Adelaide 36ers

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; This could be the year Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reaches All-Star status.
The smooth Oklahoma City Thunder guard averaged more than 30 points per game after the All-Star break last season, then missed the final month of the season with a sore right ankle. He recovered and dominated for Canada's national team this summer.
He had a setback right before training camp &ndash; a left knee sprain that has kept him out of preseason action &mdash; but the Thunder have said they expect it to be minor.
Gilgeous-Alexander has never been an All-Star; Oklahoma City has ranked among the league's worst teams the past two years. He understands that one of the league's youngest rosters will need to come up with more wins to get him there.
&ldquo;I think it should be that way because the point of the game is to win,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It matters most that you win. That&rsquo;s what we all play the game to do, is to win games, win championships. So I think it (winning) means a lot, and I think it should mean a lot.&rdquo;
Injuries are part of the reason Gilgeous-Alexander has been overlooked &mdash; he&rsquo;s only played in 91 of the Thunder&rsquo;s 154 regular-season games the past two seasons.
Two seasons ago, he averaged 23.7 points per game. Last season, he averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists. After the All-Star break, he averaged 30.4 points on 54% shooting in 13 games and scored at least 30 points 10 times.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just going to start scraping the beginning of his prime, which is exciting to think about,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.
Gilgeous-Alexander's success has sparked rumors that he might eventually want to leave the struggling franchise. But he is focused on the Thunder and wants to make good on his long-term deal.
Oklahoma City has 15 potential first-round picks and 14 potential second-round picks through the 2029 NBA draft, meaning the franchise could add a significant amount of talent soon.
&ldquo;Honestly, I don&rsquo;t pay attention to like the NBA media stuff and what gets tweeted and what circulates around the web,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Try to stay focused with what I&rsquo;ve got going on, me getting better, the guys that are on the team.&rdquo;
NO HOLMGREN
Chet Holmgren &mdash; the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft &mdash; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-draft-8c087d0afbe773f3d61b24753f35b713">is recovering from a season-ending foot injury he suffered in a pro-am game</a> in August.
He doesn&rsquo;t regret participating.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, basketball players are going to play basketball,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just kind of like, you&rsquo;ve got to feed the love for the game. I don&rsquo;t want an injury like this to kind of take away from that.&rdquo;
ROOKIE CLASS
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s rookies still will bear watching.
Ousmane Dieng, a 6-foot-10 forward from France, averaged 8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds for the New Zealand Breakers last season. Jalen Williams, a 6-6 guard, averaged 18 points and 4.2 assists last season as a junior at Santa Clara. Jaylin Williams, a 6-10, 240-pound forward, averaged 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for Arkansas last season.
JUST JOSHING
Josh Giddey, like Gilgeous-Alexander, looks poised to be a star.
The Australian guard averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season and was named Western Conference rookie of the month four times. He also shot just 26.3% from 3-point range last season.
Daigneault said the 20-year-old should be a better shooter this season.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s worked really hard at it, and I think he&rsquo;s better, just watching him from the summer,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s gained confidence. He&rsquo;s more consistent.&rdquo;
DORT READY
Guard Lu Dort missed the first three preseason games in concussion protocol, but he had 23 points in 18 minutes against Israeli team Ra&rsquo;Anana Maccabi Ra&rsquo;Anana on Sunday.
Best known as a defensive stopper, the Canadian averaged a career-best 17.2 points per game last season before going down with a shoulder injury.
MANN UP
Tre Mann is on fire this preseason.
The second-year guard has averaged 17 points and made 13 of 22 3-pointers in the three games he's played. He made 8 of 10 3-pointers against the Adelaide (Australia) 36ers last Thursday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is hoping to achieve All-Star status, but most importantly, helping OKC rack up more wins in the process.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder look to take step forward

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; As he looks to rebuild the Oklahoma City Thunder into a NBA contender, general manager Sam Presti has brought in a handful of highly touted young players who have similar characteristics &mdash; long, good ball-handlers, capable shooters and international.
To a team that already includes current franchise cornerstone and point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada, Presti last year drafted 7-foot center Aleksej Pokesevski of Serbia and this week selected 6-foot-8 guard Josh Giddey of Australia with the No. 6 pick.
The 18-year-old Giddey was introduced Saturday along with Oklahoma City&rsquo;s three other draftees &mdash; fellow first-rounder Tre Mann of Florida and second-rounders Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of Villanova and Aaron Wiggins of Maryland &mdash; in the lobby of the newly renamed Paycom Arena.
Rather than looking for a particular skill set, Presti said he simply seeks good players in an attempt to return the Thunder to playoff contention, after the franchise relied for more than a decade on superstars including (at times) Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.
&ldquo;The ability to anticipate and really process the game quickly is really important with the way that defenses are today and the way the game is officiated and the pace of the game,&rdquo; Presti said. &ldquo;We just want to play good basketball. Part of good basketball is playing together, anticipating where your teammates are going to be on the floor and putting each other in position to be successful.
&ldquo;We have such a blank canvas. We&rsquo;ve predominantly had, over the course of time, some truly amazing Hall of Fame-level players that&hellip; have helped us achieve the second-best record in the NBA over the past 10-plus years. But now we have a brand-new opportunity in front of us. That&rsquo;s one of the most invigorating things for us as an organization.&rdquo;
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Presti said he became extra familiar with Giddey while sitting in quarantine in an Orlando hotel room after arriving there to watch the Thunder&rsquo;s G-League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, compete in a bubble.
&ldquo;I had four days to sit in my room and that was the first time I really dug into a lot of his film,&rdquo; Presti said. &ldquo;By the time I left my room, I had a pretty good feel for him. That was very helpful, because it was so consistent.&rdquo;
Giddey, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddey-ascension-to-top-nba-draft-prospect-happened-in-blink-of-an-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">son of two professional players</a>, said he &ldquo;grew up &hellip; with a ball in my hands.&rdquo; He said he considered playing college basketball at Colorado but ultimately decided instead to play in Australia&rsquo;s National Basketball League. He was the NBL&rsquo;s Rookie of the Year for the Adelaide 36ers last season.
&ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m a bigger playmaker,&rdquo; Giddey said. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s best to pass the ball and get my teammates involved and put them in positions to succeed, sacrificing myself for the team&rsquo;s success. I&rsquo;ve always been a pass-first guy but obviously, being bigger, I can rebound, get out in transition and make plays. That&rsquo;s my game.&rdquo;
He thinks he&rsquo;ll blend in well with Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder&rsquo;s other ball-handlers.
&ldquo;When I was in Australia, I didn&rsquo;t really play with another point guard,&rdquo; Giddey said. &ldquo;I had the ball in my hands 90% of the time. &hellip; Playing with a guy like Shai, it really takes the pressure off me to handle the ball all the time. He&rsquo;s an All-Star-level talent, a young guy who&rsquo;s got a bright future in the league. I think playing with him will enhance my game.&rdquo;

Rather than looking for a particular skill set, Thunder general manager Sam Presti said he simply seeks out good players.

Presti on best-player-available approach: 'We have such a blank canvas'

Josh Childress is a retired American basketball player who played three years at Stanford University, where he became an AP first-team All-American, consensus second-team All-American, the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and Pac-10 Conference Tournament MVP as a junior in 2004.&nbsp;
He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, becoming the highest Stanford player to be drafted in the NBA. While Childress played in the NBA for the Hawks (2004-2008), Phoenix Suns (2010-2012), Brooklyn Nets (2012) and New Orleans Pelicans (2013), he made a name for himself overseas when he moved to Greece to play for Olympiacos from 2008 to 2010.&nbsp;
Childress had a fruitful career overseas, playing in leagues like the NBL (with the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers) in Australia and the B-League (with the San-en Neo Phoenix) in Japan. Over the course of his 15-year basketball career, Childress averaged 9.1 points and earned a number of honors including All-NBL first team, NBL top scorer, All-Euroleague second team, Greek League top scorer, Greek League best defender and NBA All-Rookie second team.
Now, the 40-year-old Childress is an investor in the East Asian Super League, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/east-asia-super-league-set-to-have-its-biggest-event-yet-in-cebu">a rapidly growing league across East Asia.</a> During the EASL's Final Four in the Philippines, Childress spoke with BasketballNews&rsquo; Mon Anthony L. Valmoria to share what he is up to nowadays, his venture with the EASL, his fond NBA memories, his journey playing overseas and more.
You are an investor in the EASL. When did this happen?&nbsp;
Josh Childress: &ldquo;I started as an investor last year, last summer. I talked about seeing the opportunity [to] kind of &lsquo;bridge&rsquo; the gap between the countries in Asian basketball and it's a fantastic opportunity to do that. So EASL did a great job here in its first year and we hope to build on this moving forward.&rdquo;
Why invest in the EASL? Why do you think it will be a successful league?
Childress: &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s bringing together a bunch of different countries and leagues that have all increasingly gotten better and I think if you can find a way to connect Asian basketball across the board, it will be a fantastic league. A fantastic opportunity for fans, media and the players. So, I&rsquo;m hopeful that when this tournament &ndash; this Final Four &ndash; has more traction, you get more countries involved in the league and have some great basketball.&rdquo;
After your 15-year playing career, what are you up to these days?
Childress: &ldquo;I have an investment company. I run investments; we do real estate, we do sports properties, we do stuff like this (the EASL). We invest in a bunch of different things and I run it full-time &ndash; that&rsquo;s what keeps me busy these days.&rdquo;
Watching the EASL games and seeing how basketball is played over here, how would you describe the brand of basketball that's played on this side of the world?
Childress: &ldquo;It is very physical and very fast-paced. We&rsquo;ve seen really exciting games here and I think players here are playing for pride. There&rsquo;s obviously a nice prize &ndash; a cash prize &ndash; at the end of it. But at this point, it&rsquo;s just pride and making sure that you win and you&rsquo;re the champion of Asia. So I think [basketball here] is really exciting.&rdquo;
Let's talk about your experiences as an NBA player. What are your fondest memories from your playing days?
Childress: &ldquo;Most of your memories are around your teammates, you know? Around the locker room like how fun that was, those plane rides, just the camaraderie you have with your team &ndash; that&rsquo;s the thing that I missed the most about playing. The friendships and the teammates that you have over the years.&rdquo;
Speaking of your teammates, you played with a lot of teams in the NBA &ndash; who was your favorite teammate?&nbsp;
Childress: &ldquo;They were all my favorites (smiles). But I&rsquo;d say between Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia, Josh Smith, Joe [Johnson], Tyronn Lue, Mike Bibby &ndash; all those guys were great teammates. I&rsquo;m very thankful that I had the opportunity to play with them.&rdquo;
What is your best NBA memory?
Childress: &ldquo;Getting drafted. I mean, that&rsquo;s a dream come true. It&rsquo;s something that, as a kid, you always see on TV. So, that was an amazing experience.&rdquo;
When it comes to American NBA players deciding to play overseas, you were one of the pioneers. What were the pros and cons?
Childress: &ldquo;It was something that has been done before, but it was a great experience. I loved playing in Greece &ndash; the fans were amazing. I got the chance to experience European basketball, which was different. The pros and the cons are that it sets you up in a situation where you&rsquo;re playing a different style of basketball and having to figure out how to play there. But that was so much fun, you&rsquo;re in very hostile environments playing against teams that you never knew existed and having the chance to compete at a high level. So, I loved my time in Europe. In the EuroLeague, basketball was fantastic; in the Greek league, it was fantastic. So hopefully we can mirror that EuroLeague style format here with the EASL.&rdquo;
Other than monetary considerations, what would you advise fellow Americans about the decision to play overseas? What other factors do you think are crucial in choosing where to play?
Childress: &ldquo;I think the biggest thing is playing style &ndash; you know, going somewhere your style of play fits [in with] where you&rsquo;re going &ndash; or having the opportunity of playing a lot of minutes. I know some guys that are going to certain countries that may pay a little bit less, but they know they&rsquo;re going to play a lot, they&rsquo;re going to play their game. And that will lead them to those opportunities for success with bigger contracts and moving the following year. So, always make sure you go somewhere where you can be the best version of yourself and play at a high level.&rdquo;

