Nets’ clear Simmons message; rising star to make ‘huge jump’: Every Aussie in the NBA

Another NBA season is upon us and while Ben Simmons and Josh Giddey may be the headline players to watch, there are plenty of other Australians flying the flag.

Josh Green has been predicted to take a “huge jump” with an opportunity presenting itself at Dallas while rookie Dyson Daniels is looking to make his mark at New Orleans.

Here, foxsports.com.au profiles all the Australians to keep an eye on in the 2022-23 season.

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BEN SIMMONS (Brooklyn Nets)

There will arguably be no player under greater scrutiny this year than Simmons as he makes his long-awaited return to the court with new team Brooklyn.

Nets fans got an early glimpse at Simmons in his preseason debut against Philadelphia, playing 19 minutes and finishing with six points, four rebounds, five assists and one steal.

It was a solid showing from the Australian, who will only get better as he grows more comfortable at Brooklyn.

Fortunately for Simmons there is no expectation, at least internally, for him to get back to playing at a high level right away, at least on the offensive end.

With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant handling the ball, Simmons will just need to be a disruptive force in defence and help push the pace in transition.

The Nets got Simmons heavily involved in the offence in that preseason game against the Sixers, allowing him to grow in confidence as Durant and Irving took a backseat.

While there will be plenty of pressure coming from outside the organisation, Brooklyn coach Steve Nash made it clear he is not expecting Simmons to be an immediate revelation.

“I’m extremely excited about Ben, but it’s just not going to happen overnight,” he said.

“It’s a new group, new style of play, new roles, new teammates, new offence, new defence. All that stuff takes time.”

Durant said similar, telling reporters it is all about helping Simmons find his rhythm again.

“He hasn’t played in a long time, and to throw you back up in there with the game going fast, you can play pickup all you want but once you put someone in the game all that stuff goes out the window,” Durant said.

“So he’s getting his legs, quick move here and he’s figuring it out.”

Then you throw in the fact Simmons is returning from back surgery over the off-season and it only adds another element of uncertainty ahead of his return.

But the 26-year-old showed promising signs in the preseason game against the Sixers, driving aggressively towards the rim and Simmons said that will only continue to improve with time.

“Obviously, having back surgery and rehabbing, there’s a lot of things that physically I want to do that I’m not doing right now,” he said.

“Getting to the rim, getting hit, things like that, and hitting other people. But that’s all going to come. We’ve got time. So in due time, it’ll come.”

JOSH GIDDEY (Oklahoma City Thunder)

For Giddey, his sophomore season will be about two things.

First is figuring out his fit alongside backcourt partner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, although the 24-year-old is now sidelined with a grade two left MCL injury.

In its most recent update, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said “there is still hope” that Gilgeous-Alexander could return for the opening night game in Minnesota.

Regardless, Gilgeous-Alexander will be back on the court soon enough as he and Giddey work out how to best optimise each other’s talents.

Both players are better with their hands on the ball, with Giddey making a splash in his rookie season after showing off his elite vision and playmaking.

Giddey understands that the key to opening up his offence will be improving his shooting, getting to work in the off-season with new acquisition Chip Engelland.

Giddey described Engelland as “probably the best shooting coach in the world” when speaking with foxsports.com.au ahead of his second season in the league.

“Confidence is one of the biggest things,” Giddey said.

“I think that was one of the things for me last year. I missed a shot, I start overthinking things but Chip is different to any other coach I’ve ever had in the way he approaches [it].

“He’s not trying to change my whole shot or make one big difference. It’s just little things, it’s taking it day-by-day and making sure there’s always carry-over from some different sessions.

“He’s hard to explain. You’ve kind of got to be there and see what he does to understand how he works but he’s a shooting genius and that’s what gets me really excited.”

Giddey has looked his normal self in the preseason, flirting with triple-doubles while also showing improvements in his shooting as he becomes more of a scoring threat.

DYSON DANIELS (New Orleans Pelicans)

If Pelicans coach Willie Green had to use one word to describe Australian rookie Dyson Daniels it is “fearless”.

“Defensively he doesn’t get rattled by not being able to score the ball at times,” Green added.

“He’s 19 and to have that level of maturity is pretty spectacular to see.”

