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What to expect from Australia's NBA players in the 2019-20 season

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The start of the 2019/2020 NBA season is right around the corner, and after one of the more memorable years for Australian players in recent history last season, this season looks to be bigger again.

There are nine Australian players who could reasonably expect to play solid rotation minutes at the very least this season - all for different teams and under largely different circumstances.

Some will be contenders for the championship, others will be lending a wise head to rebuilding franchises.

Here is what you can expect - and what we’re predicting - from our Aussie NBA stars.

Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers

You all know the deal with the jump shot. Ignore the noise about the one he made in the pre-season - Ben Simmons categorically is not going to start throwing flames from beyond the arc. It is simply not who he is and not how he plays the game.

Sure, he will probably (and certainly should) take those shots when they are wide open, but the real key to Simmons’ success is how he and Joel Embiid continue to evolve as superstar players.

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Simmons and Embiid carry the future of the 76ers on their shoulders, particularly after both signed expensive new contracts in the last two season. While Philadelphia have improved their depth by adding Josh Richardson and Al Horford, the heavy lifting will continue to be done by their superstar tandem.

What makes their relationship so unique is that they seem to be poles apart off the court. Embiid’s trash-talking, villain-that-you-hate-to-love brand of dominance seems at odds with Simmons’ own quiet confidence, but both seem aware of their differences. Philly have always had problems but luckily, chemistry between their two stars doesn’t seem to be one of them.

Australian NBA stars Joe Ingles, Ben Simmons and Patty Mills are all poised for big seasons in 2019-2020. Pictures: Getty Images
Australian NBA stars Joe Ingles, Ben Simmons and Patty Mills are all poised for big seasons in 2019-2020. Pictures: Getty Images

As far as making a prediction for Simmons goes, consulting Nostradamus might be a good start. There is such a wide range of outcomes for Simmons this season that making a meaningful prediction is incredibly difficult. This comes with the territory for a player so polarising, whose skill set fits and jars with modern basketball in equal measure.

Much will come down to whether coach Brett Brown can improve Philly’s offence when Simmons doesn’t have the ball. As the ultimate non-shooter, defenders have traditionally been able to help away from Simmons with impunity. If the former Rookie of the Year can at least keep his defender honest, doors will start opening for an already elite 76ers squad.

Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs

The FIBA World Cup was a good reminder for NBA fans that Patty Mills is a bucket - when required.

Unfortunately, Mills won’t be asked to replicate his seriously impressive World Cup campaign with the Spurs this season. Instead, the 10-year veteran will likely continue to do what he has for the last few seasons - mentor San Antonio’s young guards, and provide microwave scoring off the bench.

The Spurs are in a strange transitional period, firmly in the twilight years of an unprecedented run of success that began with David Robinson in the 1990s and which will really only end when long-time head coach Gregg Popovic elects to retire.

As it stands, the Spurs are neither good enough to be taken seriously as contenders in the Western Conference, nor are they bad enough to make tanking for a high draft pick a worthy use of their time.

Ageing and flawed stars in LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan are won’t be going anywhere fast, while the Spurs will be keen for young guns Derrick White, Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker to get the ball in their hands more and more.

Of course, this will directly and negatively affect Mills, who could see a reduction in minutes as the Spurs look to put the ball in their young guards’ hands more often.

As long as Popovic is in charge Mills will have a place in San Antonio’s rotation, and the World Cup was proof enough that trust isn’t misplaced.

Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz

I’d love to make a bold, sweeping prediction about Joe Ingles’ season, but I simply can’t. The Jazz need certain specific things from Ingles, and he does a better job of providing them than just about anyone else at his position.

Utah does not need Ingles to be a superstar. They need Ingles to simply be their floor general, the steadying presence that keeps them on task amid the swirling chaos of the NBA regular season.

Reports have emerged that Ingles will be used primarily as a sixth-man off the bench this season, a role that should suit the 32-year old well. Ingles’ passing will stand out against second units, while his shooting and defensive ability will ensure he likely retains his spot as a closer.

Ingles is one of the NBA’s most elite three-point shooters. He is a long, capable and downright irritating defender (ask Paul George), and a shifty, disruptive presence as a ball-handler. Few teams boast players with a skillset like Ingles, and the Adelaide product leverages his talent to its maximum.

The Jazz have greatly outperformed expectations since Gordon Hayward’s departure in free agency two seasons ago, thanks in large part to the emergence of Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert’s unique defensive presence and Ingles’ own excellent play.

After largely basing their game plan around their superior defence, Utah have this season looked to juice up their offence.

They traded for veteran point guard Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies in a bid to lessen the load on Mitchell and allow Ingles to concentrate on shooting, and added scoring wing Bojan Bogdanovic in free agency for some extra punch off the bounce.

Ingles’ biggest job this season will be learning how to play alongside those new additions, while maintaining his above-average output from the three point line.

Aron Baynes, Phoenix Suns

The former Celtics big man was arguably one of the biggest losers of the off-season, going from an important role player for a contender in Boston to backing up former number one pick Deandre Ayton in Phoenix, one of the league’s worst franchises over the last few seasons.

In addition to a lack of talent, with the exception of shooting guard Devin Booker, Phoenix have largely been a directionless mess as they look to build around their few promising assets.

