Australians in the league, Josh Giddey Chicago Bulls update, Matisse Thybulle at the Lakers, Dyson Daniels latest

Josh Giddey has struggled to find his best form for the Chicago Bulls at the start of a new NBA season, while Matisse Thybulle has impressed on both ends of the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers.

But outside of those two, it’s been a mixed bag for the remaining Aussies after the opening weeks, with some making the most of their opportunities while others have struggled to find consistent minutes.

Here’s the latest in our Aussies in the NBA wrap.

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Josh Giddey (Chicago Bulls)

It has been a difficult start to the NBA season for Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls, but there are signs the Australian guard is beginning to turn things around.

The Bulls have stumbled to a 1-6 record through their opening seven games, sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference, with their only victory coming against the Milwaukee Bucks.

For Giddey, the struggles have been evident, with the 24-year-old admitting he needs to do more to help Chicago’s new-look roster find its feet.

“That stuff will come naturally,” Giddey said.

“I’m not sitting here saying it’s going well, I’ve got to figure it out.

“I’ve got to do a better job of helping other guys on our team figure it out, too.

“That’s the role of a point guard.“

Chicago has undergone significant changes since last season, moving on from Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, with first-year head coach Tiago Splitter tasked with rebuilding the team.

Those changes have placed greater responsibility on Giddey’s shoulders, with the Australian averaging 9.1 points, 7.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds, well below his 17 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds from last season.

Splitter has acknowledged the lack of fellow ball handlers around Giddey has placed additional pressure on the Australian to run the offence, while admitting he is still working out the best starting lineup.

Speaking on the Locked On Bulls podcast, co-host Pat The Designer suggested Chicago’s struggles have come from a team still trying to find its identity.

“It’s looked like a team that’s thinking too much. It looks it’s looked like a team that is trying to figure things out,” Pat said.

He also believes allowing Giddey to play with greater freedom could be the key to unlocking his best basketball.

“I think an aggressive Josh Giddey was the best version of him.”

While the Bulls are still searching for answers, Giddey’s most recent performance against the Philadelphia 76ers offered some much-needed encouragement.

The Australian produced his best outing of the season, finishing with 13 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and two blocks in a performance that caught the attention of the CHGO Bulls Podcast.

“Josh Giddy played a really good game for the Bulls tonight. Kept the turnovers low and by low, I mean three,” co-host Dave Watson said.

Fellow host Matt Peck also praised Giddey’s improvement, describing the performance as a ‘step in the right direction’ for both the Australian and Chicago.

“I thought he looked about as good as he’s looked so far this season because there weren’t the head scratching plays that was just calm, composed, playing within the offense and picking the right times to find his guys to tee up his guys and to score,” Peck said.

It was an encouraging sign for Giddey, who looked far more comfortable directing Chicago’s offence after a frustrating opening stretch.

While one performance won’t erase the Bulls’ difficult start, it could prove to be an important turning point for the Australian as he looks to rediscover the form that made him such an important part of Chicago’s team last season.

Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)

The defensive maestro has been a force on that end of the floor yet again.

Going into Thursday’s games, Daniels led the NBA in steals (three per game) and deflections (5.9 per game) to cause chaos for opposition teams as one of the most disruptive, versatile defenders in the NBA.

The swipes are on the same freakishly high pace as two years ago when Daniels recorded a whopping 229 steals, which ranked top 20 all-time in NBA single season history.

It’s been critical to the 5-4 Hawks being ranked No. 2 in the NBA in opponent turnover per game (19.3) and just outside the top 10 in defensive rating.

While Daniels’ scoring is down, his ability to influence the game in multiple areas has again shone through. For example, the Aussie notched a career-best 17 rebounds in Thursday’s win over Washington to help cover Jalen Johnson’s absence.

“He finds so many ways to impact the game. We’ve seen that with his defence and rebounding. Tonight I thought the boards were something that was crucial for our team,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.

“To get that many, you’ve got to work hard. The thin red line that runs through everything with that is his competitiveness.”

Daniels’ minutes have been a touch down; he averaged 29 per game ahead of Thursday’s contest after 33.2 and 33.8 respectively the last two seasons. Quin Snyder is running a deeper rotation with the additions of Thunder champion Lu Dort and Pick 8 draftee Kingston Flemings.

But as mentioned, it hasn’t been as rosy for Daniels on the offensive end of the floor.

Instead, Daniels has gone backwards including a struggling 3-point shot. He’s shooting just 10 per cent from the beyond the arc (0.1 makes from 1.3 attempts) after a career-worst 18.8 per cent clip last year.

His overall scoring has also taken a hit; Daniels has averaged 9.8 points per game after 11.9 and 14.1 respectively in his first two seasons in Atlanta.

It makes Daniels a concern on the offensive end of the floor, and helps opposition defences against the Hawks, with the Aussie at times playing as a pseudo centre.

As such, it’s largely been the same Daniels as his last couple of seasons; a versatile player and a force on the defensive end, but one with limitations on offence that haven’t shown signs of improvement.

Matisse Thybulle (Los Angeles Lakers)

Matisse Thybulle has made an impressive start to life with the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming an important part of the team’s strong start to the NBA season.

The Australian has been making his presence felt on both ends of the floor, shooting a career-high 46 per cent from beyond the arc, while continuing to show why he is regarded as one of the NBA’s best defenders.

