THE Brisbane Bullets have maintained their record as the form team of the National Basketball League (NBL) heading into the 2024/25 fixture after taking out the Blitz preseason tournament on the Gold Coast.

The competition took place from September 7-14, with each team playing three games over the span of a week, giving a clear indication of how all 10 teams are building ahead of the season opener at Hoopsfest on Thursday, except for the Tasmania JackJumpers, who competed at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup and missed the final days of the tournament, but still participated earlier in the fixture.

The Bullets maintained a record of three wins and zero losses, equal to the Perth Wildcats, but Brisbane delivered in the final game to take home the Loggins-Bruton Cup on Saturday.

Coming into their final match of the Blitz, the Bullets had already secured wins over the JackJumpers and New Zealand Breakers, keeping their form rolling after claiming multiple victories in exhibition outings in the week leading up to the tournament.

Despite other teams loading up on some seriously strong talent, the Bullets have played out of their skin over the past month, sending a warning to the remainder of the competition that they will be one of the contending sides in the coming fixture.

Emerging big man Tyrell Harrison took home the Ray Borner Medal for Blitz MVP and averaged 17.3 points and seven rebounds across the tournament. He has now officially arrived on the scene as one of the best frontcourt players in the competition, and appears the most likely to be named the NBL’s Most Improved Player ahead of the upcoming season.

The Bullets needed to defeat the Cairns Taipans in their final outing to take out the Blitz, and held on after a fast-finishing opposition made life tricky in the final minutes of the game. James Batemon was the hero with a huge triple down the stretch before recording a clutch steal as well to seal the result, and looks set for a big campaign up north.

The Next Stars also impressed throughout the tournament, with the likes of Rocco Zikarsky, Izan Almansa and Alex Toohey in particular putting up some eye-catching numbers in front of scouts. Toohey poured in 49 points across two outings and has seriously used the Blitz to his advantage, boosting his draft stock and indicating he is in for a big year.

Also catching the eye was Illawarra Hawks youngster Lachlan Olbrich, making the most of a boost in minutes and showing how crafty he can be with some excellent moves in transition, and his performance at the Blitz could increase his role for the upcoming season.

The 2024/25 NBL season kicks off in Perth on Thursday at the inaugural Hoopsfest tournament, with a Championship Series rematch between the JackJumpers and Melbourne United.

NBL Blitz Standings

1. Brisbane Bullets (3-0)
2. Perth Wildcats (3-0)
3. Sydney Kings (2-1)
4. SEM Phoenix (2-1)
5. Melbourne United (2-1)
6. Adelaide 36ers (2-1)
7. Illawarra Hawks (1-2)
8. New Zealand Breakers (0-3)
9. Cairns Taipans (0-4)