The warm-up games are done. Now attention turns towards the group stage and Australia’s tournament opener against Spain as the Boomers look to open their Paris Olympics campaign on a winning note.
While the controversial non-selection of Matisse Thybulle seemed to only cast further doubt over Australia’s chances of going deep into this year’s Games, a successful stretch of lead-up games have Boomers fans dreaming of another potential podium finish.
Brian Goorjian’s team showed fight to push Team USA before scoring three-straight wins over Serbia, Puerto Rico and France.
Ahead of Saturday night’s match-up against Spain, foxsports.com.au looks at some of the key talking points to come out of the warm-up games as the Boomers prepare for what has been described as a “pool of death”.
Daniels sinks France with 1sec left! | 00:40
GETTING OUT OF THE GROUP STAGES IN ITSELF IS AN ACHIEVEMENT
Why don’t we start there because if the Boomers aren’t able to get a medal this time around, it won’t necessarily be fair to brand Paris a failure in comparison to Tokyo.
After all, just getting out of the group stage at this year’s Games will be an achievement for Australia, who play Spain, Canada and Greece in Lille.
Boomers great Andrew Bogut said on NBL Media’s ‘The Gold Standard’ podcast before the warm-up games that a podium finish would be “very hard” to achieve given not only the strength of Australia’s opponents but the do-or-die nature of Spain and Greece’s preparation.
“I hate having two qualifiers because they’re playing basketball right now. They’re playing games that matter,” Bogut said of the two nations, who will come into the Games out of qualifying tournaments where they had to earn their way into the group stage.
“They’re not playing China. They’re not playing USA in a friendly and Serbia in a friendly where there’s going to be antics and hiding sets and all that kind of stuff. These qualifiers they’re playing, they mean everything.
“So they’re running everything, they’re getting in tune and they flow into the Olympics with great form. On top of that, we have Canada.”
Boomers must get out of group ‘alive’ | 00:29
That, of course, is not to say that the Boomers’ warm-up games since leaving Melbourne weren’t meaningful.
For starters, they helped Josh Giddey and Jock Landale build a pick-and-roll combination that could be one of Australia’s greatest assets while Patty Mills is certainly better for the run after starting to find his shooting rhythm.
The fact the Boomers rallied late against the USA too, even if the Americans were without Kevin Durant and took the foot of the pedal a bit, has to also build confidence.
Either way, Australia’s warm-up results are definitely a reason to be optimistic, especially when you consider what the general mood seemed to be after Thybulle was left out of the squad.
But this is definitely a tricky group and if the Boomers make it out alive that in itself will be something worth celebrating.
WILL BULLS FANS GET A GLIMPSE INTO THEIR FUTURE?
Twenty points, six rebounds and eight assists.
Those were Josh Giddey’s numbers in Monday morning’s win against France and it is the kind of statline Bulls fans should come to expect from the Australian in his first season with the franchise next season.
Giddey said in his exit interview before being traded by the Thunder that he was going to have the ball in his hands “a lot more” with the Boomers, “initiating the offence and setting guys up”.
“That’s who I am as a player and to do that is exciting,” he added.
The expectation is Giddey will be able to lean into his strengths more in Chicago too and, as a result, this year’s Olympics could serve as a reminder of just how effective the 21-year-old can be in that more ball-dominant role.
Already in the warm-up games Giddey has not only flashed his obvious potential as a high-level playmaker but also his ability to get downhill and use his 6-foot-8 frame more to finish through contact in the paint.
So, Chicago fans, keep a keen eye on the Boomers and Giddey in this year’s Games because what you see should be closer to the version of the Australian you get next season alongside Coby White in the backcourt.
DYSON DANIELS EMERGES AS THE BOOMERS’ X-FACTOR
In a similar vein to Giddey, this tournament will give the Hawks a sneak peek at Dyson Daniels, who Atlanta acquired as part of a trade that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans.
Although in the case of Giddey, we already knew he was capable of excelling as the team’s primary initiator after his first two seasons with Oklahoma City.
Daniels, on the other hand, was still a question mark of sorts after his second season with the Pelicans.
Sure, his defence is definitely not a question as it was the only real reason he was getting minutes from coach Willie Green.
But even that was not always enough for Daniels, who consistently saw his playing time dwindle in the post-season after struggling to show much growth on the offensive end.
That looks to have changed, at least with the Boomers, as the 21-year-old has easily established himself as the team’s most-improved player after also struggling for minutes in Australia’s World Cup campaign last year.
Daniels look comfortable and composed playing off the ball, whether he is cutting towards the rim as an option for Giddey or getting himself in position for a 3-point attempt and importantly, when he is taking those shots, the Hawks guard no longer looks hesitant.
At times Daniels still needs to be more assertive but that will come with time and the signs are still there that he is definitely on an upwards trajectory.
The move to Atlanta should allow Daniels to only continue to build his game in a more prominent role on a rebuilding team that will allow him to make mistakes.
There obviously isn’t the same margin for error in the international game but Daniels hasn’t given coach Brian Goorjian any reason to doubt he is ready for this moment.
