THE Brisbane Bullets look to be boosted by the addition of Aron Baynes in season 2022/23 of the National Basketball League (NBL), with the big man making a significant impact in his first outing in a Bullets jumper.

Brisbane faced off against the New Zealand Breakers in the Blitz preseason competition in Darwin on Sunday, and managed to get past its opponents to the tune of 12 points. There was plenty of anticipation around the match given the appearance of Baynes and fellow recruit Tyler Johnson, and the Bullets delivered in spades.

The Breakers fought hard but ultimately fell short of a Brisbane side that looks ready to fire in its upcoming campaign. The Bullets’ trio of Baynes, Johnson and veteran guard Nathan Sobey combined well and should prove to be a handful for many defensive structures around the competition.

The Breakers got off to the better start, rallying behind Next Star Rayan Rupert, who came off the bench and scored nine points in rapid fashion, with a mix of inside and outside scoring proving too much for the Bullets’ defenders to handle.

Behind the young gun’s blistering start, the Breakers took a nine-point lead into quarter time, and looked to have found a way to score at a high volume. However, the news was mixed as an accidental collision between Baynes and Thomas Abercrombie saw the latter’s night ended.

The Bullets fought back with a dominant second term, outscoring New Zealand 25-9 and grabbing control of the contest. With quick ball movement and plenty of avenues to score, the Breakers simply could not keep up and it was a trend that rolled into the second half too, as they cruised home to an 81-69 triumph.

Baynes and Johnson led the way for the Bullets, which is an extremely encouraging sign moving forward, justifying the signing of the duo. They each scored 14 points, while Baynes added five rebounds of his own in just 13 minutes of court time. Johnson’s accuracy also caught the eye, nailing five of his seven field goal attempts as his NBA experience began to shine through.

Off the bench, the Bullets were still chock full of contributors, as DJ Mitchell led the way with 12 points and three rebounds on 4/5 shooting. Harry Froling (nine points, four assists), Jason Cadee (six points) and Sobey (seven points) also played crucial roles.

Rupert was the star of the show for the Breakers, and while he slowed up after a sizzling opening term thanks to some foul trouble and improved defence from Brisbane, the youngster certainly made a name for himself as one to watch after finishing with 12 points and three steals.

The experienced head of Tom Vodanovich saw the forward make the most of his 20 minutes on the court to produce 15 points, while Robert Loe and Jarell Brantley delivered 10 points each.

The day’s second match saw the Illawarra Hawks claim a 13-point win over Melbourne United, as the trio of Justin Robinson (14 points, five rebounds, eight dimes), Sam Froling (14 points, eight boards, three blocks) and Tyler Harvey (13 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals) controlled the show for the victors.