The NBA season begins this week, signaling the initial occasion in a ten years that Australia's two most prominent hoops names – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are teamless.
This change signals a changing of the guard, as Australian guard pair Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels step up as key starters for contending teams, with recently signed nine-figure contracts making them some of Australia’s highest athletic earners.
But they are not alone. A group of 14 Aussies are expected to play for minutes across the NBA, ranging from experienced big men Jock Landale and Duop Reath, emerging wings in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to intriguing rookies like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.
After protracted negotiations with the Chicago Bulls, the guard finally signed his new deal worth US$100 million ($153m) over four seasons last month. It’s a huge contract for the Melbourne native, but in league standards it is affordable for Giddey’s position and reputation as a lead playmaker. Hesitation for Chicago’s front office to offer a max deal means the 23-year-old enters this season with a point to make.
After being moved by Oklahoma City at the start of last campaign, Giddey observed as his old team stormed to the title in his absence. As the Chicago aim to make the playoffs in the less competitive Eastern Conference, he will have to show his shooting and defensive skills are starter-worthy or else he may fall back towards the NBA’s fringe.
Daniels signed the identical contract as Giddey this week, and after his most-improved player award last year, the Atlanta guard’s trajectory has taken off in the city following his departure from the Pelicans. He is now praised as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and led the league in steals with 3.0 spg – over one full takeaway per game higher than the tally of the runner-up.
Performing next to dynamic Trae Young in the Hawks, the youngster can be successful this season as a playmaking option and elite defender as long as the Hawks make the playoffs. But if he can improve his long-range game, which was subpar last season, and continue to develop his passing and attacking, Daniels could become one of the association's most versatile players.
Pacers wing the rookie has burst onto the scene as a crowd favorite in the state following a series of highlight-reel slam dunks in exhibition games. His athletic displays prompted NBA personality Pat Beverley to describe him as the “top Caucasian leaper we’ve seen in a while”, and an opportunity to the All-Star dunk contest could be a possibility.
After logging just eight minutes per contest over 50 appearances in his rookie campaign, the ex- college player is in contention for a Pacers lineup that might lean towards young players following injury to lead guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Playmaker Proctor dropped in the June draft down to the second round, where Eastern Conference contenders Cleveland picked him. The Cavs are front-runners to reach the NBA finals from the East, so it would be unusual for a first-year player taken in the second round to see significant playing minutes. But the Sydney product has earned minutes in pre-season, and his NBA-ready shot offers him a chance to contribute.
Seasoned centre Jock Landale has a chance to secure the starting five position in Memphis given top prospect Zach Edey will miss the start of the season after a surgical procedure.
In Portland, Duop Reath is the experienced reserve to youthful big men Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could play consistent action if the team find themselves in the hunt. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is expected to be deployed as a defensive spark in a reserve role.
In the Hornets, Josh Green's summer shoulder procedure has left him without a timeline to come back. The player still has a contract for next season, but won’t want to give his colleagues at the rebuilding Hornets too much head start. And injury has already hindered Dante Exum, who has a knee problem and has missed important exhibition opportunities in the Mavericks.
Then there are those who are not expected to see much, if any, court time this season. Veteran Joe Ingles is returned in the Timberwolves, but appears to be little more than a big brother keeping Anthony Edwards focused.
Rookie Rocco Zikarsky is likely to be nurtured by Minnesota Timberwolves through their affiliate team. Other first-year players Lachlan Olbrich in Chicago and Alex Toohey for the Golden State Warriors are also in the development pipeline, while the more seasoned Luke Travers will be hoping to earn playing time with his compatriot for the Cavs.
Should anyone question Mills was set to retire, he answered them with a training clip posted on his accounts recently, demonstrating the 37-year-old is still in form and focused on securing another league deal.
What Simmons is thinking is anyone’s guess after an off-season in Australia, angling and playing with a Sherrin. Even though he posted on social media last month to reject rumors he was retired, the 29-year-old – an elite player as recently as 2021 – has not yet return to the league.
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