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‘Sky the limit’ for breakout star; issue still plaguing Ben... and the Giddey debate: Aussies in NBA

One week into the new NBA season, we’ve had our first look at the Aussies across the league, many of which are in new spots.

Ben Cotton and Andrew Jackson
14 min read
October 30, 2024 - 7:49AM
Giddey still feeling the love in OKC

One week into the new NBA season, we’ve gotten our first look at the Aussies across the league, many of which are in new spots.

That includes Dyson Daniels, who’s dazzled in a larger role for the Atlanta Hawks, while Josh Giddey is still adapting to the Chicago Bulls.

Below foxsports.com.au runs through the latest around every Aussie in the NBA.

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Below foxsports.com.au runs through the latest around every Aussie in the NBA.
Below foxsports.com.au runs through the latest around every Aussie in the NBA.

BEN SIMMONS (Brooklyn Nets)

Coming off several injury-ruined seasons, the priority for Simmons should largely be staying on the court and finding rhythm in his game.

Playing three of the first four games is a promising start from that regard, with Simmons being managed for Wednesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets.

The 28-year old has been held to a limited role for the Nets, averaging five points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 24 minutes per contest.

NBA analyst Bill Simmons has seen enough to suggest Simmons could be an intriguing watch either in a trade or on the buyout market, though moving his expiring $40 million contract could make a trade difficult to manoeuvre.

The Aussie said after the season opener against the Atlanta Hawks he was “a little gassed” in the first half and credited the Hawks for turning up the physicality in the third and fourth quarters.

“That’s on me to stay with it and keep attacking and still get my looks and not give the ball up to whoever I think is open,” he said.

Schroder rushes in to defend Simmons

The former All-Star looked more physical and assertive in his first two games of the season, but a passed layup against the Milwaukee Bucks suggests there’s still some mental demons for him to get over in being hesitant to get to the rim and foul line.

Simmons, who’s essentially played as a point centre, has also struggled with foul trouble as he tries to find a balance between aggression and leaving the Nets frontcourt exposed with Nic Claxton on a minutes restriction and Day’ron Sharpe unavailable.

Locked on Nets’ Erik Slater still wants to see more from Simmons, saying he “just hasn’t looked very good” after trailing off over the last two games.

“The main debilitating thing since the end of the 76ers and into his Nets tenure has been his lack of willingness to hunt his own shot, get to the rim, put pressure on defences … he’s just afraid to do it,” Slater said.

“There is no other way to put it. He’s scared to do these things. Is he always scared? No, he’ll do it in spurts. But he cannot do it consistently … and at this point I think I can say it will not change.”

JOSH GIDDEY (Chicago Bulls)

The new-look Bulls are still searching for their optimal mix and how to mesh Josh Giddey with the rest of their starters including the returning Zach LaVine.

This is a different Chicago side to the one from last season, with Giddey, who didn’t reach a contract extension with the Bulls amid reports the Aussie is seeking an annual $30 million plus payday, taking over the point guard position in a crucial season for the fourth-year guard.

The 22-year old has been solid in his first four games for the Bulls and continues to impact the game in multiple ways, averaging 14 points per game with 9.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists, without taking his game to another level.

But he now finds himself playing for an impatient fan base that has been long starved of success since that golden Michael Jordan era and ready to push for the playoffs again.

And so all Giddey’s shortcomings — including his defence and outside shooting — and in-game mistakes are naturally more scrutinised.

He had arguably his most productive game for Chicago yet in a 20-point comeback over the Memphis Grizzlies — putting up 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists with two triples and scoring four points in the clutch.

Like in his first three seasons, there’s been a mix of good and bad, but at times the things he does outside scoring get glossed over.

“There’s been a lot of talk recently about changing the line-ups for the Chicago Bulls,” Locked on Bulls’ Cordaro ‘Haize’ Johnson said

“Some fans are saying Ayo Dosunmu should be the starting point guard over Josh Giddey, but when you look at Ayo and Giddey’s numbers, I’m sorry but Giddey has played better in totality.

“Defensively, Dosunmu kills Giddey, but when you look at assists, rebounds, scoring, efficiency, Giddey is playing a pretty damn good game.

“People who can put their hate assist and objectively look at basketball can see Giddey has been solid. Has he been great? No. Has he been $30 million good? No. But he’s been paying pretty solid.”