Daniels, who was selected by the Pelicans with their eighth overall pick in this year’s draft, only managed a few minutes in their third preseason game with an ankle injury.

The extent of the injury is not known yet, although he sprained the same ankle in his first game of the Summer League, which is a cause for concern.

Daniels did get through two preseason games though and Green is right in saying that the Australian made his presence felt on the defensive end.

The 19-year-old, who has been working out with Pelicans shooting mastermind Fred Vinson during the off-season, only shot 8-for-29 in the two games.

It will take time for Daniels to find his rhythm playing in New Orleans’ offence but he is already making big plays in defence, with eight steals and two blocks.

“My offence is coming along as well, but I think defence is what’s going to get me on the floor first,” Daniels said.

Daniels said he has been leaning on CJ McCollum early in the preseason as he continues to learn the Pelicans’ system while working on his jump shot has been a focus in the summer.

“The sky is the limit,” Green said of Daniels.

Speaking to foxsports.com.au, Pelicans beat writer William Guillory said he is expecting the franchise to bring Daniels “along slowly” but added that the Australian already adds plenty of value.

“I think they like them a lot for sure,” Guillory said.

“He was the one they targeted going into the draft, they were really excited to get him and I think he really sits into what they need to kind of balance out the backcourt.

“Last year, I think that was a big issue for the Pels, was just trying to find the right type of guards to put around BI [Brandon Ingram] and I think they wanted Zion [Williamson] to do a lot of the ball-handling and then once they settled on CJ [McCollum] and Jose [Alvarado] as their main kind of ball-handlers at the guard position, they needed somebody with a little bit more size, a little bit more defence.

“I think Dyson checks a lot of those boxes to complement what they have at the guard position. He’s got the potential to be exactly what this team needs and I think they’re going to try to bring him along slowly.”

JOE INGLES (Milwaukee Bucks)

Ingles’ time at Utah ended in devastating fashion, with the Australian veteran going down with a season-ending knee injury before being traded to Portland and later signed by Milwaukee.

Of course, the 35-year-old won’t be on the court right away for the Bucks, expected to return to the court in December at the earliest as he works his way back from a torn ACL. 

Bucks general manager Jon Horst told The Athletic that Ingles is doing “fantastic” in his recovery but is still a “way out”, with January a “more realistic” target.

Even still, there is already plenty of hype among the playing group as to what the Australian could offer, with Jrue Holiday telling reporters Ingles is a guy “you hate to play against”.

“He’s an a**hole playing against him, I’m not even gonna lie to you,” Holiday said.

“Playing against him is the worst because he’s physical, he’s kind of dirty and talks trash. But now that’s he on my team, I’m happy.”

Ingles averaged 7.2 points and 3.5 assists in his injury-impacted last season with Utah but Holiday and the rest of his teammates have not forgotten what their new signing can offer.

“Getting him back and getting him healthy, what he brings to our team and what he brings to the game, I love,” Holiday added.

“He can shoot, so he’s obviously an offensive threat, but the way that he passes and uses ball fakes, he’s super smart. He can finish at the rim.

“And then when he’s healthy, defensively he’s always been one of the guys guarding one of the best players. What he brings to our team, we definitely got better.”

Khris Middleton called Ingles a “huge competitor” while his reputation as a trash talker came up again, although thankfully for him it is a positive now that Ingles is a teammate.

“I think everyone knows about him and his trash talk, well maybe not, but playing against him, you know he’s a competitor,” Middleton said.

“He likes to compete. A guy that’s extremely skilled, very smart, can create a lot, can make the game easier for everybody on the court, can stretch the floor and shoot it with the best of them.

“To have another big ‘four’ that can handle, can shoot, can pass, can do a little bit of everything, I think he just makes our team so much deeper and so much tougher to guard.”

MATISSE THYBULLE (Philadelphia 76ers)

Thybulle is and always has been an excellent defender around the perimeter.

But Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers wants a little bit more from him, namely an improvement in his shooting so as to lift his ceiling on the offensive end as the Sixers shoot for the title.

So, Thybulle put in the work, spending time during the summer with Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard and renowned shooting coach Phil Beckner.

That was according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, who also reported that Rivers is most impressed by the fact Thybulle continues to put up shots even if they are not always falling.

