It was a bumper year for the nine Australians and one Kiwi in the NBA, with eight of 10 players from Down Under making postseason appearances with their team.
Some, like Ben Simmons, Aron Baynes and Joe Ingles, were instrumental in helping their sides progress through the postseason, while others, such as Matthew Dellavedova and Dante Exum, had injury-interrupted years but ended up being valuable contributors off the bench.
So with the NBA season now run and won -- congratulations, Golden State -- we've graded the 2017-18 season for every Aussie and Kiwi. Spoiler alert -- there are no Fs.
Games played (started): 80 (14)
Analysis: Maker was more than a valuable contributor off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks, whose season ended in disappointment with an eighth-straight first-round series loss in the playoffs.
Maker played an average of 16.7 MPG, up from 9.9 in 2016-17, while he posted averages of 4.8 PPG and 3.0 RPG. At times, Maker was an explosive force coming off the bench, showing confidence to go in for the block and grab some big boards at big moments.
What's next: With a number of talented big men in the Bucks' side, Maker might struggle to break into the starting five next season, but his sometimes explosive contributions from the bench will again prove valuable.
Grade: C+
Matthew Dellavedova (Milwaukee Bucks)
Games played (started): 44 (3)
Analysis: It was a tough season for 'Delly', who spent more than half the year out battling knee and ankle injuries, but his outputs were relatively consistent when factoring in the fewer minutes per game which he played in 2017-18 (18.7 MPG in 2017-18 compared to 26.1 MPG in 2016-17).
The scrappy point guard averaged 4.3 PPG, 3.8 APG and 1.7 RPG from those reduced minutes.
What's next: With two years still left on his contract with Milwaukee, expect Dellavedova to contribute coming off the bench for a young and talented Bucks team.
Grade: C-
Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs)
Games played (started): 87 (41)
Analysis: 2017-18 was somewhat of a breakout year for Mills, who started 36 of 82 regular season games (and five of five postseason matches) when he had previously started just 24 in his 450+ game career prior to this season.
The guard played record minutes in both the regular season (25.7) and playoffs (33.0), while his 13.4 PPG average in postseason was comfortably a career best for the 29-year-old, who established himself as a required player for Gregg Popovich throughout the year.
What's next: Mills signed a well-earned four-year extension with the Spurs in August, keeping him in San Antonio until the end of the 2020-21 season.
Grade: B
Steven Adams (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Games played (started): 82 (82)
Analysis: What a colossus Adams was for the Thunder in 2017-18. It's hard to believe the towering Kiwi is just 24 years old -- his physicality and presence (especially in the paint) defies his age. In fact, Adams averaged 11.7 points in the paint per game this season, which was the 8th most in the NBA.
Adams also averaged career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and minutes per games, while he also posted a career-high field goal percentage of .629.
What's next: The big man is only going to get better and with three years left on his contract with OKC, he'll be hoping to take the next step in 2018-19 with Russell Westbrook and company.
Grade: A
Games played (started): 93 (92)
Analysis: 'Aussie Joe' was a surprise packet and a major reason for the Utah Jazz's success throughout the season. Playing a hefty 31 minutes per game in 2017-18, Ingles was a dead-eye from range, shooting 44 percent on 3-pointers this season (tied with Klay Thompson for 2nd-best in the NBA among 89 players to attempt at least 300 3-pointers).
Remarkably, Ingles got even better in the postseason; according to Second Spectrum, Ingles shot 46.7 percent on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers this season, third-best among 101 players to attempt 200 such shots. Only Buddy Hield and Kevin Durant were ahead of Ingles.
What's next: Utah are building, and if Ingles can continue to give this young side guidance and a steady hand from range, he'll continue to be a valuable member of the Jazz going forward.
Grade: A
Dante Exum (Utah Jazz)
Games played (started): 24 (0)
Analysis: The 2017-18 season got off to a slow start for Exum after he separated his shoulder late in the Jazz's preseason campaign. He only made it back onto the floor in the back half of the year, but did manage to suit up in 10 of the Jazz's postseason games.
In terms of numbers, Exum shot at a career-best .483 (up from .427 in 2016-7) from the field and averaged 8.1 points per game (up from 6.2) despite playing fewer minutes (16.8 compared to 15.6 in 2016-17). Jazz fans got a glimpse of why Exum was drafted at No. 5 in 2014, and probably needed the season to run a few weeks longer in order for him to get back to showing his best.
What's next: No doubt Exum's aim will be to reestablish himself in the starting lineup next season, and an uninterrupted preseason will go a long way to convincing Quin Snyder that Exum can play a pivotal role in this young group.
Grade: C-
Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)
Games played (started): 91 (91)
Analysis: What is there to be said which hasn't already been mentioned? After sitting out the entire 2016-17 season, Ben Simmons entered the NBA with a bang.
Some of his finest accolades from his rookie year include being just one of eight players in NBA history to average 15 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds in a season, finishing the year with 12 triple-doubles (the second-most by a rookie in NBA history) and, according to Elias Sports Bureau, becoming just the fifth rookie in NBA postseason history to record a triple-double.
Not to mention Simmons stepped up during the late-season absence of Joel Embiid who battled a facial injury.
What's next: Rookie of the Year one year... MVP the next? The sky is the limit for Simmons.
Grade: A+
Games played (started): 100 (79)
Analysis: Baynes proved to be a key pillar for the Celtics as they battled through adversity to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Baynes played 100 total games this season, including regular season and playoffs, and was a defensive monster for most of the year. According to Second Spectrum, Baynes contested 29 dunks throughout the year, while his opponents shot at .446 when Baynes was the closest defender, ranking seventh-best among 55 centres who faced a minimum of 500 field goal attempts.
What's next: Baynes is currently out of contract having only signed with the Celtics for one season. After the year he had, he should have no issue either re-signing with the Cs or being picked up by another team.
Grade: B
Andrew Bogut (Los Angeles Lakers)
Games played (started): 24 (5)
Analysis: Cruelly, the 2017-18 season was not one to remember for the former No. 1 draft pick. Picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason, Bogut looked to be solidifying a spot in the team before he was -- in his own words -- blindsided when cut in January.
He then chose to fly back to Australia to spend time with his wife, who was going through a "high-risk pregnancy", before he signed with the Sydney Kings on a two-year deal.
What's next: Bogut has all but ruled out a return to the NBA, after he signed with the NBL side in April.
Grade: N/A
Mangok Mathiang (Charlotte Hornets)
Games played (started): 5 (0)
Analysis: Little-known South Sundanese-Australian Mangok Mathiang spent most of the 2017-18 season with the Charlotte Hornets' G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, where he played 43 games.
Mathiang made five cameos throughout the year for the Hornets, averaging 2.0 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game.
What's next: The rookie was happy to make 2017-18 a learning experience, telling ESPN throughout the year that he was rapt to be learning from veteran Dwight Howard. Clearly, the next step in his career is force himself into the Hornets' lineup on more occasions throughout the season.
Grade: N/A
