Australia Starts Mavs' Josh Green to Fulfill 'Blueprint' for FIBA World Cup Success

Mavs wing Josh Green was inserted into Australia's starting lineup against Japan and the team feels it may have cracked the code to achieve major success.

OKINAWA, Japan — Ahead of playing out the 2023-24 NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks, Josh Green is gaining valuable reps playing for the Australian national team at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. His importance to Australia portrays well for his potential impact with the Mavs. 

In Australia's 108-98 victory over Japan, Green was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time — a role the team had intended for him before he dealt with injury late in the preparation process ahead of competing in Japan. He finished with 15 points, three rebounds, and four steals, while shooting 5-7 from the floor and 2-4 from beyond the arc. 

"I just saw it when we came back from camp," Goorjian said of Green's impact. "The guy that I  met for the first time a year ago, and the player that came into camp the first couple days, I told him, I said, 'I was so proud of the development.'

"Full credit to the Dallas Mavericks and what they're doing with their youth because he came in just a much better basketball player than in Tokyo the last time," Goorjian continued. "Like I said out the whole time, he hasn't really trained with this, hasn't played any games with this. You're just seeing a glimmer of what's coming."

Following a tough loss to Germany in Australia's previous game, Green knew it was vital for the team to come out and set a tone with defensive intensity against Japan. As a tone setter for the team's defense by taking on tough on-ball defensive assignments, he knew would needed to be done. 

"I think tonight was a big game for us," Green said of defeating Japan. "It was a bounce back game that we needed to have. We had emphasis on playing hard and picking up [full court]. It was what we needed to do. Just making sure that we continue to have that same energy moving forward into our next game and be aggressive and ready to go."

Australia views the adjustment of starting Green as being pivotal in setting the tone early in games, particularly in the win against Japan. It's a personnel decision the team plans to continue to utilize going forward with Matisse Thybulle coming off the bench to play an important role on the wing for the second group. 

"I thought the adjustment today really helped us," Australia coach Brian Goorjian said of starting Green. "We got a lot from the group that we started, and the switching group is of the level."

Green plays a pivotal role in Australia's identity as the top on-ball defender, picking opposing players up full court and using his strength and explosiveness to make life challenging to operate in the half-court. It's a role that Matthew Dellavedova filled in the past that Green has filled well. 

"I think [Josh] is better on the defensive end, of the Delly job, of picking the ball up and putting pressure up the floor," Goorjian said. "Then, when we bring in the switching lineup, Matisse is long and playing with Xavier and Giddey and that group, and he can switch. 

"You're just seeing a glimmer of what's coming. He's, along with Josh Giddey, the next stage of this thing," Goorjian explained. "And, a tremendous person and tremendous part of the team and the culture. I was excited for him tonight, and this is another piece to add that's really important as this tournament gets tougher and tougher.

With Green being among a variety of big, athletic perimeter players, Australia is fully enabled to embrace a switching scheme with small ball personnel. For teams that like to play out of pick-and-roll, it takes them out of what they do best. Even against teams that attack out of isolation well, it makes them work. 

"The blueprint for our success — what we've talked about — leading in this, is the small ball, switching, the defense," Goorjian said on Tuesday.

"The blueprint was the first half. I've talked a lot about the change, from the experience we had at the last Olympics, we're going through evolution. Some guys get spit out, some guys get moved in. Three big pieces tonight: Josh Giddey, Josh Green, and Xavier Cooks are three guys... that's what we've been talking about for the future of the team."

Green's impact offensively shouldn't be understated either. While he primarily fills a complementary role as a floor spacer, his year-to-year improvement as a 3-point shooter has turned that into a needed strength for Australia. His explosiveness enables him to be a threat in attacking closeouts and in transition, along with being developing option as an attacker in the half-court. 

Next for Green will be his greatest personal test of World Cup competition thus far — a matchup against his Mavs teammate Luka Doncic. It will be a rematch of the Bronze medal game from the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 that Australia had won by double-figures.

"Of course, it's always fun playing against competitive guys. It's going to be good," Green said. "I watch every game here [in Okinawa]. I think he worked on his body a lot, he's looking good, but I can't give you a full breakdown, we have a game [coming up]. He's an amazing player, I'm lucky enough to go against him in practice most days. Looking forward to it, should be fun."

"He's one of the best players in the world, so we will definitely have a lot of work with him," Green explained. "Coaches will come with the gameplan that I'm gonna follow, and I'll do what I can do."

As Green continues to develop in his basketball career, he projects as being an important part of the success for both the Mavs and Australia. In the meantime, he will look to fill that key role against Doncic. The 2024 Paris Olympics will be the next chance Green gets to represent his country after the FIBA World Cup due to the nation earning automatic qualification.