Import planning to bring an edge to Bullets
BASKETBALL: American import Perrin Buford rates himself a “50-50 chance” of making his first official pre-season appearance for Brisbane in tonight’s NBL Blitz clash with Sydney.
Buford missed the hard-fought win over Cairns in Rockhampton on Saturday night after succumbing to a sinus infection.
He has trained with the team this week and expects to play at some stage during Brisbane’s three-game schedule at the pre-season tournament in Victoria.
After the Kings, the Bullets play Adelaide tomorrow before another match-up with Cairns on Sunday afternoon.
The athletic small forward, who played for Boston in the recent NBA Summer League after a stint in Italy, said the timing of his illness was poor, with precious opportunities to gel with his new teammates going begging.
“It’s one of those things. You want to go through that learning curve with the guys out on court,” Buford said.
“I practised today to see if I’m able to go but playing games is where you learn the most and I’m not getting that satisfaction yet.
“Hopefully I’ll get that
this weekend. I think I’m a 50-50 chance of playing the Kings but by Saturday and Sunday I’ll be able to compete at a high level.”
Buford has the potential to become a hit with Bullets fans left reeling by the
departure of last season’s club MVP Torrey Craig, who in July signed a deal with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets.
“I play with an edge on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively, and I like to play with
passion and aggression,” Buford said.
“I’m pretty much the crowd favourite, just because I’m a high-flier, so any time you bring dunks and athletic plays, fans start to like you a little bit more.
“I’m definitely going to bring in a dog-eat-dog mentality and come in with a hunger, and from what I’ve watched, these (Bullets) guys are hungry too, and they’re ready to work.”