Maldonado just wants to help Bullets improve

A rollercoaster ride over the last month now has Hunter Maldonado settling at the Brisbane Bullets and fresh off one of the best point guard performances this NBL season, he just wants to help his new team win.

Maldonado started the season with the South East Melbourne Phoenix where he played the first 10 games before suffering an interruption with a concussion.

He missed three matches after suffering the knock against Melbourne United in a Throwdown before returning against the Illawarra Hawks and playing another six matches with the Phoenix.

That included delivering 18 points, five rebounds and two assists in his last game for South East Melbourne in a win ironically against the Bullets back on December 20.

That's where the ride took a wild turn over a couple of weeks with Maldonado released by the Phoenix and then subsequently signing as an injury replacement after Dakota Mathias fractured a scapula.

That led to more frustration when he had to miss three games for the Bullets he could have played against Melbourne, Sydney and Perth because he hadn’t received his clearance in time.

That finally came through in time for him play the Adelaide 36ers back on January 4 where he was instrumental in the strong showing with 16 points and nine assists.

Then in the Sunshine Stoush in Cairns on Monday night, he starred with 31 points, six rebounds and five assists while going 13/18 at the foul line.

In summing up what the past month has been like, Maldonado is still trying to let it all settle but the 26-year-old is a well-travelled professional so he has taken it on the chin.

"It's been a lot of stop and go and obviously I was coming off the concussion and played the few games, and then had a nice little break before I came here," Maldonado said.

"Then once I got here again it was start stopping and having to wait three games to play, and then again even having this game delayed meant it's been a lot of stop and go, and a lot of travel.

"But at the end of the day I've got to come in here and give all the energy I can to the guys, and find a way to help the team get better and to help myself get better."

Maldonado was part of a deep team at the Phoenix particularly in terms of guards with Owen Foxwell, Nathan Sobey, Angus Glover, Daniel Foster and Wes Iwundu all also spending time with the ball in their hands.

But this Bullets team was crying out for an extra ball handler to help captain Mitch Norton with the playmaking duties, and Maldonado has filled that void wonderfully well two games in even if a win has so far alluded him and the side.

"Obviously so far it's been pretty fun (having more responsibility) but it's also just because of the guys I'm around and them trusting me, and coach trusting me to go out there and find a way to help them out and continue to get better," Maldonado said.

"At the end of the day and I've said this since the first day I got here, we have to find a way to continue to get better and obviously we're playing hard, and this was a good game of playing hard and going out there and competing.

"It's about continuing to take those steps of doing the right things and the chips will fall eventually."

A significant reason that Maldonado decided to stick around in the NBL immediately after parting company with South East Melbourne was the opportunity that was presented to him at the Bullets to be their starting point guard, and main ball handler and playmaker.

The other significant factor for him was that interim coach Darryl McDonald desperately wanted him and could see plenty of himself from his three-time championship winning 486-game NBL career in Maldonado.

"It helps out a lot and he is a big reason why I came here just with his IQ and his pedigree," Maldonado said.

"Obviously there's a lot of similarities so he sees what I'm seeing and he's able to help me on the sidelines, and I think the relationship is only going to build and it will keep building.

"By the end of the day we'll all keep on getting better because of that."