Bullets’ bold moves spark renewed excitement

Brisbane Bullets fans have been starved of success for far too long, but the arrival of Will Weaver, a strong core and a clear defensive identity have experts excited about what lies ahead.

G League standout Nate Hinton is the latest addition to the Bullets’ roster, with ESPN’s Olgun Uluc full of praise for the signing.

“He’s (Hinton) respected by his peers. He’s respected by other teams around the league. I think this is a home run for the Bullets,” Uluc said on The Marketplace, presented by Paywise.

“A defence-first wing type of player. I think he really fits their roster. It fills a need for what that team was looking for.

“Really high level in the G League, high-level defender.”

Hinton’s arrival follows the recent signing of Lithuanian point guard Arnas Velička.

“I think Nate Hinton is a really good pickup. I think Velička is a really interesting and great pickup,” Uluc said.

“You look at what they already had: Mitch Norton, Tyrell Harrison, Sam McDaniel, Jacob Holt, Tohi Smith-Milner. These are really good pieces to continue to build around, and then you add high-level pieces on top of that.”

The panel also highlighted the quality of the man leading the rebuild, with Weaver bringing a proven reputation in Australia and the US.

“Are we starting to see the fabric of what this Will Weaver team might be, and that is that they’ll be a hard team to score against?” Jack Heverin said.

“I’m looking at that Brisbane roster and thinking they might surprise a few over the course of the year.

“It feels like they’ll be hard to play against, at least.”

“Will Weaver is a data guy. Will Weaver is an analytics guy, and the first tier of analytics when you look at the NBL and what drives success is defence,” Uluc continued.

“If you’re a top-four defence when it comes to defensive rating, your points allowed per 100 possessions, then you will more than likely be a playoff team.

“If you are in the top two, there’s a good chance you’re going to be a championship team.”

There is still work to be done, with the Bullets holding one remaining import spot.

“I’ve heard some names over the weeks, some names that have played a handful of games in the NBA. They have been looking at some high-level fours,” Uluc added.

“It might just be the best available of someone who can play the four spot. I’m curious who they ultimately end up with.”