THE Brisbane Bullets started their preparation for the upcoming 2024/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season with a bang, defeating the Shanghai Sharks by 19 points on Friday night.

The Bullets hosted the Sharks at Nissan Arena for their first official hitout ahead of the upcoming fixture. The Sharks competed against the Hawks the week prior, and continued their road trip down under by facing a Brisbane side that will be desperate to improve on a disappointing campaign last year.

Following a series of tumultuous off-court issues that plagued the club, the Bullets made some big roster changes over the off-season, with the most recent seeing star big man Aron Baynes call time on his stint with the team. However, the addition of import Keandre Cook and the likely increase in minutes for Next Star Rocco Zikarsky meant there is still a bit to look forward to for Brisbane this season.

Despite the Sharks putting up a solid fight against the Hawks, the Bullets were simply too good for their opponents, cruising home to a 94-75 win and giving themselves plenty of confidence as the season start date approaches.

Brisbane Bullets (94) def. Shanghai Sharks (75)

The Bullets’ win was largely built on the ability to create good looks and knock down shots at a consistent rate. They played with pace, and were able to expose Shanghai’s defence with fast ball movement. They were able to easily get the ball inside, and find uncontested looks at the rim.

Brisbane’s intensity was on display early, when Deng Adel threw down an enormous poster dunk that got the Nissan Arena crowd on its feet. It injected plenty of energy into his side, and his teammates rallied behind that.

By quarter time, the Bullets already led by 10 points in an excellent display of offence, and that margin got as high as 21 in the first half. At the main break, Brisbane held a 16-point buffer, and was in complete control of the contest.

Shanghai did improve in the second half and gave the Bullets a valuable challenge coming out of half time, but the home side showed maturity to absorb the pressure and take back momentum. The end result saw a 19-point triumph to the Bullets as they showed signs of improvement.

Brisbane’s success on the offensive end was largely built on an accurate shooting performance, making 52 per cent (35/67) of its attempts from the field, which demonstrated the quality of looks it was producing over the course of the match.

Although his second half was quieter, Adel was the standout for the Bullets, gathering excitement ahead of his return to the NBL after spending time overseas in the past couple of years. He finished the match with 15 points and six assists, and should be one of the main contributors for Brisbane this season.

Also catching the eye was Tyrell Harrison, who will absorb a large portion of Baynes’ minutes and will be the starting center for the team once again. He posted a double-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, and looms as a serious inside presence for the 2024/25 season.

Import pair Cook (13 points, two assists) and James Batemon (12 points, two steals) were solid, while returning NBL Champion Casey Prather was showed good signs with seven points and two boards.

The Bullets will continue their pre-season journey when they take on Melbourne United tomorrow night.