Dyson Daniels, Josh Giddey, Jack McVeigh and Luke Travers are key talking points for Australians in the NBA

Dyson Daniels has taken a dominant lead for NBA steals after an extraordinary week where he had 17 across three games for Atlanta Hawks. One of those came when he picked Josh Giddey’s pocket on Sunday before charging down the floor to score. Daniels had four steals against New York, followed up with a career-high seven against Detroit and then produced another six against Giddey’s Chicago Bulls. Giddey scored 13 points, won six rebounds and had seven assists in that game. Daniels is averaging 3.3 steals per game and the next best, Washington’s Jordan Poole, is way behind with an average of 2.1. Tasmania JackJumpers championship winner and Olympian Jack McVeigh’s NBA dream came true last week when he made his debut and then he followed up by scoring his first points two days later. McVeigh signed a two-way contract with Houston and patiently waited for his chance to play. But he seized his moment after debuting against San Antonio and then made a three-pointer against Oklahoma City Thunder to write himself into Australian sporting history. JackJumpers coach Scott Roth paid tribute to his former star. “A big big shout out to Jack McVeigh for scoring his first NBA points and going in the history books. What an accomplishment that kid has been on. I’m so excited for him,” Roth said. Victorian Johnny Furphy got his first NBA stat over the weekend with one rebound in his second time on court for the Indiana Pacers. He followed up with another rebound from four minutes on court against New York on Monday. Ben Simmons was prominent for the Brooklyn Nets during their overtime loss to Boston with eight points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Former Perth Wildcat Luke Travers headed to the NBA G-League on Sunday after his recent impressive debut for Cleveland and was quick to show off all of his skills when handed the chance to play with extended minutes. Travers impressed on debut for the Cavaliers but blitzed for their G-League team with 24 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals. Travers has placed a big focus on improving his athleticism in the US. “I think it’s gotten a lot better since I’ve got over here,” Travers said. “A lot of people use the words deceptively athletic. It’s something I surprise people about. But there’s still so much work I can do in the weight room and stuff to work on that. It’s something I like to do and that I used in the NBL.”