Bullets leave Gold Coast Blitz champions

Winning isn't always the most important thing in a pre-season, but Brisbane Bullets coach Justin Schueller wants his team to start getting used to success and can't be happier with how they now enter NBL25.

On the back of pre-season wins prior to the Blitz against the Shanghai Sharks, Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix, and a loss at the death without a host of key players to the Adelaide 36ers, the Bullets cleaned up over the past week on the Gold Coast.

With the last up win over the Cairns Taipans on Saturday after earlier defeating Melbourne and South East Melbourne, Brisbane won the Loggins-Bruton Cup as Blitz champions with coach Schueller delighted for his group to get that winning feeling leading into NBL25.

"We're at a stage of our program where we need to try and win everything we can so winning in the pre-season probably means more to us than some others," Schueller said.

"If we're going to play a game, we're always going to be a team out there to try and get the result.

"So for us to continue to build those habits and what it looks like for us while integrating a new crew of athletes into the system and for it to continue to progress regardless of who we put out there is really the pleasing thing at this point.

"We know we still have a long way to go and we know winning the Blitz doesn't count for anything going into the season and we have to get to work. But the fact that we were able to out and beat Tasmania and Melbourne, and take on our rival Cairns then it's pleasing and positive for the club right now."

There were good signs everywhere during the Blitz including what Rocco Zikarsky was able to show, how Deng Adel is settling in along with Keandre Cook, James Batemon, Tohi Smith-Milner, Jarred Bairstow, and the leadership of Mitch Norton, Casey Prather and Isaac White.

Without doubt, though, the star was Tyrell Harrison who won the Ray Borner Medal on the back of averaging 17.3 points and 7.0 rebounds on shooting 64.3 per cent from the floor and 84.2 at the foul line.

"I don't think Tyrell is a secret anymore, I think he's showing what we've known inside the walls for a while that he's ready to take a leap," Schueller said.

"Just the way the team has gotten around him this pre-season has been great to see and to see not only how well he performed, but to also get recognised for that."

It's not just Harrison that has been impressive in the front court in the pre-season for the Bullets, with Next Star Zikarsky and new arrival Adel also showing exciting signs.

That's still with Josh Bannan to return to that mix up front as well and Schueller is looking forward to having all his tools available to see exactly what they are capable of producing together.

"I keep saying that I don't really know what we've got just yet because Sam McDaniel and Josh Bannan haven’t really hit the floor with us, but that's an exciting problem right now to integrate those two back in," Schueller said.

"We knew what we were getting with Deng and we knew he'd have an impact, and I'm just pleased for him that he's been able to continue to play the right way and find where his advantages are.

"Casey Prather as well, is getting meaningful minutes and impacting every time and then there's guys like Bairstow and Tohi Smith-Milner who are integrating a new system and find their ways to impact.

"One through 12 we feel pretty good about everyone coming in, working their tail off to do their job and that's all I can ask."