How the 10 Australians (and one Kiwi) look heading into the 2022/23 NBA season

When it comes to the Australian and New Zealand presence in the NBA, the upcoming 2022-23 season may well be the most anticipated ever.

From Ben Simmons returning after his awfully long hiatus, Josh Giddey set to build off a historic rookie season, Dyson Daniels looking to follow in his footsteps as a first-year player, and the countless Australians likely to play major roles on contenders, there’s reason to expect big things from the region’s players.

It’s a breadth of talent and potential team success that we haven’t seen in some time; going into the new NBA season, there are 10 Australians and one Kiwi flying their respective flags.

We’ve taken a look at what to expect from each of them.

Ben Simmons – Brooklyn Nets

He’s back.

After sitting out the entire 2021-22 season amid a dramatic, dragged-out trade request with the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons is now settled with the Brooklyn Nets, and there’s reason to think he could return to his All-Star form sooner than later.

While we can’t ignore the unpalatable way in which Simmons’ arrival in Brooklyn happened, it’s easy to see how the fit on the Nets roster is quite favourable for the Australian.

Simmons remains one of the league’s most versatile defenders, and his ability to distribute and screen at a high level is the perfect skillset alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The 26-year-old starts at the four-spot for Steven Nash’s team, but where he and the Nets will likely have the most success is when he’s playing the five in smaller lineups; it’s a switchable group with Simmons and four shooters – Durant and Irving with Joe Harris, Seth Curry, and/or Patty Mills, for example – who can be really dynamic on the offensive end.

Simmons has over $113 million left on his contract, which goes through to 2025, so despite coming off back surgery and not playing for an entire season, there’s an expectation that he eventually gets the Nets’ third All-Star level player. The change in scenery will undoubtedly be good for Simmons, who very well could be in a position to compete for a title when the season’s at its pointy end.

Josh Giddey – Oklahoma City Thunder

If his preseason is anything to go by, Giddey looks like he’ll bypass a sophomore slump.

Over four games against NBA teams in the preseason, Giddey averaged 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, in just over 20 minutes a game, but the 20-year-old’s shooting numbers provided the biggest indication that he may be in for a big second season in the league. The point guard shot 8-of-14 from downtown in those games, showing clear improvements after shooting just 26.3 percent from beyond the arc last season. Coming off his first full NBA off-season helped in that regard, as well as the Thunder’s addition of Chip Engelland – a shooting specialist – as an assistant coach.

The measure for success for Giddey and his Thunder slightly changed…