Arnas embodies Queensland spirit: Weaver

Arnas Velička joined the Brisbane Bullets with an impressive reputation and the Lithuanian star made a spectacular and historic NBL debut with 23 points, 14 assists and five three-pointers to lead the come from behind win.

Aside from going 4/10 at the foul line including missing two late that kept the door ajar for the New Zealand Breakers to send Tuesday night's game to overtime, Velička had a dream debut with the Bullets.

He finished with 23 points, 14 assists, five rebounds and going 5/9 from the outside in his 35 minutes of court time as he led the Bullets to the come from behind win in front of a sold out Pat Rafter Arena crowd.

"I was really happy with the win and at the end I missed some free throws so I was really pissed, but Max (Mackinnon) made some and we got a stop and that's all that matters," Velička said.

"I'm really happy for the fans and the whole organisation for this win. I think we started kinda slow and I wouldn’t say scared, but wasn’t that confident and I felt like everybody was not quite certain with what we were doing.

"But as the game goes on, we all got a lot more comfortable with how we were attacking and what we were trying to get from our offence, and I saw many opportunities for me to get to my strengths.

"I just felt the crowd helped us a lot and our stamina too meant that we got better as the time went. I would say that we need to start the next game with the same mentality and know that we're a good team and are going to be good."

The 26-year-old has joined the Bullets this season having built his reputation throughout Europe having played in Spain, Estonia, France, Germany and Italy, but it's in Lithuania where he has continued to star.

He is fresh off an MVP winning season with Neptunas back in Lithuania last season so there were high hopes of what he could do in the NBL with the Bullets, but also a great unknown given European imports coming to the league are rare.

But one game in and Velička made history by becoming the first player to ever have 14 assists and five made three-pointers in the one game.

His 14 assists are also the most ever by a player in NBL history on debut and coach Will Weaver signed him for a reason and now one game in, by going the unconventional route he might have struck gold.

"I feel lucky to coach him and there were multiple times in tonight's game where I had a bad idea and he bailed me out with a good idea and good execution," Weaver said.

"So we're still building our chemistry and his teammates are still realising that oh man, I better get my hands up because he's gonna find you.

"I think after I fire my free-throw coach after tonight (team went 15/28), which I think is me, I'm pretty sure the points totals are going to increase and he's a complete player, and more importantly to me he's an incredible teammate and competitor.

"He might be from a long way away, but I don’t know anybody that embodies the Queensland spirit more than this guy."

Having played all his career up to this point besides an NBA Summer League appearances, Velička really had no idea what to expect coming into his NBL debut.

But when he saw the sold out crowd packing into Pat Rafter Arena in the pre-game on Tuesday night, he couldn’t help but get excited about what he was now part of in this new step in his career.

He then has no doubt that the Bullets fans played a big part in the comeback win throughout the second half and now one game in, Velička couldn’t be more excited about what the rest of NBL27 could hold for him and his new team in a new country and league.

"I really wanna thank the fans, they really came out and supported us like it was a final," Velička said.

"It felt like from the start of the game and even before the game it was a packed arena almost, and I was thinking what was happening and why is everybody so excited.

"I was really impressed and really proud for the city and the guys in the team, and everybody in the whole staff who created this whole arena.

"In the locker room, coach said the guys all worked all night yesterday to prepare this arena and this venue, and it was really impressive. It gave me a really great feeling about this season and I'm very excited."

Having a good point guard is one thing for any team, but pair him up with a dominant centre and more often than not it can be an unstoppable combination with the rest of the squad then playing their roles in and around them.

That's exactly what it looks like the Bullets have for NBL27 with Velička delivering his match-winning performance on debut and then the chemistry he already has with Bullets centre Tyrell Harrison was clearly evident.

Harrison finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and four blocks on 9/13 shooting from the field and then backing him up was energetic second-year big man Jacob Holt who was a +9 in his 11 minutes with six points and three rebounds.

That all means that another reason Velička is so excited for the season ahead with the Bullets is the pair of bigs that he's going to get to work with.

"Yeah, I think he's one of the best centres I've ever had as my partner," Velička said.

"My job is easy to find a guy like this who is going to finish every play and I just have to give him the ball.

"Jacob too, we worked on our pick-and-roll and I asked him to do one thing, and he completed it perfectly and got dunks and some good passes in the short roll.

"I think we're building and we're going to just keep getting better."