Preview: Adelaide vs Brisbane - Round 12, NBL24

Friday, December 22, 2023

Who can get back on the winners' list in this Christmas Eve cracker?

Sunday, December 24 at 2pm AEDT | Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Watch: Live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, 10 Peach and 10 Play | International viewership details
Box scores: Download the free NBL App

Adelaide assistant coach Craig Simpson resigned from his role effective immediately during the week. Former 36er Graham Kubank has joined the club’s staff since Simpson’s departure.

The NBL issued a reminder to fans sitting courtside to not enter the field of play, after a fan helped DJ Vasiljevic stretch out a cramp in Adelaide’s Round 11 loss to Melbourne.

Bullets forward DJ Mitchell will miss the remainder of the season due to a hip injury. After Matt Johns was initially elevated to the main roster to replace the 26-year-old, Brisbane announced they'd landed a big import signing, Casey Prather.

Prather won three championships in four seasons in the NBL and could take the Bullets to the next level.

Adelaide
96-107 loss to Melbourne
101-116 loss to Cairns
59-94 loss to Tasmania

Brisbane
101-102 loss to Cairns
68-103 loss to Brisbane
78-77 win over Illawarra

Trey Kell III
When interim coach Scott Ninnis pulled Jason Cadee from Adelaide’s rotation and slashed Mitch McCarron’s minutes, the questions immediately fell to who would become Adelaide’s primary ball-handler.

Trentyn Flowers was trialed as a point guard at the NBL Blitz but has since thrived in a wing role, while DJ Vasiljevic has built his career as being a genuine two-guard.

Former South East Melbourne wing Trey Kell looks to have taken on a more ball-heavy role under Ninnis and has thrived offensively under the interim boss.

He scored 21 points and had a season-high six assists in Ninnis’ first game in charge, and then backed it up with 22 points against Melbourne United.

Kell started the NBL24 campaign on fire, but his mid-season block was derailed by injury and poor form. If he can continue this level of output while the 36ers continue to improve on the defensive end, Adelaide could become a tough prospect heading into the back end of the regular season.

“The way these last two games have played out it’s been a little bit by committee, in the starting group we’ve gone with it’s Trey Kell. We want to have versatility and I’ve always liked teams with multiple ball-handlers, and we’ve got guys like Jacob who have no problems in bringing the ball up.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thinkin' on the fly and risin' high. Trey Kell loves getting upstairs ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/rMP15ZhBDu">pic.twitter.com/rMP15ZhBDu</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1733423117635059924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Rocco Zikarsky
When the Bullets were reeling in the second half of their Round 11 fixture against the Taipans, they needed a hero. They needed somebody to pull the team up by its bootstraps and kickstart a comeback – and this time that role fell to Rocco Zikarsky.

Zikarsky played just seven minutes against the Taipans, but he scored four points, grabbed three boards – two offensive – and swatted four shots, and his ability to get defensive stops helped Brisbane wrestle momentum back from the Taipans to kickstart a fourth quarter comeback that fell agonisingly short.

Brisbane head coach Justin Schueller has been clear and consistent with his messaging around the on-court development of the Next Star, but has the time come for the 17-year-old to have an increased role in the Bullets’ system?

Like any young, raw talent, he has shortcomings in his game, but there are few players in the NBL who have the ability to change the game at either end quite like the Next Star.

“He told four people to go home and said ‘get it’ ... I’m thinking forget Aron Baynes 13, 14 minutes a game – what are you giving me? I’m giving all those minutes, every one of them is going to Rocco until ‘Baynesy’ can come out there and really contribute to a game, because right now these look like charity minutes.” – Damon Lowery on NBL Now.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Blocko Zikarsky ?<br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brisbanebullets</a> Next Star has a career-high 4?? blocks through three quarters ?<br><br>Catch the fourth quarter live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies | 10 Peach & 10 Play ? <a href="https://t.co/E7ufB7cEZ7">pic.twitter.com/E7ufB7cEZ7</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1736276483201470699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jacob Wiley vs Josh Bannan
How involved Jacob Wiley and Josh Bannan are in their respective teams’ offence can be used as a barometer for how well their side is playing, and with both set to match up on each other this weekend – the winner of this individual battle will likely offer an insight into how the rest of the game pans out.

Wiley is absolutely the energy guy for the 36ers, but on top of that he’s also one of their most well-rounded offensive threats. He’s a strong and physical interior presence, but he’s an intelligent passer and solid shooter – really, he’s the full package.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jacob Wiley went UPSTAIRS ? <br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/iQia6evC1H">pic.twitter.com/iQia6evC1H</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1735965017416343665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bannan has shades of Wiley’s skillset in his own game, but he’s perhaps a more trigger-happy shooter and less of a distributor than the import.

You can’t help but have fun when watching Wiley’s passion for the game, and watching Bannan is an insight into the future of Australian basketball.

The two power forwards are different personalities at different stages of their careers, but this will still be an enjoyable battle to witness.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Is Josh Bannan a future leader of the NBL? ?<br><br>NBL legend Derek Rucker believes the first-year pro has all the tools to be a future captain on the <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrisbaneBullets</a> ?‍??<br><br>Watch the Brisbane Bullets NBL Now Round Table ?? <a href="https://t.co/GA9VSjee2b">https://t.co/GA9VSjee2b</a> <a href="https://t.co/V8MI92rk3T">pic.twitter.com/V8MI92rk3T</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1729305845463470402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Adelaide has lost the first half in each of its last 13 games, while Brisbane has won the first half in eight of its last 10 fixtures. Can the 36ers buck the trend and get off to a hot start?

Gettyimages 1859657407
Isaac Humphries.