Brisbane will face Adelaide on Sunday without Max Mackinnon and Lay Mayen, adding two more absences to an injury list that was already testing the Bullets’ depth. Mackinnon has been ruled out with concussion, while Mayen will miss the Round 7 game with an undisclosed issue. Neither has a confirmed return date.
The NBL confirmed both withdrawals on Saturday. Arnas Velička, Sam McDaniel and Jacob Holt are also unavailable, leaving coach Will Weaver short of options across the backcourt and forward rotation. The league injury register lists Holt and McDaniel as targeting Round 10 and Velička as targeting Rounds 11–12; those are estimates, not clearances.
Mackinnon's absence is particularly awkward. He contributed 14 points and seven rebounds in Brisbane's 98–81 win at Illawarra last Saturday, a useful two-way performance from a guard who can help the Bullets hold their shape when the offence stalls. Mayen's withdrawal removes another forward option. Losing both at once puts more pressure on the players already absorbing extra responsibilities.
Nate Hinton remains a central piece of that equation. Before Thursday's Cairns game, he had scored in double figures in each of Brisbane's first eight matches and was averaging 18.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a league-leading 2.6 steals. Raul Neto's first start against Illawarra brought 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Archie Woodhill added 10 points and five rebounds. Those earlier performances offer useful role context, but they do not establish Sunday's minutes or starting five. The NBL's account of Brisbane's reshuffled rotation underlines how heavily the club has leaned on its replacement players.
Adelaide arrive with a different kind of momentum. Friday's 108–101 victory over the Breakers featured 31 points from Bryce Cotton, 21 from John Jenkins III and 17 apiece from Zylan Cheatham and Nick Rakocevic. That supporting cast was exactly what Trevor Gleeson had been seeking, and Brisbane now have fewer healthy bodies to throw at it. Adelaide's improved scoring balance makes this more than a one-man defensive assignment.
For NBL Fantasy Draft managers, the confirmed outs make Hinton, Neto and Brisbane's available forwards worth monitoring for additional opportunity, not automatic waiver claims or guaranteed usage spikes. SuperCoach decisions should also account for the fact this is Brisbane's final Round 7 game, rather than treating a single match as a new double-game opportunity. The Buckets NBL SuperCoach guide is a useful starting point for fixture strategy. Brisbane visit the 36ers at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday 1 November at 4.30pm ACDT; the final active roster will matter as much as the names on the injury list.
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