Velička makes Brisbane must-watch again

Will Weaver talked Arnas Velička into a 30-hour flight and a leap of faith, signing on as one of the first pieces of a new era at the Brisbane Bullets.

It was a big call for a player who, despite a decade-long professional career and a resume to match, had never played outside Europe before landing in Australia earlier this year.

But if his Hungry Jack's NBL debut is anything to go by, it's easy to see why Weaver was so keen to bring the Lithuanian star to Brisbane.

Velička had 23 points and 14 assists to power the Bullets to an impressive first-up win.

“Will recruited me hard and we were talking almost every day,” he told CODE Sports.

“We were talking on the phone and video calls and he pitched to me that he really liked my game and he thinks I would fit well into this league and to help to put the Bullets back on the map.

“That was his vision: to get the program back running and I was excited to be a part of that. “I had other options and I wanted to go EuroLeague but I would have been on the bench and I just want to play basketball because I have a love for it.”

Success has been hard to come by for the Bullets lately, which makes Velička's arrival all the more significant.

Tyrell Harrison gives them a strong presence inside, but across the League, teams have poured resources into finding a floor general to run the show. Brisbane appears to have found theirs.

This season's crop of point guards has been hailed as the best the League has ever seen, and Velička looks every bit as though he belongs among Bryce Cotton, Cole Anthony and Kendric Davis.

"I feel lucky to coach him and there were multiple times in tonight's game where I had a bad idea and he bailed me out with a good idea and good execution," Weaver said after the team's season opener.

"So we're still building our chemistry and his teammates are still realising that 'oh man, I better get my hands up because he's gonna find you'.

"He's a complete player, and more importantly to me he's an incredible teammate and competitor.”

The Bullets and Velička take on the Illawarra Hawks on Friday night, live on ESPN from 7:30pm AEST.

‍Read the full story here >> How Arnas Velicka channelled his darkest days into an NBL debut to remember