JOSH GREEN (Charlotte Hornets)

We’ve gotten just one look at Green in a Charlotte uniform since his move from the Dallas Mavericks.

Green has been hampered by an Achilles issue that held him out of the Hornets’ season opener against the Houston Rockets and their game against the Miami Heat amid a 1-2 start for new coach Charles Lee’s team.

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The 23-year old in his sole Charlotte appearance against the Atlanta Hawks scored five points in 18 minutes off the bench. Until he’s fully healthy, much like the Hornets as a whole, it’s hard to get a true gauge of his role on this team.

Green is likely to step into the starting line-up when he gets up to speed, with his current injury status unclear ahead of the Hornets’ next contest against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday — a four-day break between games.

DYSON DANIELS (Atlanta Hawks)

If you bought pre-season stocks in Dyson Daniels following his trade from New Orleans centred around Dejounte Murray, you’d be feeling very good right now.

The 21-year old has shined in a bigger role for the Atlanta Hawks, with the defensive ace playing the third-most minutes of anyone on the team (averaging 31) in his most productive season yet in year three.

Daniels has put up career-highs across the board in points (13.3), field goal percentage (51 per cent), three-pointers (1.3), rebounds (4.7), steals (2.7, ranked fifth in the NBA) and blocks (1.3).

He also led the NBA in deflections going into Tuesday’s games (6.3) and has proven to be a great defensive pairing with offensive weapon Trae Young in Atlanta’s backcourt — arguably a better fit than with Murray.

Hall of Famer amazed by Daniels layup
Claxton EJECTED after foul on Daniels

“Dyson is a hell of a player,” Young said after the win over the Nets.

“I’m going to be probably over-complimenting him all year. Just playing with him, just playing alongside him so far, it’s been fun.

“He’s going to make my job a lot easier on both ends. Not just defensively, offensively (too). He cuts, he’s smart. I can get him the ball, and if there’s not something there, he’s coming right back to another action.

“He’s just a smart player. (He’s) a young player still trying to establish himself. But I feel like here in Atlanta, he’s going to do that really well and put himself on the map even more.”

Indeed, the former Pick 8 is very much proving himself as an NBA player in his new team.

One of the best on-ball defenders in the league, Daniels has been charged with some of the toughest defensive assignments and thrived.

He’s also impressed with his work off the ball, shooting well or at least well enough to be a threat, working off the ball in cutting lanes to always be an option.

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went off for a season-best 35 points against Atlanta, only seven of Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35 points came against Daniels as a primary defender without a switch, according to ESPN.

“Anytime you see someone guarding with both the combination of being able to contain and also to be able to make plays and not get out of position – you’re seeing your teammate doing that – you’re forced to kind of raise your level,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said after the game.

JOE INGLES (Minnesota Timberwolves)

The 37-year old joined the Timberwolves to provide a calm veteran presence more than anything.

But he’s seen the court in all three of the team’s games so far, even if only in short spurts, playing seven, five and six minutes respectively.

This is a deep Minnesota roster, particularly after trading Karl Anthony-Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, so Ingles has largely kept Pick 8 draftee Rob Dillingham out of the rotation

Ingles in the pre-season spoke about his chemistry with Rudy Gobert following their stint together at the Jazz — a connection already showing early with the Wolves.

“I had eight years with him (Gobert) and six of them we played pretty big minutes together for a while,” Ingles said at media day.

“I wouldn’t know the number but a lot of pick and rolls. I think us both over those six or seven years understanding each other and what works for us both... obviously for me it was trying to get him the ball the easiest way and that was a big part of it, and then obviously Mike coming in late and helping us both.

“It’ll be fun to play with him again. A lot of that stuff comes natural once we get out there together again, you just automatically go back to some of the things that happened. Obviously different coach, different system, whole different state but excited to be back out there with him and Mike (Conley).”

Wolves coach Chris Finch said of the Ingles-Gobert pairing after the win over the Raptors: “(Ingles is) a great Rudy partner I think we’ve seen that for many years in Utah … that’s one reason I try to play him when Rudy’s out there”

PATTY MILLS (Utah Jazz)

Mills is playing more minutes for this Jazz team than expected despite being thought of as a culture and locker room guy to provide mentorship and advice to the younger players.

