Bullets thriving by stepping up to plate

Casey Prather stepped up when Josh Bannan got hurt, Isaac White did the same in the absence of James Batemon on Christmas Eve and it's that no excuses mentality that has the Brisbane Bullets among the NBL's hottest teams.

At no point all season long have the Bullets been at full strength in NBL25 and already championship winning pair Sam McDaniel and Jarred Bairstow have had season-ending surgeries, and 51-point hero James Batemon is in a race against time to get back from a hamstring injury.

Deng Adel and Josh Bannan are two more key players to miss significant time and the Bullets did lose their first three matches, but at no point have they wanted to use excuses and now the rewards are coming.

The Bullets head into Christmas fresh off a 21-point win in Adelaide which gives them five wins in their past six matches to be currently sitting in fourth position with a 9-8 record.

Once again, what stood out was someone stepping into an injured player's shoes with Isaac White earning the first start of 127-game NBL career and having 18 points in the first 12 minutes, and hitting 20 for the first time on his way to 22.

He filled the role of Batemon perfectly just as Prather has thrived when playing in the starting power forward spot while Bannan was out injured, and coach Schueller can't help but marvel at the resilience of his group.

"Through negative things that have happened to us this year with injuries we've been able to find a lot of positives," Schueller said.

"Whitey was that positive tonight, Casey was when Banno when out and he gave us that advantage to play him in that position, and now he's really rolling. I couldn’t be prouder of how he goes about it and who he's being for us."

Throughout his entire career Prather has always thrived on his explosiveness and athleticism, and has always seen himself as a three man including as part of two championships at the Perth Wildcats and another with Melbourne United.

He still sees himself as that wing, but through necessity Schueller wanted him to play in the four spot and never was it clearer why than on Christmas Eve in Adelaide when neither Montrezl Harrell nor Jarell Martin could go with him.

"I wouldn’t say it was tough to get him (Prather) to buy into playing the four, it was just about him understanding the advantages he can have," Schueller said.

"For Casey to believe in what we asked him to do and come back a little earlier to do the work, he's getting the reward for that and it's so good to see. I also think his best is still coming because there's some things there we are asking of him and he continues to work on his craft."

Not only have the Bullets won five of their past six matches, but in each of those wins they have scored in triple-figures and averaged 111.6 points.

In those five wins, Prather is averaging 29.4 points, Keandre Cook 24.4, and Tyrell Harrison 18.6 points and 11.0 rebounds.

Schueller likes the way they continue to find their advantages and ways to exploit whoever their opponents are.

"I think for the last month we've really understood where our advantages can be on the floor at the offensive end," he said.

"Our scoring rate probably shows that and the reason we brought Whitey into that spot was so we could continue to play the way that we have been.

"Banno coming in off the bench has been a real luxury it's felt like too to come in and have an impact too. Everyone understands how we need to play and when we share the ball we're tough to guard as a team.

"The way we shared the ball again, found the kick outs and saw our advantages was something we did a good job of from start to end."

While Schueller continues to marvel at the way his Bullets players take all challenges before them and don't make excuses, at the same time he would much rather not have to be dealing with injuries.

While Bairstow and McDaniel won't be back in NBL25, Adel is nearing a return from hand surgery and the Bullets are hopeful of a Batemon return sometime in January where Schueller hopes they can finally be close to full strength.

"There's a little bit of mixed feelings with it because you have disappointment when guys take injuries and the effect that can have on the group," Schueller said.

"But then there's so much pride of how we haven’t allowed it to make us waver and we've kept going forward in the way we want to play, and the way we want to operate.

"We had that slow start but there was never a lack of belief in what we can do, it was just about having to figure some things out and that's the pride part I've got in the group right now.

"Whatever challenge we're thrown, no one shies away from it and we're still not a finished product either. We've still got more in us to go."