Josh Childress shares what he's up to nowadays, his EASL investment, his NBA memories and his journey playing overseas.

Q&A: Josh Childress on NBA journey, EASL investment, overseas hoops

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and undrafted rookie Jamal Cain added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Miami Heat defeated the Brooklyn Nets 109-80 on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant led Brooklyn with 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting in 26 minutes. Ben Simmons had four points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.
Miami star Jimmy Butler played for the first time in the preseason, scoring two points in the first half and then sitting in the second half. Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo didn&rsquo;t play for the Heat.
The Nets were minus Joe Harris, who was resting an ankle that left him out most of last season, and Kyrie Irving, who had the night off after the birth of his child. Seven Heat players scored in double figures.
Kyle Lowry had 15 points and Dru Smith, Duncan Robinson and Jamaree Bouyea each added 12 for Miami. Cain signed with the Heat in July after playing for Marquette and Oakland University.
Cam Thomas scored 13 points and Markieff Morris 10 for the Nets.
Through the first half, the teams tried various combinations, mixing the starters with some key bench players. Both sides seemed to stretch their stars for some extra minutes in the shortened NBA preseason.
Durant played 19 minutes in the first half and scored 18 points, making six of seven shots. Simmons and backcourt mate Royce O&rsquo;Neale each played 18 minutes.
MAGIC 102, SPURS 99
Paolo Banchero, the overall No. 1 pick in the June draft, had nine points and five rebounds as Orlando beat San Antonio.
Wendell Carter Jr. had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. He shot 8 of 13 as most of the Orlando starters played between 20 and 23 minutes. Franz Wagner had 12 points and Moritz Wagner scored 10.
Doug McDermott led the Spurs with 14 points, and Keita Bates-Diop added 12.. Devin Vassell and Tre Jones scored 11 points each.
THUNDER 131, ADELAIDE 36ERs 98
Tre Mann scored 26 points, including hitting 8 of 10 on 3s, as Oklahoma City beat a team from the Australian National Basketball League.
Lindy Waters III scored 23 points and Eugene Omoruyi added 19 points for the Thunder.
Craig Randall II, who had 35 points in the 36ers' 134-124 win over the Phoenix Suns earlier in the week, led Adelaide with 27 points. Robert Franks scored 20 points and Antonius Cleveland had 19 points.
Adelaide used torrid 3-point shooting, hitting 56% from beyond the arc, to defeat the Suns in the opening game of their preseason tour. But the accuracy was not the same against Oklahoma City as the 36ers went 11 of 36 from distance.

Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and undrafted rookie Jamal Cain added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Heat beat the Nets 109-80.

Adebayo, Cain lead Heat over Durant, Simmons and Nets

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; LeBron James flashed his midseason form Wednesday night, scoring 23 points in 18 minutes before the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-112.
James, who missed all seven of his shots in Los Angeles&rsquo; loss to Sacramento on Monday, was much more aggressive with the Lakers playing without Anthony Davis. Starting his 20th NBA season, James was 8 of 11 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range while playing only the first half.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 22 points on 7-of-20 shooting. Landry Shamet scored 21 points, going 5 of 7 on 3-pointers. Chris Paul finished with 13 points and 10 assists in 26 minutes. Jock Landale had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Suns, who were 14 of 42 from outside the arc.
Dario Saric scored 12 points, going 3 of 4 on free throws in the final 41 seconds.
Kendrick Nunn had 21 points for the Lakers on 8-of-13 shooting, going 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Russell Westbrook had 12 points and six rebounds, while Dwayne Bacon had 11 points for the Lakers. Davis was rested with lower back tightness.
The Suns, coming off a 134-124 loss to the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League, trailed by as many as 13 in the first half as James flourished. That was enough for a 69-62 Los Angeles lead.
But the Los Angeles bench couldn&rsquo;t hold the advantage, with the Suns' reserves holding a 28-20 advantage in the fourth.
TWO CAMs OUT
Cameron Payne and Cam Johnson of the Suns both left the game with hand injuries, Payne with a right finger sprain and Johnson with a right thumb sprain.

Starting his 20th NBA season, James was 8 of 11 from the field, including 3 of 6 from three-point range while playing the first half.

LeBron scores 23 points, but not enough as Suns defeat Lakers

Craig Randall scored 35 points and Robert Franks finished with 32 as Adelaide of Australia&rsquo;s National Basketball League used their three-point shooting for a win over Phoenix.
Randall, who played briefly at the University of Memphis and then at Tennessee-Martin before a stop in the G League, connected on 13-of-21 shots, including 9-of-17 from outside the arc. Franks was 11-of-20 overall and 6-of-10 from three-point range, part of the 36ers connecting on 24-of-43 from long distance.
Cameron Payne led the Suns with 23 points, while Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton added 22 apiece. Devin Booker had 13 points.
Chris Paul had 12 assists for the Suns, while Mitch McCarron had 16 assists for Adelaide.
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The Suns, who had the best record in the NBA last season at 64-18, cut into the 36ers lead in the second half, but couldn&rsquo;t overtake the visitors as Randall scored 24 points after halftime.
The 36ers got off to a fast start behind their three-point shooting in the first half. Adelaide built the first-half lead to as many as 16 by hitting 10 of its first 17 three-pointers.
Also of note, the 36ers normally play at the FIBA three-point line, about 18 inches closer than the NBA&rsquo;s.
The Suns were getting to the rim and dominating offensively with Bridges and Ayton. But trading baskets was not to Phoenix&rsquo;s benefit. And Adelaide continued its three-point shooting touch throughout the game, while the Suns were 9-of-34 from outside the arc.

The Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League pulled off an upset road win against the Phoenix Suns.

NBL's Adelaide 36ers stun Phoenix Suns 134-124 in exhibition

Australia&rsquo;s&nbsp;Mojave King, a graduate of the NBA Global Academy, and Canadian forward&nbsp;Leonard Miller have signed with NBA G League Ignite, G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today.
The duo will be part of an Ignite roster that features potential top prospect for the 2023 NBA Draft Scoot Henderson, French U18 National Team star Sidy Cissoko and Nigeria&rsquo;s Efe Abogidi. More on each signee is below:
MOJAVE KING
The 6-foot-5 guard spent the previous two seasons in the National Basketball League&rsquo;s (NBL) Next Stars program, playing for the Cairns Terrapins and Adelaide 36ers. His most recent action came this summer with the Southland Sharks, where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 16 games.
Born in New Zealand but raised in Australia, King joined the NBL&rsquo;s Next Stars Program after attending the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, which serves as the NBA&rsquo;s hub for top high school-age prospects from outside the U.S. During his time at NBA Global Academy, King helped his team win several high-profile international events, including the 2019 NBA Academy Games in Atlanta, Georgia, and the 2020 Torneo Junior Ciutat de L&rsquo;Hospitalet in Barcelona, where he averaged a tournament-best 19.2 points.
King becomes the fourth NBA Academy graduate to sign with Ignite, joining fellow Australian Dyson Daniels, the eighth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, India&rsquo;s Princepal Singh and fellow 2022-23 Ignite signee Abogidi.
LEONARD MILLER
Miller was the youngest participant in the NBA&rsquo;s pre-draft process this spring, including the NBA Draft Combine in May, before electing not to enter this year&rsquo;s draft.
A standout prospect from Scarsborough, Miller most recently joined Canada&rsquo;s U23 squad in July&rsquo;s Globl Jam international showcase. In April, he teamed up with fellow Ignite signee Cissoko on the World Select squad at the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit, where Miller scored 11 points, including 2 three-pointers, plus 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. He previously represented Canada at the 2019 FIBA U16 Americas Championship, averaging 4.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game.
The 2022 BioSteel Canadian Boys Player of the Year, Miller averaged 31 points and 11.6 rebounds on his Fort Erie International Academy team to earn Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association Most Valuable Player honors.
The G League Ignite open the season on Friday, Nov. 4 against Oklahoma City Blue in the team&rsquo;s new home arena, The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.&nbsp;

Australian guard Mojave King and Canadian forward Leonard Miller have signed with NBA G League Ignite.

