, and Chris Smith with 11 points.

The Brisbane Bullets participated in two pre-season games. In their first match against Shanghai Sharks, the Brisbane Bullets won 94-75, with Liu Zheng scoring the game-high 21 points, and Wang Zhelin contributing a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Brisbane Bullets relied on balanced scoring to win the game, with five players reaching double figures. Harrison scored 18 points and 10 rebounds, Adel and Norton each added 15 points, Cook contributed 13 points, and Betemon had 12 points. The Brisbane Bullets shot 52% from the field, while the Shanghai Sharks only managed 38%.

In their last game, the Brisbane Bullets faced Melbourne United, who were ranked first in the regular season last year, and ultimately won 90-75. Their shooting percentage remained high at 51%, and despite being out-rebounded, their offensive efficiency was key to their victory, indicating how good the Brisbane Bullets’ form is for the new season. Adel led all scorers with 24 points, while Harrison contributed 20 points and 6 rebounds. Betemon added 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, and again five players reached double figures for the Brisbane Bullets.

Last season, the two teams met three times, with the Brisbane Bullets achieving a slight advantage with 2 wins and 1 loss. Based on their pre-season form, it is not out of the question that the Brisbane Bullets could achieve a third consecutive win over Melbourne United.

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