Bannan shows great heart, toughness for Bullets

Justin Schueller wanted to build the Brisbane Bullets around Josh Bannan when he was appointed coach and nothing illustrates why more than his efforts this week to play through a knee complaint, and with the leadership he's shown.

When Bannan slipped in the fourth quarter and injured a knee in Gippsland on Saturday night, he was having his best game of the season with 23 points and nine rebounds, and the Bullets were still in the game at that point.

That quickly changed with his night ending early with Tyrell Harrison already missing, and then Deng Adel and Emmett Naar's evenings already over, but then the next 72 hours were quite the rollercoaster.

There were times before Wednesday night's home game for the Bullets against the Perth Wildcats that Bannan thought he would be sidelined at least for the rest of the season.

However, the scan results came back on Tuesday night only revealed bone bruising that Bannan then became determined to play through and he did that admirably.

He showed tremendous toughness and a commitment to the cause by scoring 10 quick points to start the game, and to end up with 20 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes.

It was a brave showing from the 23-year-old despite the frustration of the 27-point loss.

"To be honest with you it was a wild 72 hours. There was a point there we thought it could be something quite long-term, a point there it could be three or four weeks and pretty much be my season," Bannan said.

"I just very grateful that I got a call last night to get the opportunity to allow myself to play, and I have extreme gratitude that I was in the position to be able to play.

"After having missed so many games through injury, it's a privilege to suit up and to play basketball. I was happy to be out there but obviously it's disappointing with the result."

After the loss to the Wildcats, Bannan didn’t mince words when calling out some of his teammates for potentially trying to preserve themselves as Perth built a big lead.

"There's definitely a sense of frustration. We came out with some good intent and there's a patch there where we started to try to save ourselves knowing how many bodies we've got, and trying to prevent fatigue as the game goes on," Bannan said.

"I think that to me makes it hard to look at yourselves after the game in the mirror. That's the type of thing where I'd prefer to go balls to the wall until I can't no more and run out of legs, and live with the fact that we just didn’t have enough tonight.

"I think we were guilty of not giving it all early and putting ourselves in a hole. I think we came out with great intent at the start of the third quarter and then got away from what was working again."

What frustrated Bannan by the potential of having teammates trying to keep something in the tank knowing they were low on numbers and have a game at home to Cairns on Friday was that it's not the mindset he wants to see.

Now with six games to go, four wins will just about guarantee the Bullets a top six finish and three could get them there, but he wants them to be shooting to win all six starting against the Snakes.

"You absolutely cannot afford that and you want to make the playoffs, but you also have to set goals to be more ambitious than just trying to slide into the six," Bannan said.

"You have to chase wins to control your own destiny here and now with six games to go our intent has to be to win every single game so that there is no shadow of doubt that we're in.

"We have to change our effort levels and they have to be better than the way they were tonight so that's something between now and Friday that everyone, myself absolutely included, has to do."

With the Bullets missing Harrison for both games over the last four days against South East Melbourne and Perth, and then also without fellow centre Rocco Zikarsky against the Wildcats, Bannan's had to spend significant time in the five spot.

That has opened up opportunities for him to take advantage when matched up on some five men. He's delivered 43 points the last two games, but he credits having a more aggressive mindset more so than the position change.

"There's definitely a little bit of something there in terms of some different opportunities to face up with some of the fives and to play a little bit differently," Bannan said.

"But I do genuinely believe that the biggest thing has been a change of intent that I've had and I think seeking physicality, and just growing confidence and comfort while finding a rhythm has been a big part.

"It's obviously disappointing to have Ty out because he gives us so much, he's an unbelievable basketball player, but I'm trying to help plug the hole there and helping us however I can."