Mojave King, Leonard Miller sign with NBA G League Ignite

Australia&rsquo;s <a href="https://nbl.com.au/news/nbl-season-schedule-puts-fans-first" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Basketball League season</a> has been pushed back by two weeks and is set to open Dec. 3 with a debut home game for expansion team the Tasmania Jack Jumpers against Adelaide 36ers.
The NBL said the season start was rescheduled with the intention of having fans in the stadiums as Australia moves toward easing restrictions in place for the COVID-19 pandemic.
&ldquo;The new start date gives us a greater level of comfort and flexibility as we navigate through the current environment and prioritise having our growing number of fans courtside around the country and in New Zealand,&rdquo; NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said on Tuesday.
The New Zealand Breakers will be based in Australia at least until early 2022, when organizers are hoping borders will open and the competition can go back to a more regular format.
&ldquo;We are confident that as the country opens back up, our schedule will open up with it and we will get back to running the competition like we used to with all teams playing and traveling from their home bases,&rdquo; Loeliger said.
Defending champion Melbourne United will open against the Kings in Sydney on Dec. 5, with ex-Cavaliers point guard Matthew Dellavedova making his NBL debut for the title-holders.&nbsp;
Dellavedova helped the Cavs win the 2016 NBA title, ending a 52-year championship drought for Cleveland&rsquo;s pro teams. He is on a three-year contract with Melbourne.
Parts of Australia&rsquo;s two most populous states &mdash; New South Wales and Victoria &mdash; have been in lockdown for months because of surging coronavirus cases but are starting to ease restrictions for fully vaccinated people.
Loeliger said 99% of the league&rsquo;s players have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve ensured that we&rsquo;ve delivered a really extensive education program for clubs and players to ensure that they are aware of the implications of not being vaccinated, both from a health perspective but also from a practical perspective and what that could mean in terms of crossing between state borders or international borders,&rdquo; he said.
The New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks have each released a player who refused to be vaccinated.

The NBL start was rescheduled with the intention of having fans in the stadiums as Australia moves toward easing COVID restrictions.

Australia’s 2021-22 NBL season tip-off delayed until December

The Little Guy From Bendigo doesn&rsquo;t quite roll off the tongue like Just A Kid From Akron, but like LeBron James, G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels is trying to make his hometown famous.
It&rsquo;s apropos that Daniels is channeling his childhood hero, though his country neighborhood in Victoria, Australia is more rural and smaller than that of LeBron&rsquo;s well-known abode in Northeast Ohio. It&rsquo;s also located on another continent in another hemisphere, a place that many people in the United States have never heard about.
From news articles to funding to general support, Daniels has felt the love from his local community. So what better way to return the favor than to make it to the NBA?
&ldquo;I try not to take it as pressure, but I'm trying to do everything to get Bendigo and Australia on the map,&rdquo; Daniels told BasketballNews.com in a Zoom video interview. &ldquo;Just be the best version of me I can and do my best."
He&rsquo;s chosen to do that with the Ignite in America, as opposed to committing to college or signing with the popular National Basketball League Next Stars program close to home, a route he was extremely close to picking.
&ldquo;I was almost certain on it before I got offered to go play on the G League Ignite squad. I was almost certain on going to the NBL,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;That's obviously a very good pathway as well. We've seen it with [Josh] Giddey and a few other players.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But I think just the overruling factor was talking, having a few Zoom calls with [former Ignite] head coach Brian [Shaw] and [G League president] Shareef [Abdur-Rahim], and them telling us about the development you're gonna get on and off the court. You're gonna be busy all day doing basketball things and helping to get better life skills and stuff like that. But yeah, I think I made the right decision and I'm ready to get started."
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Just over a week ago, Daniels made the trek to America to begin a new chapter of his basketball journey in California. He&rsquo;ll be one of the standout prospects joining the likes of Michael Foster, Jaden Hardy, Scoot Henderson, MarJeau Beauchamp and Fanbo Zeng as a part of a highly-regarded Ignite squad.&nbsp;
In one of his first workouts following his arrival, Daniels got to exchange pleasantries with Jason Hart, the team&rsquo;s new head coach following Shaw&rsquo;s departure to the Los Angeles Clippers.
&ldquo;It was good to catch up with him,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;That's the first time I've ever seen him in person, but he believes in me. You've gotta earn your playing time, so when training [camp] starts, I'm gonna put in [the work] and I'm gonna make sure I earn it."
Fans and even front office decision-makers may be unfamiliar with Daniels and his skill set, as there&rsquo;s little film and box-score research that can be done on the 18-year-old. For some, that unknown factor might be cause for hesitation. Daniels, however, sees that as a golden opportunity to show what he&rsquo;s made of.
&ldquo;I try not to get in my head [and be] too involved in the mock drafts and things like that, but I guess being there, people haven't really seen me as much as some of the other guys,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;That's good for me, and I'm just here to show 'em that I'm gonna put in the work and try to get my name up top once they see me more. But yeah, ultimate goal is to go No. 1.&rdquo;
Daniels describes his game as &ldquo;unlike anyone else&rsquo;s.&rdquo; He doesn&rsquo;t model it after anybody, instead taking bits and pieces from multiple pros. Using his favorite NBA player, Russell Westbrook, as a blueprint, Daniels emulates a similar mentality. He likes to interrupt passing lanes and intercept the ball to get out into transition as his fellow Aussies, Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle, often do.&nbsp;
Defense leading to transition chances, he relays, is a signature tool in his arsenal.
&ldquo;That's how I generate a lot of my offense. I like to think of myself as just 'smart' defensively, being able to get steals, being able to guard 1-through-4, some 5,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;Get steals, play smart, rotate and generate offense then. But I'm a playmaker, I'm a big point guard, 6-foot-6, so I like to make plays off the dribble for my teammates and myself. Get into lanes and use my floaters is one of my keys.&rdquo;
Basketball News Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock provided his own scouting report on Daniels:
Dyson Daniels has positional size, can create with the ball in his hands and is a terrific slasher and capable outside shooter. He has a lot of upside and is a high priority on our watch list for this upcoming season.
Once Daniels acclimates to the Ignite environment in Walnut Creek by getting to know his teammates and running through a few practices, he&rsquo;ll set more short-term objectives for himself. For now, he&rsquo;s been in the gym with trainer Jordan Lawley in L.A. to address some areas of his game that can be refined.
&ldquo;Just become a more consistent shooter, just tweaking a few things in my shot preparation that I need to do better,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;But I'm sure that's gonna come. It's come along nicely already. But that, and then tightening up my handle. I'm a bit taller [of a] point guard... some of those little guards can get in underneath you, so I'm sure that's what's gonna happen this year in the G League. Just tightening up my handle and being ready for anything are some things I'm trying to improve on.&rdquo;
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While he may have solid size and length now, it wasn&rsquo;t always that way for Daniels. Now at 6-foot-6, he argues that having to pick up skills when he was little helped him become the player he is now.&nbsp;
Daniels remembers being a small six-year-old kid playing point guard for a Division III team in a U-10 league, erratically sprinting on the floor and turning the ball over frequently. But from the day he touched a basketball, Daniels knew he was &ldquo;made for it.&rdquo; He would watch the NBA, NBL and any other hoop programming that would hit his television screen.
His father, Ricky, played two years at NC State and starred for the Bendigo Braves when he was younger. While his mom, Brikitta, has gotten Dyson right in terms of manners and keeping him in line, Ricky has helped Dyson from a young age in the backyard.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Both my parents have helped me a lot just to become the person I am,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really good to have them and I get pointers off them... My biggest support system is my family, my close friends, close coaches and things that I have like that.&rdquo;
Daniels never stopped progressing, though, and began to make Division I teams in his pre-teens. Once that started happening, it caught the eyes of coaches near and far.
When he was 15, Daniels followed in his dad&rsquo;s footsteps by joining the Braves for a season at home in 2019. It was his first taste of semi-professional basketball, and matching up with bigger bodies was advantageous. But Daniels&rsquo; stock began to soar as soon as he moved to Canberra with the NBA Global Academy later that year.
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He&rsquo;s thankful for the entire staff, from NBA international director of basketball operations Chris Ebersole and content/program development lead Marie-Laurence Archambault in New York, to the coaches, trainers and everybody involved for the chance to be a part of the program. Competing in tournaments in Europe and America was paramount to his development, and he learned crucial off-the-court lessons in addition.
"I've changed so much &mdash; the person I am, the confidence I have now, the coaching that I was able to get there was phenomenal. We had the [Centre of Excellence] coaches as well. Going in there as well [at 6-foot-2], I was a little scrawny kid. Coming out, I've got a much bigger body... I had a huge growth spurt, 6-6. That helped me 'cause I was a point guard and already had those skills; it helped me, being 6-6, to still being a point guard.
&ldquo;So just building my body, building my life skills, building my basketball. They've helped me be able to see the floor better. I think IQ's something I've always had, but they've helped me to use it more and use it to my strengths. I've just learned so much from them.&nbsp;
Daniels is poised to become the second player in NBA Academy history to be drafted. The first was fellow Aussie Josh Giddey, whom he&rsquo;s been tight with since the duo&rsquo;s U-12 days playing for Victoria. They keep in touch and congratulate one another on their successes, so Daniels was thrilled when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Giddey at No. 6 in the 2021 NBA Draft.
&ldquo;It was huge, man. I've known Josh for a while and seeing him put in the work when I was with him in the NBA Academy and then, get the opportunity to play in the NBL with the [Adelaide] 36ers and he excelled there, and he deserves every bit of it. It was really good seeing him [get drafted] and it was really good being able to play alongside him as well. That's my boy and I'm happy for him.&rdquo;
The progression for Daniels at the Academy paid off this past February, as the Australian senior national team brought him in to be a part of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. In his only game, Daniels led the team over New Zealand with 23 points, 6 steals, 4 assists and 3 rebounds.
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🇦🇺 17-year-old <a href="https://twitter.com/DysonDaniels?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DysonDaniels</a> put on a show for the Boomers in their win over New Zealand <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAAsiaCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAAsiaCup</a> 📊 23 PTS | 4 AST | 3 REB | 6 STL <a href="https://t.co/5iuKo09tK7">pic.twitter.com/5iuKo09tK7</a>
&mdash; NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_AU/status/1363271752948744193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;That was really big for me as well. Being able to play for the Boomers in the Asia Cup Qualifiers at such a young age, some people don't get that opportunity,&rdquo; Daniels said. So obviously to be able to play, but to be able to have a really good game, that got me world looks and it helped me get to [be noticed]. [I'm] grateful for the opportunity from Adam Caporn to be able to play for the Boomers."
His momentum didn&rsquo;t stop there, either. He was a critical contributor for the Boomers&rsquo; U-19 squad in FIBA Basketball World Cup play, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.3 steals over seven games.
Spending time with the Boomers, Daniels has developed a relationship with former NBA veteran Matthew Dellavedova. It&rsquo;s ironic because he remembers being eight years old attending a Peak event where both ended up doing basketball drills together. Fast-forward to today, and they&rsquo;re teammates representing Australia, and Daniels gets advice from the champion guard when he asks for it.
The Little Guy From Bendigo hasn&rsquo;t done too bad for himself, and the fun part has just begun. Daniels is preparing for his first season at the professional level, which is step one toward Daniels finding himself in NBA threads come this time next year.
&ldquo;I always want to be in the gym. I always want to be the best I can. I'm sure some people have them about 'em as well, but I don't want anyone to outwork me. I want to be the hardest worker there is,&rdquo; Daniels said.
&ldquo;It's a great feeling. I think in terms of feeling ahead of people, I wouldn't say I do. There's options for everyone that they can choose, like what they want to do with their careers and that. But choosing a professional career for me, I think was the right choice, and I'm ready for it. So yeah, I'm ready to get started and I'm very excited for it.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies chats with Dyson Daniels about the upcoming G League Ignite season, his development in Australia and more.