While his improved shooting has been a big factor in his early-season success, Thybulle knows exactly what his role is alongside Lakers superstar Luka Doncic.

Speaking to the media following Doncic’s incredible 52-point performance against the Utah Jazz, Thybulle was full of praise for his teammate.

“I just gotta play some defence,” Thybulle said.

“He’s a special player.

“He’s one of those freaks of nature where even if you just watch in practice, he does crazy things.”

Through eight games, Thybulle is averaging 9.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and one assist per game, featuring in every contest as the Lakers start the season with a 6-2 record.

But it has been his improvement on the offensive end that has stood out, with the Australian looking far more comfortable shooting the ball, particularly from behind the three-point line.

Thybulle has also opened up on the work he has put into improving his shooting, admitting it is something he has been developing over the past two years.

“Extremely natural now, but it’s something I’ve put a lot of time and effort into getting comfortable with,” Thybulle said.

“I’d say within the last two years, there’s something I started doing and then this year is something I’m more comfortable and confident doing in games.”

With the likes of Doncic and Austin Reaves creating opportunities for their teammates, Thybulle understands just how important his improved shooting can be for the Lakers going forward.

“For me, it’s Luka and AR play in such tight windows and they create opportunities for us,” Thybulle said.

“We talk about playing advantage-based basketball and they create those advantages for us.

“For me, being able to shoot it quicker just helps us maintain that advantage and being comfortable doing that.”

While his shooting has taken a significant step forward, Thybulle has continued to make his presence felt on the defensive end.

The Australian has continued to impress, averaging 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, proving once again why he is regarded as one of the league’s best defenders.

With the Lakers looking to build on their strong start to the season, Thybulle’s ability to contribute on both ends of the floor is becoming an important part of their success.

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Jock Landale (Atlanta Hawks)

Australian big man Jock Landale has struggled to find consistent opportunities with the Atlanta Hawks.

The 31-year-old has featured in seven of the Hawks’ opening eight games, averaging 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and two assists per game.

Predominantly coming off the bench, Landale has found himself playing limited minutes for the Hawks, who have started the season with a 4-4 record.

His best performance came against the Charlotte Hornets, where he finished with eight points, six rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in just 18 minutes of action.

While the Boomers centre has shown he can make an impact when given the opportunity, those chances have been limited, with Landale averaging just 15.3 minutes per game.

That figure is also down from the 19.4 minutes he averaged across 23 games for Atlanta last season, after arriving at the franchise in a trade from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Josh Green (Utah Jazz)

Josh Green has struggled to find consistent opportunities with the Utah Jazz following a whirlwind offseason.

Green was traded alongside LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets to the Minnesota Timberwolves, before being dealt once again, this time to the Jazz in exchange for Cody Williams and John Konchar.

The move allowed the Timberwolves to secure Jonathan Kuminga, who has helped Minnesota make a strong start to the season.

But for Green, things haven’t quite gone to plan in Utah.

The Australian has featured in five of the Jazz’s opening seven games, averaging just 2.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.

Green is also shooting 40 per cent from the field and 30 per cent from beyond the arc, with his opportunities to make an impact on the offensive end proving limited.

His best performance of the season came against the New Orleans Pelicans, where he finished with seven points in 23 minutes of action.

However, despite spending a considerable amount of time on the floor, Green attempted just seven shots in the contest, highlighting his limited involvement offensively.

Through seven games, Green is averaging just 13.8 minutes per contest for a struggling Jazz side that has started the season with a 1-6 record.

Tyrese Proctor (Cleveland Cavaliers)

In his second NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Australian guard Tyrese Proctor has continued to impress when given the opportunity.

The Australian is averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game to start the season, but it has been his shooting efficiency that has really stood out.

Proctor is averaging just 13 minutes per game for the Cavaliers, who have started the season with a 4-3 record, with opportunities proving difficult to come by in a backcourt featuring James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

But when given the chance, the Australian has made the most of it.

Proctor is shooting an impressive 52.2 per cent from the field and 58.3 per cent from beyond the arc, numbers that will only strengthen his case for more minutes as the season progresses.

One of his best performances came against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.

The following game, he received just his second NBA start where he finished with 11 points, one rebound and one steal in 21 minutes of action.

While consistent opportunities have been hard to come by, Proctor has continued to show encouraging signs of improvement in his second season.

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Duop Reath (Phoenix Suns)

Duop Reath joined the Phoenix Suns this offseason following the shoulder injury to starting centre Mark Williams, which has ruled him out to begin the season.

The Australian big man was brought in to provide some much-needed depth in the frontcourt and support for Khaman Maluach, who has taken on a bigger role in Williams’ absence.

However, opportunities have been limited for Reath to start the season, with the Australian featuring in just three games for the Suns.

Reath is averaging only 6.3 minutes per game, recording 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest.

And with Williams still sidelined, Reath will be hoping to see more opportunities come his way as the Suns continue to work through their options in the frontcourt.

OTHER AUSSIES IN THE NBA

Johnny Furphy is yet to feature for the Indiana Pacers this season as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury.

Meanwhile, Rocco Zikarsky is also yet to make an appearance for the Minnesota Timberwolves to start the season.

Ben Simmons remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from an Achilles injury that has ruled him out for the season.