Josh Giddey looking forward to playing with Ben Simmons, winning gold with Australia / News - Basketnews.com

Josh Giddey would very much like to Ben Simmons to join him in the Australian NT so that the two can help the team win a gold medal in the next tournaments.

Credit: AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson; Ian Maule/Getty Images/AFP Credit AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson; Ian Maule/Getty Images/AFP

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey is quickly becoming a household name in his home country of Australia. Since being drafted No. 6 by OKC in the 2021 NBA draft, the former Australian NBL Adelaide 36ers star has been improving year after year.

Josh Giddey

MIN:28.02PTS:12.86 (43%)REB:5.57As:4.86ST:0.43BL:0.71TO:3GM:7ProfileNBA2022/2023

With his lethal passing ability, great vision and ability to nail a tough jump shot, he became a valuable asset to the rebuilding Thunder.

He has been enjoying extended minutes and is averaging 13.5 points and 5.3 assists this season and looks certain to be selected for the Australian Boomers in the upcoming World Cup and Olympics campaigns.

While Giddey’s star is on the rise, Australian point guard Ben Simmons' troubled career continues to drop to worrying new lows. The former No. 1 draft pick and All-Star has returned to the Brooklyn Nets after a two-year layoff due to mental, physical and contractual issues, but he has hardly set the world on fire for the struggling Nets.

However, Giddey has backed Simmons to be a key player in the World Cup and Olympics campaigns, although the two are likely to compete for the same place in the starting five.

"Obviously he was dealing with some things with Philly and then [made] a fresh start in Brooklyn," Giddey said.

"People forget that Ben is an All-Star. He's one of the best players in the league. He's obviously going to need time to get on his feet, he hasn't played in the NBA for a long time.

I’m excited for what he can do and hopefully soon we can be part of the Boomers together and help Australia win a gold medal," Giddey continued.

The young guard genuinely believes his country can finally challenge the might of the United States for gold medal glory.

"The World Cup is coming up next year and we won't be happy with anything other than a gold medal," Giddey said.

"I think the country is finally at a point where we can confidently go into these tournaments with a gold medal in mind. In previous years, it might have been the hope, but I don't know how realistic it was. It was definitely at the last Olympics and the last World Cup.

But as time has evolved, the chances of gold have become more and more realistic. I think this is the moment when Australian basketball has been as good as ever. The level of talent we have is elite.

I am very excited for the World Cup and even more so for the Olympic Games. I think it’s every player’s dream to win a gold medal there. I can’t wait for those tournaments," Giddey concluded.

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