The Little Guy From Bendigo: Dyson Daniels is unlike anyone else

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; For the second time in five years, the Oklahoma City Thunder went Down Under to find a first-round pick in the NBA draft, taking Josh Giddey at No. 6 on Thursday night.
The 18-year-old Giddey, a 6-foot-8 guard from Melbourne, Australia, attended the NBA Global Academy in 2019-20 and played last season for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia&rsquo;s National Basketball League. He was named the league&rsquo;s rookie of the year after averaging 10.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and a league-best 7.6 assists per game.
He already has an Oklahoma connection: His sister, Hannah Giddey, is a 6-foot-1 forward headed into her sophomore season at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, about 100 miles from Oklahoma City. Giddey called it a &ldquo;dream situation&rdquo; to be able to play so close to his sister.
&ldquo;Oklahoma is actually one of my favorite teams and to be picked by them it&rsquo;s a dream come true,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So, love the guys, the coaches, the staff on the team and really happy to be there.&rdquo;
Oklahoma City traded its second first-round pick, at No. 16, to Houston and chose Alperen Sengun for the Rockets. The Thunder received a pair of future first-round picks in return.
The Thunder also took Tre Mann, a 6-foot-5 guard from Florida, with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round.
&ldquo;We felt it was an extremely productive night for us,&rdquo; Thunder&rsquo;general manager, Sam Presti said. &ldquo;We are excited about the players that we were able to add and excited about those guys coming into the program. They all bring something different and I think will be positive contributors to the organization. They all have a lot of work in front of them and this is just the starting point for their careers. &hellip; We&rsquo;re looking forward to walking with them through their development paths.&rdquo;
Giddey is the first NBA Global Academy graduate to be drafted into the NBA and the highest-drafted player from Australia since Ben Simmons, who went first overall to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016.
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Giddey is the eighth Australian to be drafted in the first round. Although he wasn&rsquo;t from Australia, in 2017, the Thunder used the No. 21 overall pick on Terrance Ferguson, who had played for the 36ers the previous season.
&ldquo;To follow on from the guys we have had (from Australia) go through the NBA, it means a lot to me and I looked up to those guys for a long time and I speak to them and try and get advice from them,&rdquo; Giddey said. &ldquo;The Australian basketball community is really tight. So, to have those guys by my side and supporting me through this whole process has been really good for me.&rdquo;
Should Giddey play for the Thunder next season, he&rsquo;ll be the second teenager on the Thunder roster, joining Aleksej Pokusevski, who won&rsquo;t turn 20 until December. The Thunder obtained Pokusevski, the 17th pick of the 2020 NBA draft, through a trade with Minnesota.
Giddey &ldquo;is somebody that really has a lot of room to grow as a basketball player, but already has shown through his experience overseas the ability to impact professional games at a very, very young age,&rdquo; Presti said. &ldquo;He makes other people better and that&rsquo;s a really important trait as we continue to add other players to our team.&rdquo;
Mann averaged 16.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for Florida as a sophomore. He finished eighth in the Southeastern Conference in scoring and sixth in free-throw percentage (83.1) and assists per game (3.5). He was an All-SEC second-team selection.
He&rsquo;s the first first-round draft pick produced by the Gators since Bradley Beal in 2012.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all just so excited for Tre,&rdquo; Florida coach Mike White said. &ldquo;He has put in an incredible amount of work to get to this point, and his dedication, commitment and maturity have helped him reach this goal. He has earned this moment, and I couldn&rsquo;t be happier for him.&rdquo;
In the second round, the Thunder picked up 6-foot-9 forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of Villanova. He led the Wildcats in scoring (15.7 points per game) and rebounding (8.5 per game) while helping them advance to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.
The Thunder swapped two of its second-round picks, at No. 34 and No. 36, with New York for the rights to Robinson-Earl, who the Knicks selected at No. 32.
&ldquo;The Thunder are lucky to be getting a high-character, hard working young man,&rdquo; Villanova coach Jay Wright said on Twitter. &ldquo;Jeremiah is ready to compete at the next level in the NBA.&rdquo;
With the No. 55 pick, Oklahoma City selected Aaron Wiggins, a 6-foot-6 guard from Maryland who averaged 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game last season as a junior. As a sophomore, he was named as the Big Ten Conference&rsquo;s sixth man of the year as the Terrapins won the league title.

For the second time in five years, the Thunder went Down Under to find a first-round pick in the NBA Draft, taking Josh Giddey at No. 6.

Thunder shock everyone by selecting Josh Giddey at No. 6

The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Josh Giddey with the No. 6 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
ANALYSIS: Josh Giddey has continued to improve at a rapid rate throughout this season in Australia. While he isn't overly athletic, at 6-foot-8, his court vision and basketball IQ shine through in everything he does on the court. An intelligent initiator with positional size and versatility, Giddey is a valuable asset in today's NBA.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Josh Giddey with the No. 6 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Thunder pick Josh Giddey No. 6

