Preview: Brisbane vs Tasmania - Round 15, NBL24

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

The Brisbane Bullets will host the Tasmania JackJumpers to start Round 15, in what will be a cracking match with several ladder implications.

Whenandwhere

Wednesday, January 10 at 7:30pm AEDT | Nissan Arena

Howtofollow

Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo - International viewership details

Anoverview
Coming off back-to-back wins against the Phoenix and Kings, the Bullets are in form and have got themselves back inside the top six. If the Bullets can record two wins in Round 15, they could vault up to the likes of Tasmania and Sydney in the upper echelon of the Play-in Tournament.

It was an impressive win against the Kings at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, as Brisbane controlled every aspect of the clash, and held the defending champions to just 6-20 shooting from three-point land. The Bullets will now have to face another high scoring squad, with the JackJumpers coming in as the best offensive team in the league, ranking first in offensive rating.

Tasmania has had a topsy-turvy three rounds, going 2-2 in their past four games, but are coming off a strong performance against the Cairns Taipans.

The JackJumpers are sitting just outside the top two on the ladder and have been a threat all season – with their stellar offence and sturdy defence, the team in green remain a major threat in the NBL24 title race.

Formguides

Brisbane

101-93 win over Sydney

95-83 win over South East Melbourne

71-81 loss to New Zealand

Tasmania

103-86 win over Cairns

93-98 loss to New Zealand

77-85 loss to South East Melbourne

Playerstowatch
Milton Doyle

After returning from the States, Milton Doyle has struggled to get back into form but he turned it around against the Taipans with a season-high 31 points.

Doyle admitted in the post-game press conference he has struggled to get his feet under him due to dealing with the loss of his father and travelling to the USA, but was relieved with his performance against Cairns.

“It feels great (to be back in form), just getting my feet underneath me,” he said.

“I couldn’t do the things I wanted to do, my mind was telling me to make certain plays and my body just couldn’t do it the past few weeks.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Milton Doyle is getting hot like Christmas dinner ?? <br><br>Watch the NBL on Christmas Day Live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/R4VKZUcXd6">pic.twitter.com/R4VKZUcXd6</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1739186042094174221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Former MVP Derek Rucker added when Doyle is healthy, he can be the x-factor in any game for the JackJumpers.

“He is one of the most talented players that we have in the league,” Rucker said on Moments That Mattered.

“It’s good to see him out there playing basketball to this level again.”

Tasmania is 6-0 when Doyle scores 19 points or more this season, leaving the star guard with a benchmark to pass if the team wants to conquer the Bullets.

Nathan Sobey

Having a major impact in NBL24, Nathan Sobey is back playing at an MVP level after a cold stretch.

Across Rounds 6-10, Sobey only averaged 17 points per game on a low 32.5 per cent from the field. Since then, he’s up to a fiery 27.6 points on 44.6 per cent from the field. While his efficiency has risen, the main difference has been his head-down mentality - driving to the basket and drawing fouls at an impressive rate. In Rounds 6-10, he went to the free-throw line 37 times, while in the past five games, he’s attempted 47 shots from the charity stripe.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nathan Sobey went ??? ?<br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrisbaneBullets</a> star was at his best last night, scoring 35 points in the win ?<br><br>Check out his best plays ?? <a href="https://t.co/2QrtjhsR2w">pic.twitter.com/2QrtjhsR2w</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1741277996781076797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Head coach Justin Schueller said he has been impressed with Sobey’s impact and leadership in the post-game press conference after their win against Sydney.

“He’s really starting to understand what winning looks like for him individually, and then for us collectively,” Schueller said.

“He’s getting better and better at making the right play every time, and the thing I love about him is his defensive impact… when he goes about it that way, it’s easy for everyone else to follow.”

Will Tasmania be able to lock down Sobey, or will he continue to dominate and get Brisbane a win to start the week?

Thematchup

Rocco Zikarsky vs Will Magnay

Two of the best shot blockers in the league will face off in a battle to protect the rim.

Rocco Zikarsky currently ranks first in block percentage at 13.3 per cent (eighth in blocks per game with 1.1). In comparison, Will Magnay is second in blocks per game with 1.5 and second in block percentage at 7.7 per cent.

The Next Star will take on the former NBA big man in not only a test for the 17-year-old but a test of the Bullets’ frontcourt depth, with Most Improved Player candidate Tyrell Harrison, young star Josh Bannan, and Boomer Aron Baynes. Fellow JackJumper Marcus Lee is also sure to have a big say in the frontcourt battle, as will newest signing Tom Vodanovich.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C10yw2pRVBq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C10yw2pRVBq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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