The Aussie veteran played 18, 16 and 10 minutes in the team’s first three games — including scoring seven points on 1-for-5 from three-point range in the game against Golden State with a steal and block.

Mills then went scoreless against the Grizzlies and Mavericks.

It’s hard to say how consistent his on-court role will look like throughout the season, and you’d think he won’t see the court some games.

Jordan Clarkson, who’s family relocated to San Antonio — where Mills spent 10 seasons — said the 36-year old Aussie was “like a legend to me” and that “I be fangirling.”

Mills was taken aback by the response from Clarkson and said he’d quickly formed a relationship with the guard.

“I don’t know if I would expect that reaction,” he said.

He’s someone who I very quickly got to know really well here, obviously being here for a long time, we connected very well both on and off the court. Basically my message (was), ‘I’m here to help you. I’m here to help this group’.

“But knowing his background, knowing where he grew up in that San Antonio community and being over there throughout that time, I guess it is surprising but at the same time it is exciting for me to play with someone who understands the game really well and has that freedom of play style.”

Mills on playing opening night for a new team ...

“This one for sure felt different and I think coming here and really getting to do my research about Utah and connecting with the community and understanding the fanbase a little bit... I think for me it was trying to find the meaning of being a Jazz player in Utah and I think for opening night, it brought levels of different meaning... it definitely felt different than the others.”

Mills on defending in an elbow mismatch footwork drill at practice almost in more of an assistant coach role with Lauri Markannen ...

“Understanding my value here and what I can bring to this team and my teammates comes in many different ways and that was another example of being able to defend Lauri, who’s probably going to get a tonne of different looks and one of those looks is mismatches and how he can get comfortable with shorter guys playing up and under him.”

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DANTE EXUM (Dallas Mavericks)

Exum just can’t catch a break.

The Dallas Mavericks guard sustained a serious right wrist injury during training camp and underwent surgery which ESPN’s Shams Charania reports will sideline him for three months.

It’s the latest setback in Exum’s career, having recently dislocated his finger in the second quarter of Australia’s exhibition game against France ahead of the Paris Olympics.

There’s been no update since on when he could get back on the court.

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JOHNNY FURPHY (Indiana Pacers)

Furphy made his NBA debut against the Knicks, playing five minutes in the blowout loss — where he missed his only three-point attempt of the game — going 0-3 from the field.

While the Pick 35 draftee, who missed the entire preseason with ankle injuries, isn’t expected to get much court time for the now 1-3 Pacers, coach Rick Carlisle said the team was impressed with what they’ve seen from the Furphy.

“We really like him as a prospect,” Carlisle said on Tuesday.

“In the short stretches where he has competed in practice, he has done really well. His youthful looks belie his toughness. He is a tough kid and is from a tough family; his brother plays Australian rules football.

“I know I heard in one of the polls he was rated as the biggest steal in the draft to get him at 35, so those are all great things.”

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MATISSE THYBULLE (Portland Trail Blazers)

Thybulle underwent a pre-season procedure to address inflammation in the right knee, with the Trail Blazers confirming he is expected to miss up to four weeks.

It’s the last thing Thybulle needed given he was already going to be battling for minutes off the bench given the glut of wing depth at Portland, who traded Deni Avdija this off-season.

Then you also add in the fact the rebuilding Trail Blazers are more likely to prioritise giving minutes to their younger wings like Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons, while Jerami Grant penned a five-year, $160 million contract extension with Portland in July last year.

In other words, as valuable as Thybulle’s defence and veteran presence is, he could hardly afford to miss the start of the season given the competition for minutes in Portland’s rotation.

Still, this is a Portland team that could look different after the trade deadline, with the potential for Thybulle himself to get moved or others to open up playing time for the defensive specialist.

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DUOP REATH (Portland Trail Blazers)

Reath has seen very limited minutes, buried in Portland’s frontcourt rotation behind Deandre Ayton and Pick 7 rookie Donovan Clingan — unlike last season when Reath was Ayton’s backup.

The 28-year old has played four and three minutes against the Pelicans and Warriors respectively — both blowout games - they blew out pelicans, got blown out by warriors

Like Thybulle, Reath may struggle to find regular minutes outside of specific match-ups or game situations where Portland needs a floor-spacing big, with Ayton locked as the starter and Clingan the long-term project Portland will want to develop.

