The 2007 Brisbane Bullets - legendary team

Following on from the 1985 team yesterday, this morning's feature legendary team is one of the greatest ever assembled, the 2007 Brisbane Bullets.
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Whether you consider them the best NBL team ever (or the best that money could buy), you can’t argue with how great the Brisbane Bullets team was that won the 2006/2007 championship. They were so good their bench players would have likely beaten most rival teams. “G-Unit” as they named themselves featured Adam Gibson, Dillon Boucher, Mark Bradtke (Dusty Rychart was the starter I believe), Mick Hill & Brad Williamson.

The Bullets won the pre-season title and then easily won the minor premiership, claiming an end of season record of 28 wins and only 5 losses. This included an all-time NBL record-breaking 21-game winning streak, marking the Bullets' most successful season since 1979. Brisbane went on to make their first NBL grand final since 1990 and took out the finals series 3-1 over defending champions the Melbourne Tigers to be crowned NBL champions for the third and last time (for now).

Spartans SEABL game

I sent ex-Brisbane Bullet Mick Hill a message on FaceBook to congratulate him on getting married the other week in Fiji. He hit me back and mentioned that he was in town on the weekend to play against the Spartans in the SEABL and I should come along.

I planned to get an interview with Mick prior to the game but unfortunately Carina only lights up centre court and is rather noisy so it wouldn't have worked. I did have a chat to Mick about a number of things ... the new NBL, the demise of the Bullets, his playing future, life in Melbourne, etc. Its unlikely Mick will make a return to the NBL, basically he's settled in Melbourne and enjoying life there and the uncertainty of the new league isn't worth the risk (financially, physically, emotionally, etc) at his age.

Mick was screwed over by the failed takeover bid for the Bullets and I can only imagine how frustrating it would be for him as a professional basketballer not to leave the game on his own terms.

It was the first time in ages I've been to Carina to see a game. I spent much of my early 20's playing at practicing out there, so it feels very much like home to me. Big Joe was in the house looking after the music and he was on point as usual. I got to check out the new look pink Spartans uniforms which sound strange but look great and are of course for a good cause.

The game itself was entertaining. A fairly even opening quarter before the Spartans dominated in the second. Knox fought back in the 3rd and it was a close final term before the Spartans pulled away at the end to get the win.

For the Spartans, Greg Vanderjagt (27 points, 11 boards) and Chris Goulding (27 points, 5 assists) were the standouts. They got good support from Ash Cannon (20 points, 15 boards) and Ben Arndt look-alike Thalo Green (17 points, 7 boards 6 offensive).

For the Raiders, Nick Payne was red-hot (36 points, 11 of 14 from the field and 10 of 11 from the line) and CJ Massingale impressive (28 points, 21 in the first half, 7 boards). Mick was not surprisingly a little rusty after 2 weeks in Fiji but finished with 13 points, 5 boards.

Here is the boxscore from the game:

Brisbane

		Field Goals		3-Pointers		Free Throws							Rebounds
Name	MIN	FGM-A	FG%	3PM-A	3P%	FTM-A	FT%	PFS	BL	AS	ST	TO	OR	DR	TR	Pts
Tyson Demos	33:10	3-10	30.0	1-5	20.0	6-7	85.7	1	0	7	1	5	4	0	4	13
Todd Meyerding	2:24	0-0	0.0	0-0	0.0	0-0	0.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Drew Williamson	30:26	5-8	62.5	2-4	50.0	3-4	75.0	2	0	2	2	3	0	3	3	15
Chris Goulding	42:05	11-20	55.0	2-7	28.6	3-4	75.0	4	1	5	0	1	1	2	3	27
Ash Cannan	38:27	7-11	63.6	0-0	0.0	6-9	66.7	2	2	1	1	6	3	12	15	20
Peni Nasalo	10:05	1-2	50.0	0-0	0.0	0-0	0.0	3	0	2	1	1	0	0	0	2
Greg Vanderjagt	40:01	10-18	55.6	0-1	0.0	7-12	58.3	3	2	3	0	1	4	7	11	27
Simon Taylor	12:29	0-4	0.0	0-1	0.0	0-0	0.0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0
Thalo Green	31:03	5-13	38.5	1-5	20.0	6-6	100.0	2	0	0	0	1	6	1	7	17
TOTAL		42-86	48.8	6-23	26.1	31-42	73.8	20	5	20	5	18	18	27	45	121
Points in the paint:56				Points off Turnovers:6					Second chance points:22

Knox

		Field Goals		3-Pointers		Free Throws							Rebounds
Name	MIN	FGM-A	FG%	3PM-A	3P%	FTM-A	FT%	PFS	BL	AS	ST	TO	OR	DR	TR	Pts
Sean Carroll	28:22	4-8	50.0	0-0	0.0	0-0	0.0	2	0	7	1	1	0	1	1	8
Nick Payne	39:08	11-14	78.6	4-7	57.1	10-11	90.9	3	0	3	0	6	1	0	1	36
Alex Vanrenen	5:27	1-2	50.0	0-0	0.0	0-0	0.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	2
Michael Hill	30:21	5-13	38.5	0-4	0.0	3-4	75.0	4	0	2	0	1	2	3	5	13
Adam Kopttke	14:02	0-1	0.0	0-0	0.0	0-0	0.0	3	0	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
John Philip	17:19	5-8	62.5	0-1	0.0	1-2	50.0	4	0	0	1	2	2	3	5	11
Cameron Rigby	39:03	1-8	12.5	0-2	0.0	0-0	0.0	4	0	4	1	0	1	7	8	2
Cj Massingale	43:26	10-20	50.0	3-8	37.5	5-5	100.0	4	0	2	0	5	3	4	7	28
Lester Strong	26:18	6-11	54.5	0-0	0.0	0-0	0.0	5	0	1	1	4	2	5	7	12
TOTAL		43-85	50.6	7-22	31.8	19-22	86.4	31	0	20	4	21	11	25	36	112

Mick Hill sighting

Probably the most talented NBL player to get shafted by the off-season collapse of several NBL teams (Bullets, Kings, Slingers) was ex-Brisbane Bullet Mick Hill. Mick was never afraid to speak his mind or show his emotion on court and this made him a favourite with fans (although many opposition fans disliked him) and the media. During my time as Media Liaison with the Brisbane Bullets, Mick was a regular in the post-game press conference because he always had something to say and didn't stick to the cliches.

I stumbled across this article this morning about Mick signing with the Knox Raiders in the SEABL, hopefully we can see him back in the NBL (or whatever its going to be called) next season. Click on the title below to read the full story.

Raiders reload for ’09 - Star News Group

By Greg Oakford

KNOX Raiders have clinched two top players to shore up the list for the pre-season.

Mick Hall and Cameron Rigby have joined the ranks in time for the first game in March.

The Raiders take on reining SEABL champions Hobart in the Apple Isle on 13 March.

Coming off a successful year in ’08, the team will again bolster a formidable line-up with veterans Hill and Rigby.

Both will be keen to add strength to the existing core group of players from last season.

Hill and Rigby fell victim to the NBL’s much publicised demise of foundation club Brisbane Bullets last year when long-time owner Eddy Groves off-loaded the team, due to financial troubles with his ABC Learning Centres.

Hill, who would have been entering his sixth season with the Bullets and his eighth in the NBL, was in his second year of a two-year deal and was left with nowhere to play in a smaller team competition.

Mick Hill in better times