Five years after the NBA Global Academy opened its doors, Australian swingman <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joshua-giddey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Giddey</a> is set to become the first graduate selected in an NBA Draft on Thursday night.
&ldquo;I give a lot of credit to the NBA Academy,&rdquo; Giddey said at his pre-draft media availability. &ldquo;They got me in there at an early age, when I personally thought that I didn&rsquo;t have a big future in basketball. They got me in and they believed in me when I didn&rsquo;t necessarily believe in myself. I was there for 18 months and they worked with me every day, so I give &lsquo;em a lot of credit.&nbsp;
&ldquo;They developed me and pushed me in the right direction and set me up to where I am today, essentially. So, the NBA Academy was big for me. It allowed for me to go overseas and get the exposure that I wouldn&rsquo;t have gotten if I stayed back home in Melbourne. It&rsquo;s a big honor and it makes me pretty happy to be the first NBA-Academy player to be drafted.&rdquo;
Chris Ebersole, the NBA's senior director of international basketball operations, worked closely with Giddey during his time at the NBA Academy and Basketball Without Borders (BWB), and he's watched as the son of two professional basketball players went from an off-the-radar prospect to a top-10 projected pick in rapid fashion.
Ebersole knew Giddey from an early age through Marty Clarke and members of the Academy's coaching staff. (Clarke was actually teammates with Giddey's father, Warrick, in the NBL.) Having shown promise at BWB Asia, Giddey found his way to the Academy in 2018.&nbsp;
When Giddey arrived in Canberra, Australia, he was around 6-foot-5 with a good amount of potential. When he left, he was a 6-foot-8 sensation who was highly coveted by NBA decision-makers. Even Ebersole couldn&rsquo;t predict that his ascent would happen this fast.
&ldquo;To be completely honest, I don't think any of us had potential lottery pick in the 2021 draft in our sights for Josh at the outset,&rdquo; Ebersole told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview.
To be fair, Giddey didn't see this coming either.
&ldquo;Up until I moved to the Academy, I was a good player, but nothing special,&rdquo; Giddey <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nbl-adelaide-36ers-josh-giddey-good-chance-ill-be-declaring-for-2021-nba-draft-prospects-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told our Matt Babcock back in March</a>. &ldquo;I was challenged every day by my teammates and my coaches, and at times, I struggled early on and didn't enjoy myself. But as I grew into it, I fell in love with wanting to get better, and my coaches never took it easy on me &ndash; and that was a massive part of my development.&rdquo;
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Giddey didn&rsquo;t make an Australian junior national team until he played for the U18 club. But as he grew literally, Giddey also grew skillfully. Between sprouting three inches to 6-foot-8, developing his perimeter skills, improving as a playmaker and asserting himself as a lead ball-handler, it was clear that his ceiling was rising as a player -- and that was before any draft buzz.
&ldquo;I think from that point [of making the U-18 squad], that was maybe when a switch sort of went off that he had a chance to be special in basketball,&rdquo; Ebersole said. &ldquo;I think it's always been a dream for him, but the fact that he went through some of that adversity at a young age and the disappointment of not making some of those teams probably fueled him. And by the time he was 18, he was not only making a state team, but he was excelling on it and leading those teams.
&ldquo;In basketball terms, in relative terms, you could sort of label him as a late-bloomer in terms of how quickly his stock has risen. I think a lot of those traits have been there the whole time, but a lot of times it's confidence, it's putting it all together on the court, and I think that's the part that's really blossomed.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s not just his size that stood out, either.
&ldquo;Beyond that, he's also developed his game, and that part is really the key. There are not a lot of 6-foot-8 people out there who are able to do what Josh can do on the court,&rdquo; Ebersole said. &ldquo;I mean the size certainly helps, but the development of his game in terms of growing into such a rare level of passer and leader of an offense on the court, I think that's the part that catches most people's attention &ndash; just how advanced he is in those areas of his game.&rdquo;
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The Academy traveled to different tournaments and took on varying levels of competition. Ebersole recalls the 2020 Torneo Junior Ciutat L&rsquo;Hospitalet, a tournament that featured the top junior teams around Europe. Giddey <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba/news/australias-josh-giddey-mvp-nba-global-academy-fc-barcelona-2020-torneo-junior-ciutat-de-lhospitalet/10xt6unne3wrg1b6j6ljrut7yc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led the Academy to a win in Spain over the local FC Barcelona club</a> and earned MVP honors after averaging 11.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
Giddey saved his best performance for last, contributing 15 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in the tournament final.
&ldquo;He was never fazed,&rdquo; Ebersole said. &ldquo;He elevated his game... He makes those jaw-dropping plays look routine. Just an interesting part of his game is that he's able to make passes that no one else on the court, or watching the games, could see [coming]. And so, he'll make a pass and you're almost wondering where the ball is going, and it'll end up in the hand of his teammate right under the hoop. He does that multiple times a game (laughs). He can throw all different types of passes with both hands from any angle, and so he actually ends up making these extraordinary plays look very routine in his game.&nbsp;
&ldquo;There have been countless examples of that just watching him, whether it's games at some of our events [in the] States or overseas; you see him make those types of passes and you just kinda look at each other on the sidelines and you sorta shake your head. It's so advanced, it's so rare to see a player of his age with that understanding of all the moving pieces on the court.&rdquo;
Just two months later, instead of coming to the United States to prepare for the NBA via college or the G League Ignite, Giddey elected to sign with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League as a part of its Next Stars program (just like LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton). It turned out to be a brilliant choice, as Giddey boosted his stock even further.
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With the 36ers, Giddey won the NBL Rookie of the Year Award. He averaged the most assists in the league (7.6), and led Adelaide in rebounds per game (7.3). Giddey also scored the fourth-most points per game (10.9) on the team, while playing the second-most minutes per contest (32.1). The 18-year-old also became the youngest player in NBL history to record a triple-double (taking the record from LaMelo). Then, he did it again the very next night, making him <a href="https://nbl.com.au/news/night-of-sixers-celebrations-against-bullets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the only Australian to have triple-doubles in consecutive games</a>.
&ldquo;Obviously, his time in the NBL [was] a huge factor in developing his confidence,&rdquo; Ebersole said. "He was handed the keys in a lot of ways when he got to Adelaide. The fact that he was able to translate all those skills in a league of that caliber... the NBL is a league of grown men and really talented players. For him to go in and showcase his skills at that level and translate them so quickly at that level, I think, is a huge boost for his confidence. I think at each level, he's able to now realize that he can impact these games and he's not out of place and he can hold his own.&rdquo;
"Great kid, very nice," Giddey's 36ers teammate and former NBA pro Brandon Paul told BasketballNews.com. "I think he's more mature than his years the way he carries himself on and off the court, and he's just someone who's got a crazy ceiling."
Giddey&rsquo;s stint with the 36ers ended on May 16, when both parties agreed to allow him to begin preparing for the 2021 NBA Draft. He carried over the momentum from the NBL into this summer, joining the Australian team&rsquo;s pre-Olympic training camp as one of 24 invitees and giving him a chance to play with some fellow Aussies whom he'd looked up to. Many NBA scouts and executives were in attendance to observe the practices and exhibitions.
&ldquo;He's definitely garnering significant attention throughout this whole process,&rdquo; said Ebersole, who was present with Giddey in Las Vegas. &ldquo;And of course with his time in Adelaide in the NBL &ndash; although there was maybe some limitation on how many scouts could get there to see him just given some of the restrictions on travel &ndash; it was clear the buzz around him was picking up during that time frame... I think he's gotten somewhat used to it.&rdquo;
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Even though the Boomers left Giddey off their Olympic roster, they did name him as a replacement player and the experience was beneficial.
&ldquo;It was fun. Obviously, it sucks I didn&rsquo;t make that team, but I still got to be around the guys and be able to train and compete against them every day right up until they left,&rdquo; Giddey said. "So for me, it was great because I got to compete against guys like [Matthew Dellavedova], Patty Mills, Joe Ingles &ndash; and then learn and train against them every day. So it was such a beneficial kinda month, two months for me, being able to learn from those guys.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And then, it&rsquo;s such a good environment to me. I think for me going forward, it&rsquo;s gonna be critical to get this early taste of it because hopefully [in] the next 12-15 years, I&rsquo;m gonna have a long career playing with the national team.&rdquo;
Ebersole is a California native, and he describes Giddey's personality as similar to his own: laid-back and self-deprecating. He says that Giddey is always fun to be around and has great leadership qualities. He can lead by example, but he's also a good communicator with both teammates and coaches alike.
"I've seen him interact with people and [he's] always very welcoming, even when he's being hounded," Paul added.
Ebersole assures that Giddey is a &ldquo;hooper at heart.&rdquo; As for his off-court interests, the young Aussie is a sneakerhead.&nbsp;
When asked what kind of team or situation would be conducive to Giddey thriving as a rookie, Ebersole confidently said &ldquo;anywhere.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I don't think there's necessarily one team or type of team that sticks out,&rdquo; Ebersole said. &ldquo;I think he does have such a versatile game that he'll be able to have an impact anywhere he goes... He's sort of proven that he can be that primary ball-handler, lead operator out of the pick-and-roll. But if he goes to a team where he's asked to play off the ball and go into some of those secondary actions, I think he's fully capable of doing that as well. When he was with our Academy, he played both roles at different points, so I think he's fully capable offensively playing either role.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Defensively, I think that's one part of his game that people may be questioning. But I think he actually has a chance, just given his size, to be a multi-positional defender too and be able to guard multiple positions. He's versatile on both sides of the ball, and that's gonna allow him to thrive [in] whatever situation that may be. I think he's got a good chance &ndash; whether it's the primary guy or the secondary ball-handler &ndash; to impact offenses and keep the ball moving, which is his number one NBA skill at this point.&rdquo;
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"I love passing the ball and he loved shooting the ball" 🇦🇺 <a href="https://twitter.com/joshgiddey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@joshgiddey</a> on his friendship with <a href="https://twitter.com/Adelaide36ers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Adelaide36ers</a> guard and fellow NBA Academy alumni <a href="https://twitter.com/Mojaveee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mojaveee</a> and how they continue to push each other. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GiddeyUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GiddeyUp</a> Watch the 2021 NBA Draft, July 30 on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> and NBA League Pass. <a href="https://t.co/IyEf9UQiyt">pic.twitter.com/IyEf9UQiyt</a>
&mdash; NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_AU/status/1419103123092623360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Ebersole acknowledges that he's impressed with how Giddey has handled the pre-draft process and the hype surrounding him. The 18-year-old has approached it with humility, staying grounded and true to himself while &ldquo;keeping those blinders on.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I don't think it's easy for a young person to have this amount of pressure and success and expectation placed upon them in such a short amount of time, especially in Josh's case &ndash; where only a few years ago, he was not on anyone's radar in terms of the NBA-draft potential,&rdquo; Ebersole said. &ldquo;[It] speaks to the type of worker he is, the type of focus he has.
"And that, of course, bodes well for his future &ndash; because once he gets to the NBA, that noise only grows. The fact that he's been able to sort of stay on course through all of this and not get side-tracked or distracted, I think, speaks to that character he has.&rdquo;
In a day&rsquo;s time, Giddey will hear his name called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's a dream come true for him to be drafted, and I think even for him growing up, this was obviously a dream, but only in the last two years has it really accelerated and evolved into reality,&rdquo; Ebersole said. &ldquo;I think for him, it's somewhat surreal &ndash; but I know he's really excited and probably somewhat anxious to figure out where he's going to end up, as is the case, I think, with every prospect in the draft. But I think he's just beyond excited to finally realize his dream.&rdquo;
And the moment that Silver utters those words, Ebersole will not only be happy for Giddey, but for those who will come after him in the NBA Global Academy.
&ldquo;We're definitely proud of him, obviously. To have our first graduate to be drafted be somebody like Josh &ndash; who's a selfless player, who has just a great approach to the game and approach to life &ndash; I think it makes it that much more special,&rdquo; Ebersole said. "I think it opens the doors to future breakthroughs.
"Our first draft pick in the 2021 draft will likely be Josh, and then you turn around and look at the door that&rsquo;s gonna open. In 2022, we expect to have multiple draft picks coming out of the NBA Academy program. We've now had NBA-Academy alumni in each of the first two years of the G League Ignite program (Princepal Singh and Dyson Daniels) and expect that to continue to grow... It's going to inspire future generations. There's a generation of young Australian players who are looking up to Dyson Daniels, young Argentinian players looking up to Francisco [Caffaro], young Indian players looking up to Princepal Singh. All of these individual successes are great in their own right, but they also open up the possibilities to so many others, so that's the part that really gets us excited. It's much bigger than any one player.&rdquo;
Giddey echoes those sentiments, and is honored to be a part of a global movement in basketball that is only getting stronger.
&ldquo;On the international scale, you see how big the game&rsquo;s growing worldwide, outside of America. I think it&rsquo;s good for players all around the world because they can look at role models in their countries and see how well they&rsquo;re doing, and it allows the next generation to come through," Giddey said. "So, it&rsquo;s exciting times for basketball all around the world. And I think it&rsquo;s evident now, with countries beating the States &ndash; when 10 years ago, it was America just dominating on a world stage. So, it&rsquo;s really good to see.&rdquo;
BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has Josh Giddey projected to go No. 7 overall to the Golden State Warriors in his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>.

