A thread to talk about all things Australian in the NBA. Feels like it could be a huge year for Australian basketball one way or another - Simmons and Maker both have that top tier talent, but whether they pan out or not will be interesting. Dante Exum will come back from injury and be ready to finally answer the question of whether or not he is a bust (I predicted he would be before he was drafted - so I'll be surprised if he pans out). The Jazz have invested a LOT in Exum, signing Joe Ingles to babysit him the last couple of years. Ingles has done well to be a rotation player in the league. Will Delly show he is worth the huge contract he signed? (I predict not) Has Bogut got anything left in the tank for the Mavs? (I hope not) Does Patty Mills take the starting job from Tony Parker? (it must be about time?) Then there is Aaron Baynes (just a backup big, but serviceable) Hopefuls There are a bunch of guys who could be worth a shot as end of bench guys Cameron Bairstow was waived by the Pistons - has good size, is athletic, and can hit from outside. Really worth a shot IMHO Brock Motum: made way for countryman Joe Ingles on the Jazz lineup. Similar type of player to Bairstow, could sneak a contract with a solid Olympics. Ryan Broekhoff: this guy is one to watch in Rio. 6'7 very solid defensive wing who can stick the 3 (well over 40% during his collegiate career at Valpo) - has been hitting close to 50% in Europe. 25 years old, and is always impressive in international competitions. Emmanuel Malou: foolishly left his name in the draft, trying to make it from junior college - was recruited by Iowa State (4 star recruit). Slim chance should he find his niche overseas. The Future Jack White (6'7 GF) - will play for Boise state I think? Dejan Vasiljevic 6'3 PG, made the all tournament U17s team at the world champs. (begins at Miami college) Isaac Humphries 7'1 C (18 years old), recruited by Kentucky, either he steps up to take the starting spot this year, or he fizzles out. William McDowell-White 6'5 PG - this kid is AMAZING. Took the Ben Simmons route of turning down the larger colleges and will play at Fresno State. Huge PG with great feel for the game, and outstanding speed. Highlights package [youtube] 8jvKbBU32IM [/youtube]
William McDowell (should have gone to UT then gotten drafted by the Rockets): <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8jvKbBU32IM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Bairstow signed recently with the Brisbane Bullets. But it's great us Aussies are getting some good representation in the NBA. Not bad for a country of 24 million where basketball for the majority is behind AFL, Rugby, Cricket and on par with maybe soccer.
FYI - The Rockets' very own Brad Newley (well, draft rights) signed with my Sydney Kings for this season. FYI - The Kings are my team by default. I'll happily switch right over to West Sydney if the Razorback (or Bruin/Westars) ever come back to the NBL. An Aussie coming back to the NBL is like a career death sentence (with the exception of the lockout season when Millsy spent half a season with the Tigers). To take much less money to play in the NBL is saying that you are just not talented enough to take the bigger bucks in Europe or China. So RIP the international careers of Newley and Bairstow. OLYMPICS TALK: Is this going to be the best Olympics for the Boomers ever? I've never seen a more talented group of Aussies.
Yes I am! I've set my sights on the 2020 Olympics when the Aussie team knocks off the US for gold! (lol). Still wishing Kyrie Irving had chosen to represent Australia in international competition. Interesting trivia note: Australia has the most international 1st overall pick in the NBA draft (Bogut, Irving, Simmons) [yes, claiming Irving is a stretch, but 2 is tied first with Canada and Nigeria)
I think possibly Brock Motum is ahead of Bairstow in the Australian rotation. I don't understand why Motum isn't on an NBA roster - the guy has legitimate range (35%+ from 3), can put the ball on the floor for a 4, and is a solid rebounder. He's not a starter, but he is a player.
They've been 4th twice before, and are currently ranked 11th in the FIBA rankings - so indications aren't great. However the squad looks very solid, there are 3 guards who can score (Mills, Ingles, Dellavedova), a 3 who can guard anything (Broekhoff), and useful bigs (Bogut, Baynes, Motum, Bairstow). Ex Rocket lol Anderson is the captain - but you know he can hit that 20 footer.
Great to see all the NBA talent come through. How big is basketball and the NBA there? Surely having all these top tier players make it to the best league in the world would increase interest. Obviously not anywhere close to cricket or AFL.....
The NBL is looking stronger and stronger every year IMHO. It'll never have the cash to splash, but the competition level is comparable to many of the more affluent leagues in Europe.
As a spot it seems to be on the rise. I've been a basketball tragic since the 80s, always a Rocket. The two Jordan three-peats were huge for basketball here, it was on the radar like never before. Then the national league collapsed somewhat, was restructured in the early 2000's, and has been on the rise ever since. I hate to say it, but Curry and Lebron are huge for hoops over here. Plenty of Harden jerseys as well. No doubt success from Exum and Maker would see the sport surge in popularity again - or Simmons being a top level player It kind of competes with cricket as a summer sport here, and cricket is part of the culture, but not the sport everyone wants to play. There are a growing number of Sudanese kids playing the game here - these guys have major talent. Deng Gak and Daniel Mading are 2 other guys to have a look out for.
He's quick and has a very nice touch. This quickness isn't on par with NBA level though. He'll get stopped. Hell of a touch. He looks like a player that despite some shortcomings will be really solid.
NBL had I think it's best season last year as there seemed to be a lot more marketing and sponsorship. I follow the SEABL more myself (due to distance and not wanting to drive an hour to watch the NBL Vs 10min to watch a SEABL game). But the Tigers game I did see last year was really good (no where near NBA level though LOL). Basketball at the kids level has always been huge (suppose that also depends on location). Where I live, we have the largest association in Australia with over 1000 teams. My kids and all their friends are mad for basketball (and the majority footy also). But they all wear their NBA gear and rarely footy. So fashion is a big part of it as well.
All Hail David Andersen <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U3bX3Wbgcz4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Very encouraging time for Australian basketball with the talent improving in the NBL each year and all games broadcast through Fox. With Simmons, Maker & Exum all going in the first round over the last couple of years the hype around basketball in this country is as large as I have ever seen it. (Was pretty close back in the early 90's around Perth) but this is on more of a national level. ESPN over here now broadcasting 200 games a year from next year has also seem a huge boost in the popularity leading into the next season. With the money being thrown around in the NBA recently I can see a lot more kids going forward really concentrating on basketball rather than playing AFL/Rugby.
My 10 year old has been asking for basketball cards. Had a look around the local shops but there is nothing but AFL (and Pokemon now LOL) - but no NBA. Took him to the local market and picked up several packs for him. Again just shows you the increased popularity recently. (But if anyone knows who sells NBA cards other than at the markets, please post!)
Must admit I haven't seen much of Patty Mills... Is he actually starting PG material? On the Spurs, no less?
