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5 NBA players who played well in FIBA warm-up games this week

FIBA World Cup warm-up games are coming to a close, but plenty of NBA players are still showcasing their skills in the lead-up to the tournament. 

By Andrew Bernucca

Apr 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32)
Apr 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
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Josh Giddey
Apr 2, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) shoots / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Even outside of his comfort zone at times, Josh Giddey is continuing to inspire a strong Australia squad

They don’t have Ben Simmons, but Australia still has a very strong team heading into the FIBA World Cup. 

Josh Giddey, Patty Mills, Dante Exum, Matisse Thybulle, Josh Green, Joe Ingles, Dyson Daniels, Jack White, and Xavier Cooks give them nine NBA players. The second most in the tournament after Team USA. 

However, similar to Team USA, they don’t have a clearly defined offensive leader. Their problem is even more strenuous as none of their players have a score-first mentality. The closest is Patty Mills, who prefers to do his scoring off of spot-up opportunities.

In light of that, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Giddey has had to step up. Primarily a creator in the NBA, Giddey is looking for his shot more and that’s led to success for Australia during warm-ups. 

He posted a near triple-double with 14 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in a win against Venezuela to start the week. 

He also made a clutch defensive play against Rudy Gobert and France to seal victory for the Boomers on Sunday.

If it’s a good summer for Australian basketball, Giddey will be the reason why. 

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