Spencer Davies chats with NBA international basketball ops director Chris Ebersole, who witnessed Josh Giddey's meteoric rise firsthand.

In the blink of an eye, Josh Giddey ascended to top NBA Draft prospect

The NBA released some key numbers to remember ahead of Thursday's NBA Draft:
The 2021 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, July 29 at 8 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.&nbsp;&nbsp;ABC&nbsp;will televise the&nbsp;first round of the NBA Draft&nbsp;for the first time, and ESPN will air both rounds.&nbsp;
Twenty draft prospects are scheduled to attend and have their once-in-a-lifetime experience on the biggest stage.&nbsp;&nbsp;NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum will announce the selections for the first and second rounds, respectively.&nbsp;
Here is a by-the-numbers look at this year&rsquo;s NBA Draft:&nbsp;
History &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;Since the NBA Draft Lottery began in 1985,&nbsp;four&nbsp;first overall picks have won an NBA championship with the team that drafted them: David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs; first pick in 1987), Tim Duncan (Spurs; first pick in 1997), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers; first pick in 2003) and Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers; first pick in 2011).&nbsp;James won an NBA championship in his second stint with Cleveland. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 &ndash;&nbsp;Since the two-round format was adopted in 1989, Kentucky holds the record for the university with the most picks in an NBA Draft &ndash;&nbsp;six&nbsp;each in 2012 and 2015. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;8&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Barclays Center will host the NBA Draft for the&nbsp;eighth&nbsp;time.&nbsp;It last hosted the event in 2019 prior to the pandemic. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;11 &ndash;&nbsp;A college freshman has been the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft in each of the last&nbsp;11&nbsp;years. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;15 &ndash;&nbsp;This marks the&nbsp;15th&nbsp;consecutive year that Adam Silver will announce draft selections as either deputy commissioner (seven years) or commissioner (eight years including 2021). &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1947 &ndash;&nbsp;The NBA Draft will be held in July for the first time since&nbsp;1947, the year of the inaugural draft.
Prospects &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 &ndash;&nbsp;In 2020-21, USC forward-center Evan Mobley became the&nbsp;first&nbsp;player to win the Pac-12 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards in the same season. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3 &ndash;&nbsp;Florida State forward Scottie Barnes, NBA G League Ignite guard Jalen Green and Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs have won&nbsp;three&nbsp;gold medals together with USA Basketball in international play: 2019 FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup, 2018 FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup and 2017 FIBA U-16 Americas Championship. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;Four&nbsp;2021 NBA Draft prospects were teammates on the Montverde (Fla.) Academy team that went 25-0 during the 2019-20 high school season: Scottie Barnes, Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, Arkansas guard Moses Moody and North Carolina center Day'Ron Sharpe.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7.6 &ndash;&nbsp;Adelaide 36ers guard Josh Giddey (Australia) led Australia&rsquo;s National Basketball League in assists with&nbsp;7.6&nbsp;per game in the 2020-21 season. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;19 &ndash;&nbsp;Besiktas forward Alperen Sengun (Turkey), the 2020-21 Turkish League MVP, turned&nbsp;19&nbsp;on July 25. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;48 &ndash;&nbsp;Tennessee guard&nbsp;Keon Johnson set the NBA Combine record with a max vertical jump of&nbsp;48&nbsp;inches.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;75 &ndash;&nbsp;Last season, Cade&nbsp;Cunningham became Oklahoma State&rsquo;s first consensus All-America First Team selection in&nbsp;75&nbsp;years.
Teams &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2 &ndash;&nbsp;The Houston Rockets franchise is set to select&nbsp;second&nbsp;overall in the NBA Draft for the first time in 51 years.&nbsp;In 1970, the then San Diego Rockets selected five-time NBA All-Star Rudy Tomjanovich with the No. 2 pick. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3 &ndash;&nbsp;The Oklahoma City Thunder has&nbsp;three&nbsp;picks in both the first round (Nos. 6, 16 and 18 overall) and the second round (Nos. 34, 36 and 55 overall). &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;The Toronto Raptors are poised to pick&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;overall in the NBA Draft for the first time since selecting newly elected Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Bosh at that spot in 2003. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7 &ndash;&nbsp;The Golden State Warriors&rsquo; first pick in the NBA Draft is at No.&nbsp;7&nbsp;overall, a spot where they have selected five-time NBA All-Star Chris Mullin (1985), two-time Kia NBA MVP Stephen Curry (2009) and NBA champion Harrison Barnes (2012) during the NBA Draft Lottery era. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;49 &ndash;&nbsp;The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to pick third overall in the NBA Draft for the first time in&nbsp;49&nbsp;years. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;51 &ndash;&nbsp;The Detroit Pistons are poised&nbsp;to make the first pick in&nbsp;the NBA Draft for the first time in&nbsp;51&nbsp;years.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1970, the Pistons used the top pick to select eight-time NBA All-Star Bob Lanier, a longtime ambassador for the NBA Cares program.&nbsp;
Family Ties &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;9.2 &ndash;&nbsp;Auburn guard&nbsp;Sharife Cooper&rsquo;s&nbsp;sister, Te&rsquo;a Cooper, is currently averaging&nbsp;9.2&nbsp;points per game with the Los Angeles Sparks in her second WNBA season.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;10 &ndash;&nbsp;Michigan forward Franz Wagner (Germany) and his brother, Orlando Magic forward-center Moritz Wagner, were both All-Big&nbsp;Ten&nbsp;Team selections with the Wolverines.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;12 &ndash;&nbsp;Houston guard&nbsp;Quentin Grimes&rsquo;&nbsp;brother, NHL veteran Tyler Myers, was selected&nbsp;12th&nbsp;overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;33 &ndash;&nbsp;Boise State&nbsp;forward&nbsp;Derrick Alston Jr.&rsquo;s father, Derrick Sr., was the&nbsp;33rd&nbsp;overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and played three seasons in the league.&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1984 &ndash;&nbsp;Tennessee guard Jaden Springer is the son of Gary Springer, who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the&nbsp;1984&nbsp;NBA Draft. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1992 &ndash;&nbsp;Loyola Maryland forward&nbsp;Santi&nbsp;Aldama (Spain)&nbsp;is the son of Santiago&nbsp;Aldama&nbsp;Ales&oacute;n, who was a&nbsp;member of the Spanish National Team that competed against the Dream Team at the&nbsp;1992&nbsp;Barcelona Olympics.&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2015 &ndash;&nbsp;Gonzaga guard&nbsp;Joel&nbsp;Ayayi (France)&nbsp;is the brother of&nbsp;Valeriane&nbsp;Ayayi&nbsp;Vukosavljevic, who played in the WNBA in&nbsp;2015.&nbsp;
Global Game &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 &ndash;&nbsp;Australia&rsquo;s Josh Giddey is poised to become the&nbsp;first&nbsp;NBA Academy graduate to be drafted into the NBA.&nbsp;Giddey attended NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;If NBA G League Ignite forward Jonathan Kuminga is drafted in the top&nbsp;six, he would be the highest-drafted player from the Democratic Republic of the Congo since Dikembe Mutombo was drafted fourth overall in 1991. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;9 &ndash;&nbsp;Last year, a record&nbsp;nine&nbsp;players from or with ties to Nigeria were drafted: Isaac Okoro, Onyeka Okongwu, Aaron Nesmith, Precious Achiuwa, Zeke Nnaji, Udoka Azubuike, Desmond Bane, Daniel Oturu and Jordan Nwora. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;13 &ndash;&nbsp;Thirteen&nbsp;international players have been selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft, most recently Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) in 2018. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;27 &ndash;&nbsp;A record&nbsp;27&nbsp;international players were selected in the 2016 NBA Draft, including a record 15 in the first round and a record-tying 12 in the second round. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;68 &ndash; Sixty-eight&nbsp;former Basketball Without Borders campers have been drafted into the NBA.&nbsp;This year&rsquo;s class features a number of potential draftees with BWB experience, including Gonzaga guard Joel Ayayi (France; BWB Europe 2017), Western Kentucky forward-center Charles Bassey (Nigeria; BWB Global 2017 &amp; 2018), Paris Basket guard Juhann Begarin (France; BWB Europe 2019; BWB Global 2020), Zalgiris Kaunas guard Rokas Jokubaitis (Lithuania; BWB Europe 2017), Adelaide 36ers guard Josh Giddey (Australia; BWB Asia 2018; BWB Global 2020), Texas forward-center Kai Jones (Bahamas; BWB Americas 2017), Seton Hall forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (Georgia; BWB Global 2017), KK Mega Basket forward-center Filip Petrusev (Serbia; BWB Europe 2017; BWB Global 2018), Alabama guard Josh Primo (Canada; BWB Global 2020) and Oostende forward Amar Sylla (Senegal; BWB Africa 2018; BWB Global 2019). &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;215/25 &ndash;&nbsp;The NBA Draft will reach fans live in&nbsp;215&nbsp;countries and territories in&nbsp;25&nbsp;languages on their televisions, computers, mobile devices and tablets. &nbsp; NBA G League &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;Four&nbsp;former five-star high school prospects who helped lead NBA G League Ignite to the 2021 NBA G League Playoffs are entered in the&nbsp;NBA Draft:&nbsp;Jalen&nbsp;Green, Jonathan&nbsp;Kuminga, guard&nbsp;Daishen Nix and forward Isaiah Todd.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;24 &ndash;&nbsp;Twenty-four&nbsp;of the 60 players who were selected in the 2020 NBA Draft played in the NBA G League during the 2020-21 season, including five first-round selections. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;49 &ndash;&nbsp;Daishen&nbsp;Nix&nbsp;has a chance to join Carlos Boozer, Mario Chalmers and Trajan Langdon as NBA players who grew up in the&nbsp;49th&nbsp;state &ndash; Alaska.&nbsp; &nbsp; ESPN &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 &ndash;&nbsp;The NBA Draft will air on both ABC and ESPN for the&nbsp;first&nbsp;time ever. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Five&nbsp;virtual technology cameras will be used for the telecast. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;12&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;ABC and ESPN&rsquo;s on-air talent will feature&nbsp;12&nbsp;reporters. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;19 &ndash;&nbsp;ESPN will present the NBA Draft for the&nbsp;19th&nbsp;consecutive year. &nbsp; NBA TV &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;NBA TV&rsquo;s NBA Draft night coverage will include&nbsp;four&nbsp;former first-round picks: Rex Chapman, No. 8 in 1988; Brian Shaw, No. 24 in 1988; Jim Jackson, No. 4 in 1992; and Brendan Haywood, No. 20 in 2001. &nbsp; Partners &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;38&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Wilson was last used as the official basketball of the NBA&nbsp;38&nbsp;years ago.&nbsp;Last seen on the court in the 1983 NBA Finals, Wilson basketballs will adorn the green room at the NBA Draft and will join the latest draft class on the court for the 2021-22 season. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;75&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;The NBA Draft Cap from New Era features the commemorative NBA&nbsp;75th&nbsp;Anniversary Season logo and marks the first league-licensed product to carry the logo.

