With the first full month of NBA action now out of the way it’s a good time to see how the various Australians around the NBA are faring.
The increasing numbers of Australians in the league right now is fantastic for the game and is only the tip of the iceberg with guys like Ben Simmons and Thon Maker set to become potential franchise players in the next few years.
Andrew Bogut (Golden State Warriors)
Bogut is enjoying a relative prolonged period of good health (touch wood) with the Warriors this season and they are reaping the rewards.
The Warriors are currently 14-2 and sporting the second best defence in the league. The bulk of this great defence can be attributed to Bogut anchoring the floor, a talent he was brought to the Bay Area for.
On the offensive end Bogut is showcasing all the skills that make him a valuable part of the Warriors’ system. His passing has always been a great part of his game and this season he is providing headaches for opposing bigs with his soft touch and above average court vision.
His numbers won’t set the world on fire but his game is so much more than stat sheet stuffing.
November numbers – 26.3 MPG, 7.9 PPG (57.3%), 9.4 RPG and 3.5 APG*.
Dante Exum (Utah Jazz)
Exum came into the league with the unenviable task of trying to prove why he was selected #5 by the Utah Jazz. NBA pundits were critical of his game, citing his lack of experience against elite opponents and whether he was all hype and no game.
Now we have a month of basketball under our belts we can get a decent perspective of how he fits in with this young Jazz team.
Playing behind Trey Burke off the bench has certainly relieved some of the pressure, especially as Burke didn’t get off to the best start, and his game is continuing to develop. In 19 minutes a game he is averaging five points per game and 2.6 assists, solid numbers but with plenty of room for improvement.
Watching Exum play, he doesn’t seem to be using his assets as well as he could be. Having great size for a point guard and explosive speed it would be nice to see him attack the basket a bit more. Currently he only attempts 1.9 drives per game compared to fellow rookie Elfrid Payton, who averages 6.1 in only six more minutes per game.
The good news for him is that when he does drive he shoots 53.8 per cent so it clearly works when he does it (Payton only shoots 34.6 per cent on drives).
Too many times he plays meaningful minutes and doesn’t have much of an impact on the game, making the easy pass or picking up the dribble too early. I would like see him take the game on occasionally when it isn’t junk time, if he fails then it’s a great learning opportunity but at least he is trying. To use an Australian saying, he needs a bit of mongrel in him.
I am encouraged by his much improved turnover rate compared to summer league and his shooting has improved (he just needs to look for it more). December should see more improvement and hopefully a rise in numbers.
November numbers – 18.9 MPG, 5.0 PPG (37.1%), 1.8 RPG and 2.6 APG.
Aron Baynes (San Antonio Spurs)
Coming off a championship with the Spurs and a pivotal role with the Boomers, Baynes was one of the last ones re-signed from last year’s Spurs squad. This season he has stepped up his game and taken advantage of the resting policy Gregg Popovich puts in place for Tim Duncan.
As the season gets longer expect Baynes to get more opportunities to start like he did against the 76ers the other day (15 points and nine rebounds). Pop will dish out the minutes to everyone and Baynes has proven he deserves to be on this elite team.
November numbers – 16.6 MPG, 7.5 PPG (59.2%), 4.9 RPG and 0.7 APG.
Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz)
Jingles is a great fit for the Jazz’s second unit and is relishing his opportunity in the NBA. Coming off the bench, often early in games, he knows his game and plays his role well. The numbers aren’t spectacular but they don’t need to be with this young team.
Being an experienced rookie is a plus for him and Quin Snyder. Hopefully as the season progresses and this young team starts to gel, Jingles will become an even more critical part of the bench unit for the Jazz.
November numbers – 19.6 MPG, 3.1 PPG (37.8%), 1.8 RPG and 1.9 APG.
Cameron Bairstow (Chicago Bulls)
It’s hard to make an impact in the NBA when the guys ahead of you on the depth chart are named Pau Gasol, Joachim Noah, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic. As a result Bairstow has only seen minimal action when the game is a blowout.
It also makes it hard to play when your coach is known for playing his starters in junk time just for kicks. The best he can do right now is put his head down in practice, learn from the veterans and make the most of his opportunities when they come.
November numbers – 8.8 MPG, 1.0 PPG (25.0%), 1.0 RPG and 0.3 APG.
Injured
Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills.
*MPG (minutes per game), PPG (points per game), RPG (rebounds per game), APG (assists per game).
