This year's NBA season begins now, marking the first time in a ten years that Aussie two most prominent basketball stars – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are teamless.
Their absence signals a changing of the guard, as Australian guard pair Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels step up as essential players for playoff aspirants, with new nine-figure contracts making them some of the country's highest athletic income generators.
They aren't the only ones. A group of 14 Aussies are set to compete for playing time across the NBA, including veteran centres Jock Landale and Duop Reath, up-and-coming forwards in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to intriguing draftees like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.
After protracted negotiations with the Chicago Bulls, the guard ultimately inked his rookie extension worth US$100 million ($153m) over four seasons recently. It's a major deal for the Melburnian, but in league standards it is affordable for Giddey’s position and profile as a lead playmaker. The reluctance for Chicago’s front office to offer a max deal means the 23-year-old enters this season with much to prove.
After being moved by the Thunder at the beginning of last season, he observed as his old team stormed to the NBA championship in his absence. As the Chicago look to make the playoffs in the weaker East, he will have to demonstrate his shooting and defensive skills are starter-worthy or else he may slide towards the league's outskirts.
The guard agreed to the identical contract as his counterpart this week, and after his MIP honor last year, the Hawks player's career has skyrocketed in the city following his exit from the Pelicans. He is now lauded as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and topped the league in steals with three per game – over one full steal per game greater than the total of the runner-up.
Performing next to flamboyant Trae Young in the Hawks, the 22-year-old can be effective this campaign as a playmaking option and elite defender as long as the Hawks advance to the postseason. But if he can improve his three-point shooting, which was below league average last season, and keep develop his passing and attacking, he could become one of the league’s most well-rounded players.
Pacers wing Furphy has emerged as a fan favourite in Indiana following a series of highlight-reel dunks in pre-season. His athletic displays led league figure Pat Beverley to describe him as the “top Caucasian leaper we’ve seen in a long time”, and an invite to the mid-season dunk contest could be on the table.
Following logging just eight minutes per game over 50 games in his debut season, the ex- college player is in contention for a Indiana lineup that might favor youth following injury to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.
Guard Proctor fell in the NBA Draft down to the second round, where playoff hopefuls the Cavaliers selected him. The Cavs are front-runners to make the NBA finals from the Eastern Conference, so it would be unusual for a first-year player taken in the second round to see much court time. But the Australian has seen minutes in exhibition play, and his NBA-ready shot gives him a opportunity to make an impact.
Seasoned big man Jock Landale has a opportunity to claim the starting five position in the Grizzlies given highly-touted Zach Edey will be out for the start of the season after a surgical procedure.
In Portland, Duop Reath is the veteran backup to young centres Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could see consistent action if the Blazers become in the hunt. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is expected to be deployed as a defensive spark in a reserve role.
In Charlotte, Josh Green’s off-season shoulder procedure has left him with no return date to come back. The player still has a deal for the upcoming year, but will not want to allow his teammates at the developing Hornets an excessive advantage. And a physical issue has already slowed Dante Exum, who has a knee complaint and has missed key exhibition opportunities in Dallas.
Additionally, there are those who are unlikely to see a lot of, if any, court time this year. Thirty-eight-year-old Joe Ingles is back in Minnesota, but seems to be primarily a mentor keeping Anthony Edwards in check.
Rocco Zikarsky is likely to be nurtured by Minnesota Timberwolves through their affiliate team. Other rookies Lachlan Olbrich in Chicago and Alex Toohey for the Golden State Warriors are also in the development pipeline, while the experienced Luke Travers will be aiming to win playing time with his compatriot for the Cavs.
If there were any doubts Mills was planning to end his career, he addressed it with a training clip shared on his social media recently, showing the 37-year-old is still sharp and determined on securing one more league deal.
What Simmons is thinking is uncertain after an break in his homeland, going fishing and using with a football. Although he took to social media recently to reject suggestions he was done, the 29-year-old – an All Star as recently as 2021 – has not yet surface.
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