The 2021 NBA Draft: By the Numbers

With the 2021 NBA Draft just days away, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has put together a list of the top available prospects by position.
Here are the best point guards in this year's class:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/cade-cunningham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State</a>
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Widely considered the favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham has very few holes in his game. At 6-foot-8, he can play multiple positions including being a floor general who can carry his team&rsquo;s offense in crunch time when necessary. He has a tremendous basketball IQ and is improving as a shooter. Although he is not an elite athlete, he is perhaps the safest bet to have a long and successful NBA career of all the players in this year's draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-suggs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga</a>
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Suggs&rsquo; intelligence and feel may be the best of any prospect in this draft class. He&rsquo;s a true point guard on the offensive end who has superior toughness and court presence. He is also a capable defender who has shown glimpses of the two-way star that he could become. If he is able to improve his consistency as a shooter, he will provide high-level value in the NBA for years to come.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joshua-giddey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Giddey, Adelaide 36ers</a>
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Josh Giddey has continued to improve at a rapid rate throughout this season in Australia. While he isn't overly athletic, at 6-foot-8, his court vision and basketball IQ shine through in everything he does on the court. An intelligent initiator with positional size and versatility, Giddey is a valuable asset in today's NBA.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/davion-mitchell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Davion Mitchell, Baylor</a>
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After a memorable season that saw his Baylor Bears win the national championship, no one has helped themselves over the past year as much as Davion Mitchell. An elite, physical, and pesky on-ball defender and a much-improved outside shooter and playmaker, Mitchell has entered the conversation as a possible lottery pick.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jared-butler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jared Butler, Baylor</a>
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One of the best shooters in college basketball this past season - both off of the dribble and from catch-and-shoot opportunities - Jared Butler was a key part of Baylor&rsquo;s success. In addition to spreading the floor, he showed that he&rsquo;s an effective playmaker, as he constantly created open looks for his entire team. On the defensive end, he is a pest on the ball, often disrupting ball-handlers creating turnovers. Butler is a highly intelligent player who is impactful on both ends of the floor. From a talent standpoint, he is more than capable of being a solid, reliable guard in the NBA.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/sharife-cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sharife Cooper, Auburn</a>
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Cooper's impact on offense is undeniable. He is the best passer and facilitator in the draft, and he has an ability to collapse defenses and make jaw-dropping passes on the move. He has elite court vision, but he&rsquo;s also a crafty finisher at the rim. He's undersized and his ability to shoot from deep is a big swing skill, but he's shown that he should be able to run an offense at the next level.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/tre-mann" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tre Mann, Florida</a>
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Having vastly improved from his freshman to sophomore season, Tre Mann, a 6-foot-5 combo guard, has solidified himself as one of the better guards in this year&rsquo;s draft. His footwork, pull-up shooting, creativity, passing, and ability to play on or off the ball make him a hot commodity.
<a href="&lt;iframe%20width=&quot;560&quot;%20height=&quot;315&quot;%20src=&quot;https:/www.youtube.com/embed/J5lWFOh0gew&quot;%20title=&quot;YouTube%20video%20player&quot;%20frameborder=&quot;0&quot;%20allow=&quot;accelerometer;%20autoplay;%20clipboard-write;%20encrypted-media;%20gyroscope;%20picture-in-picture&quot;%20allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miles McBride, West Virginia</a>
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Mostly known for his defensive prowess and frustrating opposing ball-handlers, there is more to McBride's game than just that. He averaged nearly 16.0 points per game while hitting 41% of his three-point attempts this season, giving promise to real two-way impact at the next level. He is a bit undersized for his position, but he's a hard-nosed competitor who makes winning plays.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/nah-shon-hyland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland, VCU</a>
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Nah'shon "Bones" Hyland is a skilled guard who easily has legitimate NBA range as a three-point shooter. In two seasons at VCU, he hit 39.9% of his 331 three-point attempts. He broke out as a sophomore, averaging 19.5 points per game. He lacks the ability to play as a true point guard, but he's a good playmaker who can create looks for both himself and others. If he cleans up his shot selection and defensive discipline, he projects nicely at the next level.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/david-duke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Duke Jr., Providence</a>
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At 6-foot-4 with a powerful frame, David Duke is a lead guard who can score on multiple levels. He plays with a good combination of burst and change-of-pace as he attacks the rim. He was also able to knock down 38.9% of his three-point attempts this past season. Duke's rim finishing and jump shooting will need to be more consistent at the next level, but he has the tools and toughness to carve out a role in the NBA.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/marcus-zegarowski" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marcus Zegarowski, Creighton</a>
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Although a bit undersized at 6-foot-1, Marcus Zegarowski excels as a facilitator, playmaker, and shooter. He connected on 42.1% of his three-point attempts this season, while attempting 6.6 per game. He's reliable as a pull-up shooter and is solid as a lead ball-handling facilitator. The former Creighton Bluejay has potential to serve as a solid backup point guard at the next level.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/d-j-steward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DJ Steward, Duke</a>
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A point guard in high school, DJ Steward earned a spot in the McDonald's All-American Game due to his speed and playmaking ability. At Duke, he was asked to play off-ball more than ever before, averaging 13.0 points and shooting 34.0% from deep. Look for him to play on-ball more at the next level as he continues to improve as both a distributor and shooter.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/daishen-nix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daishen Nix, G League Ignite</a>
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At 6-foot-3, Daishen Nix is an excellent passer with great vision, and he averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 assists in 16 Bubble games for the G League Ignite this season. He has a powerful frame and has shown the ability to create for his teammates at a high level. He'll need to improve his engagement and technique on defense, but there is a lot to like in Nix as a primary ball-handler.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/david-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Johnson, Louisville</a>
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David Johnson is an intelligent, anticipatory passer on offense, and an instinctual playmaker on defense. Johnson's outside shooting has been streaky throughout his two seasons at Louisville, but he plays with a strong basketball IQ and can provide value on both ends of the floor. He projects well as a defensive-minded, facilitating backup point guard.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jason-preston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Preston, Ohio</a>
Jason Preston was one of the most productive players in the country last season, leading Ohio to the NCAA Tournament. He has a unique ability to facilitate for teammates, while also knocking down 39.0% of his shots from deep. He had a 38.5-inch max vertical at the NBA Combine, and is a viable option for being selected in the 2021 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
To see BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

Matt Babcock lists his best point guard prospects in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Top point guards in this class