“What I like is when he’s missing one, you don’t notice,” Rivers said.

“They actually swung to him the next play. He shot it again. So those are positive steps.”

Thybulle is 1-for-6 from beyond the arc in two preseason games against the Nets and Cavaliers, although Rivers is not too worried.

Again, it is all about the fact Thybulle is putting in the work. The results should come.

“It’s a work in progress,” Rivers said.

“All we can ask is he puts in the time, and I think he’s worked as hard as anybody. He put in a lot of time when it’s shot, but there are so many things that go into it when you’re not a good shooter.”

There is an incentive for Thybulle to continue to put in the work too, with a qualifying offer on the table worth $6.27 million for the 2023-24 season.

If he wants an extension or new free agency deal worth more, he will need to show improvement on the offensive end to go with his elite work in defence.

JOCK LANDALE (Phoenix Suns)

The Phoenix Suns are supposed to be an NBA contender. But the off-season has been eventful to say the least and bench production appears to still be a serious issue for Monty Williams.

Landale though could somewhat ease the headache for the Suns coach and has impressed so far in the preseason since being acquired by Phoenix as part of a trade with Atlanta.

The 26-year-old center had 12 points and six rebounds off the bench in Phoenix’s shock loss to the 36ers and backed it up with an even better showing against the Lakers.

Landale put up 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a block in that game as he looks to put his name forward for a back-up centre spot at the Suns.

Speaking to reports during the preseason, Suns superstar Chris Paul said Joe Ingles had put him in contact with Landale over the summer.

“Jock’s been a great, not only basketball player, but a good guy to be around,” Paul said.

“Joe Ingles put us on a text thread together. Joe was like we’ll get along and he wasn’t wrong. Jock’s been a great, not only basketball player, but a good guy to be around.”

Devin Booker also had praise for Landale, telling reporters the Australian is “making the right plays”.

JACK WHITE (Denver Nuggets)

It has been a whirlwind few months for Jack White, who was signed to the Denver Nuggets on a two-day contract after impressing at Summer League.

The former Melbourne United forward and Duke graduate is now not just sharing a locker room with two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, his locker is right next to the Serbian superstar.

“I’m loving it so far,” White told ‘The Basketball Show’.

“To be honest it’s all been a bit of a blur, it’s been pretty wild. I love the city, I love my teammates and love the culture of the team. I’ve been fortunate enough to be slotted next to him [Jokic] in the locker room, which is just surreal in itself, being in that sort of environment with him every day, speaking to him and seeing how he goes day-to-day about his business is pretty special, especially as a rookie.

“The cool thing about him is that as talented as he is as a basketball player, he’s such a regular, funny guy. He loves horses in Serbia, he’s always on his phone watching horse racing.”

White was unused in Denver’s first preseason game but had two points and three rebounds in just six minutes off the bench against Chicago.

The Australian forward is set to split his time with both the Nuggets and their G League affiliate the Grand Rapids Gold, likely depending on injuries to get his first NBA minutes.

For now though, White said he is just grateful for the opportunity to learn from NBA players that he grew up idolising.

“As a mentor, I’m slotted next to Joker and Aaron Gordon,” he said.

“AG and Jeff Green are more or less guys in my position that I’ve been able to learn from and match up on at practice. To have those guys around you is definitely not something I’m taking for granted.

“I get along well with all the guys, it’s such a great group. I feel like I’ve already improved so much as a player in this environment.”

PATTY MILLS (Brooklyn Nets)

You know what you are getting with Patty Mills and it won’t be any different this season as he looks to play a key role off the bench for one of the league’s title contenders.

Nothing really went to plan for Brooklyn last season, swept in the opening round of the playoffs by a red-hot Boston outfit that went all the way to the Finals.

It was a disappointing ending to a season that promised so much but with fellow Australian Ben Simmons ready to return and the off-court dramas with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving behind them, there is reason for optimism in Brooklyn.

Mills said as much to reporters recently, declaring there is a “night and day different feeling” when it comes to the team’s culture this season.

He knows the importance of culture when it comes to winning a title, having been part of a winning one in San Antonio and teammate Irving is well aware of Mills’ impact on the group.

“Everybody should be included in our success, and that’s what I believe Patty holds within our team,” Irving said.

