The Brisbane Bullets have confirmed star point guard Arnas Velicka will be sidelined until early December with a lower-limb injury, a major blow for the NBL’s assists leader and his side.
The club confirmed the news on Monday 12 October, NBL.com.au reported, after Velicka was hurt in the Bullets’ Round 4 loss to the Cairns Taipans on Thursday night.
“Following Thursday’s game, Arnas VeliÄka has been ruled out due to a lower-limb injury and is expected to return at the start of December,†a club spokesperson said. “A further update will be provided once the waivers have been approved by the NBL.â€
The 26-year-old Lithuanian is averaging 13.8 points and a league-leading 10.2 assists per game, according to NBL.com.au.
Saturday report proved on the mark
ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reported on Saturday that Velicka had suffered a quad injury expected to sideline him for “approximately 8 weeksâ€, and that the team was aiming for him to return after the November FIBA window, as reported by NBL.com.au. The club’s statement on Monday described it as a lower-limb injury.
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Uluc also reported that the Bullets planned to sign a new guard in the short term. The club has not named a replacement, saying only that a further update will follow once waivers are approved.
Injury list grows for Weaver’s side
The blow leaves Will Weaver’s 2-3 Bullets without Velicka, Sam McDaniel and Taine Murray. Fox Sports reported that Jai Shadlow had reported former Taipans forward Mawot Mag would join the club as an injury replacement player while McDaniel is out.
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Velicka was one of the first signings of Weaver’s new era in Brisbane and had 23 points and 14 assists in a win on his NBL debut. “I had other options and I wanted to go EuroLeague but I would have been on the bench and I just want to play basketball because I have a love for it,†he told NBL.com.au at the time.
The Bullets next host the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Thursday from 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.
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