Every NBA Draft is unique. Each one is filled with its own group of potential superstars, future high-end role players and NBA ready upperclassmen with years of college experience. While these are cornerstones of conversation each year, another prevalent discussion is the value of youth versus experience.&nbsp;
Upside, or the perception thereof, is highly coveted, and often a hot commodity when building a team for the future. While every prospect has his own development path and personal situations that will affect the growth track over time, the appeal of additional time to reach full potential remains desirable.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s take a look at some Draft Day ages of young prospects from the last three years:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2018</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2019</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2020</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Isaac Bonga - 18.6</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Sekou Doumbouya - 18.6</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Aleksej Pokusevski - 18.9</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Jaren Jackson Jr. - 18.8</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Zion Williamson - 19.1</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">LaMelo Ball - 19.2</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Kevin Knox - 18.9</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Darius Bazley - 19.1</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Patrick Williams - 19.2</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Troy Brown Jr. - 18.9</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">RJ Barrett - 19.1</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Anthony Edwards - 19.3</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Anfernee Simons - 19.0</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Tyler Herro - 19.5</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Isaiah Stewart - 19.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
In each of these scenarios, it&rsquo;s easy to see why the players were scouted the ways they were, and where the perceived upside came from.
Looking to this particular 2021 NBA Draft class and the future, I want to discuss some of the youngest players in the field and what they could bring to NBA franchises.
Roko Prkačin - KK Cibona | Forward | 6-foot-9, 210 pounds
Draft Day Age: 18.7
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Prkačin may be the youngest player in the 2021 Draft class, but he has been developing steadily and coming into his own as of late. In the last four games, he logged two performances of 38 points and 29 points respectively, while posting 25 rebounds and 11 assists between the two. The 6-9 forward is versatile on offense, which only continues to grow as he improves his shooting from deep. He&rsquo;s now shooting 39.7% from three in his 22 ABA Adriatic League games. Pairing this youth and development along with his ability to attack the rim, physicality and 7-foot wingspan, Prkačin could make a tremendous option in this fall&rsquo;s draft.
Jaden Springer - Tennessee | Guard | 6-foot-4, 204 pounds
Draft Day Age: 18.8
Springer was one of the most efficient shooters in the country as a freshman, hitting 43.5% of his shots from deep, as well as going 81% from the line. He&rsquo;s active in transition, explosive getting downhill and has shown flashes of being a capable facilitator. He has been referred to as &ldquo;unique,&rdquo; &ldquo;hybrid,&rdquo; &ldquo;positionless,&rdquo; and a handful of other adjectives as a player; no matter how you view him, Springer is a competitor and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ncaa-basketball-university-of-tennessee-volunteers-teammates-keon-johnson-jaden-springer-declare-2021-nba-draft-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possesses many of the physical tools and skills seen in high-level prospects</a>.
Josh Giddey - Adelaide 36ers | Guard | 6-foot-7, 192 pounds
Draft Day Age: 19.0
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Giddey is steadily making the case to be considered the best international prospect of the 2021 Draft. At 6-foot-8, he possesses great creativity and vision, and has been improving as a scorer. Over Adelaide&rsquo;s last 9 games, Giddey is averaging 12.8 points, 9.3 assists and 7.6 rebounds while hitting 35.8% (14-of-39) of his threes. While he doesn&rsquo;t have elite athleticism or quickness, Giddey <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nbl-adelaide-36ers-josh-giddey-good-chance-ill-be-declaring-for-2021-nba-draft-prospects-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plays with a great intelligence and feel</a>, giving real promise to his prospects of being a winning player at the NBA level.&nbsp;
Alperen Şeng&uuml;n - Beskitas | Center | 6-foot-10, 240 pounds
Draft Day Age: 19.0
Alperen Şeng&uuml;n is a fascinating prospect. At 18 years old, he&rsquo;s a phenomenal interior scorer, plays with advanced footwork and is highly intelligent as a play finisher. He is also an anticipatory passer, as he is able to throw teammates open, fitting an array of passes through tight windows. Using his combination of physicality and finesse, Şeng&uuml;n is remarkably productive, averaging 19 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists through his 27 Turkish Super League games. There is a noticeable lack of athleticism and pop, which hurts his potential defensive value, but his room to grow makes him a viable option in the 2021 Draft.&nbsp;
Moses Moody - Arkansas | Guard | 6-foot-6, 205 pounds
Draft Day Age: 19.2
At 6-6 with a reported 7-foot wingspan, Moses Moody made a case for himself as one of the premier wing shooters in the class. He scored nearly 17 points per game, while shooting 35.8% from three and 81.2% from the free-throw line. His playmaking leaves a bit to be desired, but he has the shot-making, smooth mechanics and reliable defense that many teams search for in high-level role players. Moody is an intelligent, true 3-and-D prospect who has a chance to be selected in the lottery this fall.&nbsp;
Jalen Green - G-League Ignite | Guard | 6-foot-5, 180 pounds
Draft Day Age: 19.5
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It&rsquo;s not often that one of the most explosive, athletic players in a draft class is also one of the youngest. Jalen Green was ranked the nation&rsquo;s No. 1 high school player in 2020, and appeared every bit of the part while playing for the G League Ignite team. He averaged 17.9 points while shooting 36.5% from deep, and flashed tremendous potential as a shot creator and facilitator, as well. With his quick twitch burst and ability to finish through contact, Green has the tools to be a high level primary scorer in the NBA for years to come.&nbsp;

Derek Murray discusses the youngest players in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft class and what they could bring to the league's franchises.

Examining the youngest prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft

BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock recently sat down with top Australian prospect Josh Giddey of the Adelaide 36ers. The 18-year-old is expected to be one of the top international prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft and he's currently being projected as a late first-round pick.
In this exclusive Q&amp;A, they discussed Giddey&rsquo;s upbringing with two parents who played professional basketball, his decision to play professionally instead of attending college in the United States, the 2021 NBA Draft and more.
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Both of your parents played professional basketball in Australia and, naturally, you grew up in and around the game. Was there ever any question in your life whether you were going to be a basketball player?
Josh Giddey: Nah. There was never really any doubt that I was going to be a basketball player growing up, as a kid. I had a ball in my hands very early on in my life, as my parents were so heavily involved with the game. So it was kind of inevitable that I was going to love basketball, and that's exactly what happened.
What advantages do you think were created for you as a result of your parents being professional basketball players?
Giddey: I think it was a real advantage having two parents who played basketball because they can help me, and they understand the game and both of them have very high basketball IQs. So when they talk, I listen -- especially [to] my dad because growing up, he was always my coach, all through my juniors, and he understands the game, so he could guide me in the right direction. He&rsquo;s really made me into the player I am today.
Were you interested in other sports?
Giddey: Yep, I played footy (Australian football) and cricket growing up as a kid. I took footy really seriously until I had to decide between footy and basketball.
Growing up, did you follow Australian basketball or the NBA more? And who were some of the players you looked up to?
Giddey: I probably watched a lot more NBL (National Basketball League), just because my dad was coaching the Melbourne Tigers when I was growing up, so I was at pretty much every single game as a kid and going into practices and was just always around the NBL. I did watch the NBA a bit, but nowhere near as much as the NBL.
Was there ever a specific point where you realized, &ldquo;Hey, I have a chance to be pretty good at basketball and make something of myself?&rdquo;
Giddey: Look, it probably wasn't until after my Under-18 national championships with Victoria that made me realize I could make a career out of basketball, because before then, if I told you I'd be where I'm at today, you'd call me crazy. Up until I was maybe 16 or 17 years old, I was just another regular kid who played locally and that was about it. I wasn't anything overly special. I was a really late developer.
You have played with the Australian junior national team, how has that experience been for you and is playing for your country something that you intend to do throughout your career?
Giddey: Playing for your country is the biggest honor you can have as a basketball player. I think both times that I&rsquo;ve put the green and gold on, it feels surreal because it&rsquo;s something I've dreamed about for so long. Obviously, the junior team is cool. But when you step into a senior team, you kind of see just how intense and how much pride the guys take wearing that Boomers jersey, and it&rsquo;s an awesome thing to be a part of.
You joined the NBA Academy in Australia. How do you feel that experience affected your development as a player?
Giddey: Changed my life. Up until I moved to the Academy, I was a good player, but nothing special. I was challenged every day by my teammates and my coaches, and at times, I struggled early on and didn't enjoy myself. But as I grew into it, I fell in love with wanting to get better, and my coaches never took it easy on me -- and that was a massive part of my development. Marty Clarke had a huge impact on me while I was in Canberra; he worked with me every day and gave me so much confidence when we played in tournaments and went on trips, let me play my natural game, and I just took off from there.
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You were recruited heavily by a number of colleges in the United States -- including Arizona and Colorado -- but you instead chose to sign with the Adelaide 36ers, a professional team in Australia. Can you walk me through how that all went down and how you made your decision?
Giddey: The recruiting process was really fun. Having schools calling, texting and emailing me all the time -- it was really cool. It was a really tough decision to make. I kept tossing and turning on whether to turn pro or go the college route. I eventually came to the conclusion that the NBL would allow me to go straight into a professional environment at 17 years old and play against grown men, and I thought for me that would fast track my development, which it absolutely has.
You are the youngest player on the 36ers, as you are only 18 years old. You have been playing with and against a lot of grown men. How has that helped you develop?
Giddey: It has helped me a lot. Going up against grown men at the start was tough for me early on, but once I started to get used to it and it made things a lot easier. I don't really look at my age and see it as a reason as to why I might be this or why this is different.
At 6-foot-8, you&rsquo;re very versatile as a player and can be used in a number of different roles. The 36ers have even used as a point guard a lot this year. In an ideal situation, what role would you play?
Giddey: Yeah, being 6-8 certainly allows me to play more positions, but I've been a point guard my whole life and still am. I&rsquo;ve been the point guard for the 36ers since I got here. So in an ideal situation, I am a point guard. But in saying that, I can play on the wing and can sometimes even slot into a small ball 4-man spot, so I can move around a little bit position wise. But I am a point guard.
I was told that you are ambidextrous. At what point in your life did you realize that?
Giddey: I've always dribbled with my left hand predominantly, because growing up, all of our offense system used to start on the left hand side of the floor, so I think that&rsquo;s where that comes from. But I am equally as comfortable dribbling with my right hand.
I know that you shoot with your right hand. Was that a choice you made, or did you just naturally start shooting with that hand?
Giddey: I&rsquo;ve just always shot with my right hand, naturally.
What would you consider your greatest strengths as a player on the court?
Giddey: Passing is my biggest strength. I think my ability to get guys the ball in the right spots at the right time is what I love to do and I am quite good at it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DraftExpress</a>, you up? Because Josh Giddey should be going all the way 🆙 on that next Mock Draft 📈 16 points 11 rebounds 7 assists<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/XYsnm7iTXO">pic.twitter.com/XYsnm7iTXO</a>
&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1350693373204520961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
What would you like to work and improve on in your game?
Giddey: I'm working on my jump shot every day, and it's really starting to get better. I&rsquo;ve been working on different finishes around the basket. Also on the defensive end, just making sure I'm always locked in and not resting off the ball.
Off the court, what do you like to do for fun?
Giddey: Playing PlayStation, online shopping, on my phone, watching Netflix, hanging out with my friends.
What does a typical day off during the season look like for you?
Giddey: I sleep in! It would usually be a pretty chill day; [I] might stretch or foam roll and then just put my feet up and play PlayStation the entire day.
Have you signed with an agent? And if so, who?
Giddey: Daniel Moldovan, he&rsquo;s the best in the business.
How did you go about selecting your agent?
Giddey: Pretty similar to the recruiting process for college, really. I spoke with a number of agents and I just went with the one I thought was best for me.
What are your plans after the season?
Giddey: I&rsquo;ll probably go home to Melbourne a little bit, workout and be with my family and friends. I still have to sit down with my people and figure out what this offseason is going to look like.
If given the opportunity, would you like to come to the NBA next season or would you prefer to wait?
Giddey: At this point, there is a good chance I'll be declaring for the '21 draft, but as I said, we will just finish this season and see where we are at.&nbsp;

Matt Babcock speaks with Adelaide 36ers guard and NBA Draft prospect Josh Giddey about his NBL season and plans for the future.