Aussie Bokkie
Guest
Great article! Please keep the regular "Aussies in the NBA" updates coming. Go Warriors! -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Brian
Guest
Great article really enjoyed it
Jayme Markus
Roar Guru
Cant wait for Simmons and Maker to get into the NBA! I hope Maker plays an international game for Australia soon to lock him up. He told Lemanis that he is keen to play for Australia but he will have a few choices of countries (Moved from Sudan to Australia, then to the US and now in Canada). Its very hard to change countries in FIBA rules asRoy Hibbert is finding that out after playing for Jamaica. Look out for big Isaac Humphries coming through also.
Mark Pybus
Roar Guru
This will be a monthly article this season as it's great to provide an update of the Aussies who don't have the chance to follow every Aussie player. Next season College Basketball will get a lift in profile with Simmons and Maker in the headlines in the US. Exciting times ahead for Australian basketball.
juan dos
Guest
If this isn't a regular piece, can you make it one? Really enjoyed reading it, and I think monthly intervals are perfect. As you said, there's only going to be more Aussies entering the league over the next few years, with Motum just missing out this season as well as Simmons and Maker who were mentioned. On Simmons, it would be great if someone could do a wrap of Aussies in NCAA Div I.
Silver Sovereign
Roar Rookie
I was amazed at how improved Baynes was in the world cup. Prior to that he was pretty much a dunker rolling to the basket. But now he can pass, has good post moves and even has an improving jumper. Ingles has been good for Utah. Doesn't need to score much to help that team. And has a pretty solid group of players with him coming off the Jazz bench. Gobert, Booker, Novak, and Exum are all pretty decent bench role players. As for Exum, he definitely has to show some more initiative and aggression. I think that's a big problem with Boomers basketball in general. Obviously there are some talented players there but in the world cup they all seemed to be going out of their way to be too unselfish. Sometimes you just have to be aggressive and take the team on your back. Ingles, Exum and others definitely looked to passive their at times. Bogut looks rejuvenated, though not moving as well as he used to. With his injury history, I am not surprised. What is also good to see is that he has obviously worked on his free throws which were embarrassing the last few seasons. The way he was hitting them last year it seemed he was going out of his way not to get fouled. I know his poor form may have to do with his elbow injury in 2010 or just a nervousness or its a mental thing. With his good hands, he should have a good jump shot too. I lost count the number of times Bogut was left very open for the Bucks/Warriors from anywhere outside 12-15 feet. But I remember when he was playing with the Boomers, he hit jumpers a number of times and also a couple of threes!
Steve Govorko
Roar Rookie
I was having a conversation re: Bogut with a good mate the other night. I am seriously enjoying watching GSW this year and their offensive tempo is a sight to behold when it's flowing. Bogut's interactions with Curry are a pleasure to watch and you'd be hard pressed to find a Big Man-Playmaker combo in the league that surpasses it at the current time. I often make the point that you can just look at Bogut's stats to get a gauge on the impact that he has.
Mark Pybus
Roar Guru
That Inside Stuff interview with Kristin Ledlow with Burke and Exum was cringeworthy. You could tell they don't really have a bond and know they are each others competition.
Swampy
Guest
Exum will get time eventually - I can't see Trey Burke working out long term. I would expect Burke to get the full season to showcase himself and the Jazz to look to move him on for maybe a shooting guard that can play d. There is no way Burke and Exum will ever be compatible in the future. Jazz are playing things the right way with Exum in my view. You can see the tools are there for a good player. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
astro
Guest
The Jazz will be in absolutely no rush with Exum, and should be really pleased with him so far. Utah won't be competitive for a while yet, and will be aiming for him to develop his game one step at a time...the guy is 19, and has so much to learn, so there's absolutely no point in pushing Exum too much at this point in his career. The Jazz have little to no chance of signing high profile free agents...When was the last time you heard the name of a high profile free agent linked to Utah? Their best bet is to gamble on young guys through the draft, develop them as long term players/assets and hope they hang around like Stockton and Malone. This is just what they're doing with Exum, and so far so good.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Only thing I can think of is that Exum's been told to watch and learn rather than do and learn. Not quite sure that's the right way to do it, of course!
Mark Pybus
Roar Guru
Hopefully Exum figures it out sooner rather than later. Baynes to me felt like the only NBA quality player for Australia at the FIBA World Cup. It's a shame he only gets good minutes when Duncan is resting.
Jayme Markus
Roar Guru
I totally agree on Exum, every time I watch him I hoping he'll take the game on and as you point out drive the ball more. It must be pretty daunting heading into the lane with giants everywhere especially when you're 19. I'm really excited for Baynes who seems to be figuring out how to play in the NBA now. He has great physical gifts and is an intimidating presences on the court (and in practice apparently) so I hope he can keep it going.