Baynes will not only see reduced minutes, as the Suns look to further develop Ayton, but the minutes he does play will be the least consequential he’s played in years.

Fortunately for the fearsome big man, two impressive seasons in Boston and a decent FIBA World Cup campaign over the summer have reinforced Baynes’ reputation as one of the premier back-up centres in the league.

Calling Baynes a back-up is a disservice in some respects, as Boston typically started him alongside Al Horford during his time at the Garden. He’s on an expiring contract and, paired with his steady production, could become a valuable trade target for teams looking to add a physical inside presence come playoff time.

Expect Baynes to bide his time in Phoenix, competently back-up Ayton and keep his eyes peeled for opportunities elsewhere.

Jonah Bolden, Philadelphia 76ers

It’s a make or break year for Bolden, who finds himself in basketball no-man’s land heading into the season.

Philadelphia’s signing of Al Horford severely dented Bolden’s hopes of seeing regular minutes, either alongside Joel Embiid or backing him up. The 76ers are in win-now mode, and developing their former second-round selection will have taken a dip on their list of priorities.

So will Bolden see many minutes to start the season? It’s hard to tell, but the answer is probably no. With the aforementioned All-Star calibre bigs on the roster, minutes will be hard to come by for a player yet to firmly establish himself within the team.

Bolden memorably withdrew from the Boomers’ World Cup team in order to focus his efforts on the upcoming season, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll crack the rotation.

Glimpses of two-way skills have been seen, but Bolden is yet to be given a chance to prove it for a team already dedicated to a championship tilt.

Dante Exum, Utah Jazz

Injuries. Get rid of them.

Utah fans could be forgiven for going to absurd lengths to ensure a clean bill of health for Dante Exum, whose NBA career to this point has been characterised more by various misfortunes than anything he’s achieved on the court.

Exum has played less than half of the possible games he could have since he was drafted fifth overall in 2014, and looks likely to have a delayed start to his season as he continues to recover from a torn patellar tendon he sustained last year.

Adding to Exum’s problem’s has been the emergence of Donovan Mitchell and the addition of Mike Conley. While Exum likely won’t be thought of as a starter until he plays a full season without incident (at the very least), his explosiveness and excellent defence ensured he carved out a niche in the NBA in spite of his constant injury problems.

Utah’s deep guard rotation is a problem for Exum, but the 24-year-old has both his relatively young age, and the fact that he has two years left on his contract to his advantage.

Getting healthy is priority number one. Staying on the court is priority number two. Less could very much end up being more for Dante Exum.

Matthew Dellavedova, Cleveland Cavaliers

Now entering the final year of a four-year contract he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016, Dellavedova’s career arc has come full circle.

After making his name as a back-up to Kyrie Irving (and doggedly pestering the Cavaliers starter in practice for several years) in 2015 and 2016, a mid-season trade to clear salary sent Delly back to Cleveland last year.

The Cavs are one season into a rebuild that will likely take several more years to complete, but that doesn’t mean Delly’s role will be diminished all that much.

Cleveland have made it clear where they see the future. They’ve drafted guards with their first pick in each of the last two drafts - Collin Sexton in 2018, and Darius Garland in 2019.

Dellavedova’s role has always been to be a mentor, whether in-game or in practice. Sexton and Garland should soak up the majority of minutes at either guard position, marginalising the Aussie guard to an extent.

Despite this, Delly remains a fan favourite in Cleveland and will continue to get some burn based on that alone.

As for what happens when his contract is up? Dellavedova needs to prove he represents money well spent at NBA level - something his current contract hasn’t really reflected at all.

Thon Maker, Detroit Pistons

After requesting a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks last season, Thon Maker’s first full season in Detroit could be his last in the NBA if he isn’t able to carve out a niche for himself.

In his first three seasons Maker has demonstrated game-changing defensive ability and a competent three-point shot. Unfortunately, Maker’s fleeting moments of brilliance are just that - fleeting.

It’s encouraging that Maker’s best moments on an NBA court have come in the playoffs, but his inability to be a consistent contributor make it incredibly difficult for coaches to trust him fully.

Mike Budenholzer couldn’t find enough minutes for him in Milwaukee, and Maker slots in behind All-Star big men Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond for Pistons coach Dwayne Casey.

Of even more concern to Maker should be the impressive pre-season play of Christian Wood, who was once a teammate of his in Milwaukee.

Maker must cement himself ahead of Wood as the first-choice back-up big man for Detroit. His career depends on it.

Ryan Broekhoff, Dallas Mavericks

In limited minutes, Ryan Broekhoff didn’t put a foot wrong for the Mavs last season.

He was signed from Russian team PBC Lokomotiv Kuban to shoot threes off the bench, and did just that.

Broekhoff canned 40 per cent of his triples in 10 minutes a game. He got such limited playing time it is difficult to draw any concrete conclusions about his place in the NBA, other than that he does belong there.

The man known as ‘Rowdy’ benefits from the light weight of expectation. When he’s on the court he has three jobs - catch, shoot, defend. If he’s able to crack coach Rick Carlisle’s rotation, Broekhoff could have one of the more enjoyable jobs in the NBA - catching Luka Doncic dimes and putting them in the hoop.

An uptick in minutes would be a welcome reward for Broekhoff, who has done all that could be asked of him to this point in limited time on the floor.