Brian Goorjian has reportedly made a few tough calls as the Boomers finalised their 12-man squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reported on Friday morning that Matisse Thybulle, Xavier Cooks, Chris Goulding, Dejan Vasiljevic and Jack White were the five players cut after Australia’s two warm-up games against China.
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McVeigh stars as Boomers down China | 01:21
At this stage it looks like Thybulle, who was widely considered a lock for the squad, is not unavailable due to injury and instead has been left out.
Thybulle’s omission is easily the biggest shock given Goorjian had told ESPN when he first named Australia’s 22-man squad that the team was going to feature “Aussie ball”, which centred around “playing at tempo, at pace and downhill”.
The Portland Trail Blazers star was one of the most disruptive defenders available for selection, with the ability to create opportunities in transition and, as a result, the chance the play downhill and at pace.
It also means Australia will be without a key defensive-minded wing to defend the likes of Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray along with potentially Slovenia’s Luka Doncic and Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
JackJumpers duo Will Magnay and Jack McVeigh have both earned selection, with the former off to Paris as cover should either Jock Landale or Duop Reath suffer an injury.
McVeigh will add a much-needed shooting threat, although Chris Goulding is unlucky to miss out after going 8-for-12 from deep in the two warm-up games.
Goulding’s hot shooting streak had Andrew Gaze declaring “he’s in” for Paris in commentary on Thursday night, while John Casey described him as a “game-breaker”.
Meanwhile, having missed out on selection in the FIBA World Cup squad last year, Matthew Dellavedova is back in the green and gold.
He will be playing in his fourth Olympics while it is a fifth time for Patty Mills and Joe Ingles.
Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, McVeigh and Magnay are the debutants.
The 12-man squad will now travel to Abu Dhabi where they will play USA and Serbia in games scheduled for the 15th and 16th of July at 2am AEST.
REPORTED BOOMERS’ 12-MAN SQUAD
Josh Giddey
Dyson Daniels
Josh Green
Patty Mills
Danté Exum
Jock Landale
Duop Reath
Joe Ingles
Jack McVeigh
Will Magnay
Matthew Dellavedova
Nick Kay
MORE TO COME…
Source Agencies