It leaves Reath as the third option, although if the Portland coaching staff needed reminding Reath left a lasting impression as he scored 14 points to go with five rebounds and three steals in his final preseason game.

Perhaps Reath’s best avenue to more playing time Ayton getting moved ahead of trade deadline, or the Aussie big man finding a new home himself.

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JACK MCVEIGH (Houston Rockets)

On a two-way deal with the Rockets, McVeigh is yet to play and was assigned to Rockets’ G League team the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, with the G League season kicking off on November 9.

While Houston is one of the most exciting up-and-coming teams in the NBA, it also has one of the deepest rotations, struggling to find minutes for its highly-rated young guns as is.

Still, McVeigh has quickly become a fan favourite of sorts in Houston.

McVeigh made the most of his playing time in the preseason, coming up clutch in a 122-113 win over the Thunder with a buzzer-beater to send the game to overtime.

The former Tasmania JackJumpers sharpshooter later drained a thee-pointer to seal the deal late in the extra period, proving just how valuable he can be for the Rockets on limited touches.

The Houston front office seems to have recognised it too, with McVeigh surviving the roster cuts and likely to remain on a two-way deal which will see him play for both the Rockets and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their G League affiliate.

There is, however, still a chance that he could earn the final spot on their 15-man roster.

Unlike Reath and Thybulle, McVeigh isn’t the kind of player who needs big minutes to have an impact and could be a valuable shooting piece for Houston off the bench moving forward.

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JOCK LANDALE (Houston Rockets)

Like Reath’s situation in Portland, the Rockets frontcourt is suddenly crowded following the addition of Steven Adams.

It means Landale is now behind Alperen Sengun and Adams in the big man rotation for Ime Udoka’s team, with the 29-year old Aussie centre playing limited minutes.

But with Sengun struggling in the Rockets’ loss to San Antonio over the weekend, Landale produced his clear best game yet this season — racking up 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting with 2 rebounds in 14 minutes.

In a rematch against the Spurs on Tuesday, however, Landale drew a DNP despite Sengun playing just 26 minutes.

The on/off splits showing lineups with Landale haven’t been favourable either, albeit in a small sample size.

Landale is contracted with the Rockets until the 2027 season on a four-year, $32 million deal.

ALEX DUCAS (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Ducas has played two, three and one minutes in all three games so far this season — in three blowout OKC wins — perhaps in the best spot to play in garbage time, such is how good this team looks.

But you’d think the former Saint Mary’s guard, signed a two-way contract with the Thunder after going undrafted, could spend a good chunk of his time with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the OKC Blue, given Oklahoma City has plenty of guard depth on its roster.

Ducas did more than enough to remain on his two-way deal despite missing Summer League through injury, impressing in five preseason games.

Daniels dazzles in first game for Hawks

His best effort came against the New Zealand Breakers, with Ducas scoring 15 points to go with four rebounds in a performance that drew praise from Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.

“We are still learning him,” Daigneault said of Ducas after the game.

“He’s got a fearlessness about him with how he shoots the ball. But he’s a complete game as well; he’s not just a shooter.

“He found a really good cut tonight. He is in the right spots defensively. He is really verbal and vocal.

“He has a great spirit to him inside the team so he has made a really good impression to start despite not playing Summer League. He was hurt during the Summer League, and I thought that set back his trajectory a little bit early and he has caught up nicely. He is doing a nice job.”

LUKE TRAVERS (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Yet to play in the NBA yet, you’d expect Travers to also be a G League project player for the Cavaliers when the NBA’s minor league organisation starts up next month.

Travers, who was drafted by the Cavaliers with the 56th overall pick two years ago, finally earned a two-way deal after a strong season with Melbourne United.

The 23-year-old guard rebounded well during the preseason and has the right kind of scrappy mentality that will win over coaches, although he’ll likely need to improve his shooting to earn any minutes in the NBA, should injuries open up an opportunity.

For the time being, Travers will likely start the season with Cleveland’s G League affiliate, the Charge.

Originally published as ‘Sky the limit’ for breakout star; issue still plaguing Ben... and the Giddey debate: Aussies in NBA

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/basketball/sky-the-limit-for-breakout-star-issue-still-plaguing-ben-and-the-giddey-debate-aussies-in-nba/news-story/3c035308f155af964f5a21374dbd2cfc