HEAL BACKS COACH AT EMBATTLED BULLETS
BASKETBALL: He has more questions than answers, but former Brisbane star Shane Heal insists the NBL club’s limp run home can’t be solely blamed on coach Andrej Lemanis.
Brisbane had looked set to bounce back from back-to-back wooden spoons with a finals appearance this month. That was until five losses from their past six games dumped them to fifth with one game remaining.
Brisbane can still jump ahead of Adelaide into fourth if the 36ers lose to Perth on Friday and the Bullets beat New Zealand on Saturday.
Three losses to Cairns, who have won only five games all season, have been a particular kick in the guts for a club trying to return to its glory days.
Heal thinks the Bullets could still win it all if they scrape into the finals, but is mystified as to how it’s come to this for a team he rates highly.
“The people involved, I respect them so it’s hard to put a finger on why they’re failing,” he said. “You can’t just blame Andrej ... he’s a proven coach (winning three NBL titles with the Breakers).
“And I rate Cam Gliddon but he, (fellow Boomers guard) Jason Cadee and (former NBA forward) Cameron Bairstow in particular have been inconsistent. Bairstow should be dominating.”
In a contract year at the Bullets, Lemanis, the Australian Boomers coach as well, has also had his hands full with vital international games midseason as part of FIBA’s new World Cup qualification procedure.
Heal said it was important for the national coach to be coaching in the NBL, and former Boomer Mark Worthington endorsed the 49-yearold for an extension.
“To this point he’s been a successful Boomers coach and they shouldn’t be happy with their season at the Bullets, but it’s a brand new team and things do take time,” Worthington said.
— Murray Wenzel