Preview: Melbourne vs Brisbane (Round 3)

Sunday, October 15 at 2pm AEDT | John Cain Arena

Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo Sports | 10 Peach and 10play - International viewership details
Box scores: Download the free NBL App

The returning Luke Travers was greeted with a hostile reception in Friday’s victory over the Wildcats, and was treated to an accidental stray elbow and resulting cut on his nose during the clash.

United had had a week to sit and stew on the nature of their Round 2 loss to Tasmania, and came out all guns blazing against the Wildcats to get the job done. despite centre pair Ariel Hukporti and Rob Loe getting into foul trouble.

After opening their season on fire, the Brisbane Bullets have now lost their last two games. Their high-scoring defeat to Sydney came without Aron Baynes, who has been handed a five-game suspension for his role in the coming together between him and Cairns’ Lat Mayen and Adam Forde.

Melbourne
88-81 win over Perth
75-80 loss to Tasmania
82-74 win over Adelaide

Brisbane
102-113 loss to Sydney
86-89 loss to Cairns
89-84 win over New Zealand

­­­­Luke Travers
While gun forward Luke Travers was also a player to watch in Melbourne’s clash with Perth on Friday night, it remains to be seen how he’ll experience the comedown from such an emotionally charged game against his former employers.

Travers played well against the Wildcats and – as usual – did a little bit of everything. He finished the game with 11 points, five rebounds, a pair of assists, a block and a steal.

The accidental knock to the face he copped did nothing to slow his progress in the game, and by night’s end the Red Army were more prone to showing their appreciation for the Cleveland draftee, as opposed to any disdain for him.

“If I didn’t hear the boos then I feel like I wouldn’t have done my job properly in the last four years. It was cool to see, I expected it but there was also a little bit of support as well … I was pretty calm for what I thought I was going to be … it’s not very often you get that sort of opportunity so I tried to make the most of it.” – Luke Travers post-game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome back to The Jungle Luke Travers ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/tGP1O5e9sD">pic.twitter.com/tGP1O5e9sD</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1712782648849174561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nathan Sobey
Following another stellar performance on Thursday night, Nathan Sobey was asked if he thinks he’s in the running for MVP this season. The Boomers veteran was typically level-headed in his response, especially since it’s so early in the season, but his return to form has somewhat flown under the radar so far this season.

Sobey’s incredible Round 2 was overshadowed by the Aron Baynes incident with the Taipans, and given Brisbane failed to beat Sydney despite another 26 points from the Olympic bronze medallist, Jaylen Adams is rightly earning plaudits from that game.

To copy words from the Brisbane/Sydney preview, a firing Nathan Sobey is good for the league, and if he says he’s feeling better than he has in almost two years, then NBL defences had better be ready for him to put 25 on them each and every night.

“As long as I’m put in great positions to make plays for myself and my team I’ll keep doing that, and I’ll continue to work on my craft and get our team the best shots we can to help us win some games moving forward ... I definitely feel a lot better than I did in the last year and a half, that’s pretty simple.” – Nathan Sobey post-game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SOB3Y ?<br><br>Nathan Sobey cuts the deficit to single digits with the triple ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/gnsdCgr1TL">pic.twitter.com/gnsdCgr1TL</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1710605179337191781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Dean Vickerman vs Justin Schueller
One of the most interesting matchups of this game won’t come directly on the court but rather, on the sidelines, as rookie Bullets head coach Justin Schueller locks horns with mentor Dean Vickerman for the first time in the NBL.

Schueller has turned the Bullets around in his short tenure, and although Brisbane are currently staring down the barrel of three straight losses, there is rampant positivity surrounding the Nathan Sobey-led side.

Vickerman and Schueller worked hand in glove at Melbourne for half a decade, and Schueller was a member of the staff of both the 2018 and 2021 titles, and is yet another coach to have learned their craft under one of the greatest coaches Australian basketball has ever produced.

Schueller has said previously he was involved in Melbourne’s initial pursuit of exciting forward Josh Bannan prior to being appointed to the top job in Brisbane, and then switched hats to help the Bullets acquire on of the top emerging local talents in the league. While Bannan remains sidelined through injury, there is a chance that may have rankled the top brass at Melbourne.

Labelling this matchup as ‘master vs apprentice’ is probably slightly disrespectful to both Vickerman and Schueller, but there’s little doubting the Melbourne stalwart is relishing coming up against one of his former charges in this capacity.

Current Brisbane pair Sam McDaniel and Justin Schueller with Dillon Stith at Melbourne United in 2019.

Shea Ili has recorded 26 career threes against the Brisbane Bullets – his most against any opponent.

Ili has been struggling to recapture his best form after returning from last season’s consistent concussion issues. He tends to get it done against the Bullets, so can this game mark a turnaround in his own personal fortunes?

Shea Ili and Matthew Dellavedova in Friday's win over Perth.

Melbourne
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr – wrist (TBC)

Brisbane
Josh Bannan – lower leg (Round 4)