“He’s a successful piece, he knows what it takes to be in an organisation, he knows what it’s like to build trust and also do it at the highest level. You need a guy like Patty Mills just simply to have the locker room synergised, but he also can give you minutes and quality play and can think out there for the young guys, as well as give us some veteran leadership.”

Mills was on fire from deep to start last season before dropping off as it progressed but his early hot streak showed just how valuable he can be as a bench option to lift the energy.

Offering an additional shooting option will also help space out the floor more for Simmons to thrive.

MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA (Sacramento Kings)

The Boomers veteran signed a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings after a successful workout for the team in Las Vegas in July.

Speaking to reporters at Sacramento’s media day, Dellavedova touched on reuniting with the franchise’s new coach Mike Brown, who he won a championship with in 2016 at Cleveland.

“I was lucky enough to have him in my rookie season and he really taught defensively so well and really gave me a great base and understanding of how to play NBA defence,” Dellavedova said.

“I think that’s really helped me throughout my whole career to have that great start because not a lot of coaches are so detail-oriented and to be able to get that right at the beginning proved a solid base, I think that’s the biggest thing that I probably took from him my rookie season.”

With the Kings already boasting plenty of depth at the guard position it was always going to be a challenge for Dellavedova to get regular minutes off the bench.

The 32-year-old has failed to score a single point in either of Sacramento’s two preseason games, although he has also averaged just nine minutes.

Regardless, more than anything having a guy of Dellavedova’s experience can only be beneficial for the Kings’ young players, even if he is not having as much of an impact on the court.

Speaking at media day, Dellavedova said his body was feeling “great” ahead of his return to the NBA.

“I had a tough couple years but was able to go to Australia and play in all the games there,” he said.

“Body felt great and really had a lot of time to lift and work on some things and feeling great coming in.”

JOSH GREEN (Dallas Mavericks)

There is an opportunity waiting for Josh Green at Dallas this season and he knows it.

It is why he was on the phone, less than a day after the Mavericks were knocked out of title contention, wanting to get the work in the off-season.

“It’s been a big off-season for me,” Green told foxsports.com.au in August, having spent the summer in Las Vegas working out with Joe Abunassar, the founder of elite training program Impact Basketball.

Green had three main focuses during the preseason — improving his ball-handling, shooting from deep and finishing at the rim. The results speak for themselves.

“His aggressiveness is night and day,” Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley said.

“He’s taking the blow and throwing the blow offensively to be able to get to the basket. You’ll see a huge jump from Josh Green.”

He is not the only one who feels that way, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Callie Caplan.

“Talk with Mavericks coaches and players through the first week of training camp, and most will highlight Green, unprompted, as the player who’s in the best shape, who improved the most this off-season and who could help fill the backcourt questions the team faces in Jalen Brunson’s absence,” Caplan wrote last week.

It is quite the turnaround for Green, who averaged just 7.6 minutes per game during the playoffs, made to largely watch from the bench as the Mavericks had their title hopes dashed.

Now Green is looking to help fill the void left by Brunson’s exit to the Knicks, although he has competition from Frank Ntilikina when it comes to being the back-up point guard to Luka Doncic.

Interestingly, a report has also surfaced from Encestando, claiming Dallas is “considering making an offer” to free agent and veteran point guard Facundo Campazzo.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd also confirmed last week that Spencer Dinwiddie will run the second unit as opposed to starting next to Doncic.

That means it looks unlikely that Green will be used as the third ball handler for Dallas, at least at the start of the season, until Kidd sees more.

MAKUR MAKER (Washington Wizards)

Maker, a championship-winning center with the Sydney Kings, earned a deal with the Washington Wizards after showing flashes of his potential at the Summer League.

There Maker played for the Chicago Bulls, getting off to a slow start as he averaged just four points over 21 minutes on the court.

The talented center though then played 18 minutes against the Toronto Raptors and made the most of the opportunity, scoring 10 points to go with six rebounds.

Maker was then signed by the Wizards on an Exhibit 10 contract — a single-season, minimum-salary NBA deal that allows Washington to convert the contract to a two-way deal.

If the Wizards decide to make that change to the contract, it must be done before the beginning of the regular season.

For now, Maker is expected to play with Washington’s G-League Team Capital City Go-Go.