With the 2022-23 NBL season shaping as one of the most closely fought yet, Brisbane coach James Duncan has challenged his players to match the standards of the team's former NBA stars.
A plethora of international and Australian talent will take to the court when the new NBL season tips off on October 1, not least at the Bullets where Boomers centre Aron Baynes will headline.
The 2014 NBA champion will team up in Queensland with his Olympic bronze-medal teammate Nathan Sobey and former Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets guard Tyler Johnson.
Baynes and Johnson have racked up 873 NBA appearances between them and will bolster a Bullets side that struggled with patchy form last season to finish eighth with a 36 per cent win record.
The 35-year-old Baynes is a brick wall in the paint and will deter even the bravest of drives to the hoop, and Bullets coach James Duncan has warned the rest of his players they need to aspire to the same level as their new teammate.
"If you ever stand next to the man, he can be imposing. Either he's blocking it or someone's getting hit hard," Duncan said of Brisbane's new recruit.
"If you want to play (for Brisbane) then you're going to sit down and guard and get rebounds.
"There seems to be enough depth that if someone chooses not to do that, they can take a seat beside me. They don't have a choice."
Baynes and Johnson are not the only NBA stars bringing their skills down under.
Rayjon Tucker is Melbourne United's latest recruit, with the guard a solid replacement for Matthew Dellavedova who has returned to the NBA with the Sacramento Kings.
Former Detroit Pistons and G-League guard Derrick Walton Jr will lace up for reigning champions the Sydney Kings after MVP Jaylen Adams departed the club.
South East Melbourne Phoenix have secured the services of imposing Chinese centre Zhou Qi after the towering 7ft 1in (2.2 metres) shot blocker signed on for another season.
Their front court is stacked, with the acquisition of Alan Williams who played for the Nets and Phoenix Suns between 2015 and 2019.
Do not sleep on C.J. Bruton and the Adelaide 36ers either.
Coach Bruton's side have pinched Robert Franks from the Bullets and 2021 NBL defensive player of the year Antonius Cleveland from Illawarra.
The 36ers managed 10 wins list time out, but their signings paired with players such as Mitch McCarron and Daniel Johnson look likely to have Adelaide back in the hunt.
Across the Nullarbor, there is a blend of old and new in Perth with Boomers Olympic medal-winning assistant John Rillie appointed coach of the Wildcats.
Perth have former MVP Bryce Cotton at their disposal again, with veterans Jesse Wagstaff and Todd Blanchfield steering the ship for another year.
The mercurial Tahjere McCall and high-flying Keanu Pinder headline Cairns' roster for 2022-23, while last year's finalists Tasmania said goodbye to imports Josh Adams and MiKyle McIntosh but kept the services of American guard Josh Magette.
Across the Tasman, New Zealand will show off a revamped roster after losing a handful of last year's squad to the NBA and overseas clubs.
Illawarra are another team with a new coach, with Jacob Jackomas replacing 683-cap legend Brian Goorjian at the helm.
The NBL season tips off on Saturday with a double-header beginning with South East Melbourne against Tasmania, followed by Illawarra taking on the Sydney Kings.
