AUSSIES IN THE 2015-16 NBA SEASON
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Andrew Bogut
Position: Centre
Height: 213cm
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Weight: 118kg
Accolades: 2015 NBA champion, 2011 NBA blocks leader, 2006 No.1 draft pick
Role: The Warriors' enforcer, Bogut is one of the league's best defensive players, and was acknowledged with selection on the All-Defensive second team last season.
In a surprising but clever move from coach Steve Kerr, Bogut spent much of the NBA Finals on the bench as the team played small ball to match the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While defence is what he is known for, Bogut is a handy passing big man when it comes to setting up the Warriors' offence and his ability to set screens to get sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson open is valuable.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Patty Mills
Position: Point guard
Height: 183cm
Weight: 83kg
Accolades: 2014 NBA champion
Role: Mills spent much of last season recuperating from shoulder surgery. Late in the season his role picked up again and he found form and range when Tony Parker got injured. Once again he will be back-up to the French star and a spot-up shooter from beyond the arc. If anything that shooting role increases with Italy's Marco Belinelli going to Sacramento as a free agent.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Matthew Dellavedova
Position: Point guard
Height: 193cm
Weight: 90kg
Role: While Dellavedova enjoyed a breakout 2014/15 season, playing a vital role in the playoffs when star Kyrie Irving went down injured he will again be a back-up. Irving won't be ready for the season start so Delly should get plenty of early minutes. Renowned for his ability to scrap, defend and unsettle opponents rather than as a pure shooter or super-skilled player, his position as the first choice back-up to Irving is under threat after Cleveland signed a proven shooter in veteran Mo Williams.
DETROIT PISTONS
Aron Baynes
Position: Centre/forward
Height: 208cm
Weight: 118kg
Role: The back up to star big man Andre Drummond, Baynes may see more court time than first expected with Drummond's twin tower Greg Monroe shipped off to Milwaukee.
Baynes will be used heavily on defence to protect the rim, while also playing the big man role down low when Drummond is off the floor.
UTAH JAZZ
Joe Ingles
Position: Shooting guard/small forward
Height: 203cm
Weight: 98kg
Role: To be the versatile back-up. With fellow Australian Dante Exum out for the season with an ACL tear the Jazz are already down a man and although Ingles probably won't be a starter as much this season he is a good 3-point shooter, a sometimes brilliant passer and capable ball-handler off the pick and roll.
CHICAGO BULLS
Cameron Bairstow
Position: Centre/power forward
Height: 206cm
Weight: 113kg
Role: Barely played in his first season with just 18 games and more of the same will be the case in 2015/16 with stars Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah ahead of him in the Chicago rotation. What was encouraging is that when Gasol was rested in the early pre-season games, Bairstow was used to play the role destined for the Spaniard, stretching the floor and showing he can hit deep jump shots.