Instead, Daniels looks like Australia’s X-factor ahead of the group stages — quite the turnaround given he was an afterthought at last year’s World Cup.
WHAT VERSION OF PATTY MILLS WILL WE GET?
Hopefully the one we have seen in Australia’s most recent warm-up games.
There was a genuine reason to be concerned about Mills’ performances in the exhibition games against China, while he was equally out-of-sorts against Team USA, going 2-for-8 from the field while committing five turnovers.
It prompted questions as to whether Mills should come off the bench and while the veteran guard’s starting spot looks locked in for now, Goorjian will still need to be mindful in how he manages Mills and Giddey’s minutes sharing the backcourt given their shortcomings on the defensive end.
“My concern is just playing Patty and Giddey for long stretches together,” Bogut said.
“I just don’t think that worked at the World Cup and I don’t think it’s going to work long -term. I think Goorj’s formula to figure that out has been, OK, if we don’t start Patty on the bench or Josh on the bench, we can start them both.
“One of them is going to come out within the six, six-and-a-half-minute mark. Josh came out three minutes into the game, he was on the bench. Then Josh came in for Patty late in the first quarter.
“So, they’ve split the minute strategically that way. That works. I just like Patty’s scoring punch, if it continues like this, I can live with it.”
Irrespective of that, the Boomers are a much better team with Mills firing given he is one of the few players in this squad capable of getting on a hot shooting streak.
The question is whether Australia can afford to ride the highs and lows.
“I think with Patty is we’ve seen with the national team, he’s either really good or really bad,” Bogut said.
“I think throughout this campaign, we probably just need more consistency from him. I don’t think we need him to score 28 every game. That’d be nice. Like if you can do it every night, fantastic. We take it right.
“But I think it’s those ups and downs that we’ve seen probably in the World Cup and in the lead-up games.
“… If he can consistently be a threat for us at 15 to 20 points a night, balanced in with everything else that we have, I think that’s the perfect ratio for the Boomers.”
DO THE BOOMERS HAVE ENOUGH SHOOTING?
Speaking of Mills, he is one of the few knockdown shooting options the Boomers have and, as now already covered, even he is at risk of going through a cold streak or two.
This Australian squad has plenty of length, athleticism and playmaking but compared to some of the other top contenders, the one thing they lack is a dependable outside shooting option.
The hope is that Jack McVeigh can become that guy.
Obviously there is more to his game than that but McVeigh, who went 6-for-8 from deep in the first warm-up game against China, could swing momentum off the bench with even just a few shots — like he did with a long triple to close out the third quarter against France.
There is no doubt the Boomers are going to create plenty of open looks but that doesn’t mean much if they don’t have guys who can capitalise on that.
“I think probably Goorj’s biggest concern is when we are playing and flowing well, who’s going to knock down long range shots for us?” Bogut said.
“I think McVeigh comes into that. He had nine points tonight (against the USA) … didn’t make a three, but was aggressive. You’ve got to look to him to knock down those threes for them.
“They’re a different look with him on the floor because I think he brings something a little bit different to Nick Kay. Nick Kay’s more of a be in the right place at the right time, space the floor, make the right decision, but it’s more of a slower (look).”
WHAT ROLE WILL INGLES AND DELLY HAVE?
Well, they won’t be playing big minutes but even in limited roles both Ingles and Dellavedova could make a significant impact. They will just be doing it in different ways.
Ingles plays at a slower pace that doesn’t suit the up-tempo style the Boomers will be largely looking to operate in, generating stops on the defensive end and immediately pushing the pace.
But if Goorjian feels like they are going too far in that direction and losing their way, he may call on Ingles to help calm things down with his veteran presence and smart passing game.
On the other hand, if Goorjian believes the Boomers need an energy boost on both ends that is where Dellavedova will be given a licence to let loose.
While some fans questioned the decision to put a player like Dellavedova in the squad ahead of Matisse Thybulle, not every selection is about pure talent alone.
Someone like Thybulle wouldn’t have as much value to the Boomers in a three or four-minute spurt, at least compared to Dellavedova, who can thrive in that sort of role.
That was the case in the loss to Team USA, where Dellavedova turned momentum in Australia’s favour late with two rebounds, two assists and a steal in just four minutes.
“Delly is kind of a guy that you can put in for a couple of minutes at a time,” Bogut said after that game.
“I think Joe is a little bit harder to put in for spot minutes because he’s an older guy, plays at a slower pace, probably takes him a trip up and down to get in the flow and get warm.
“Whereas Delly just flies off the bench like a bat out of hell, right? And he’s up and in within the first minute, first second, he’s on the court. So that’s why he’s on this team.”
BOOMERS’ PARIS OLYMPIC DRAW (Times AEST)
Group A:
Saturday, July 27: vs Spain from 7pm
Tuesday, July 30: vs Canada from 9.30pm
Friday, August 2: vs Greece from 9.30pm
BOOMERS’ WARM-UP GAME RECAPS
WIN vs FRANCE: Boomers’ revelation in dramatic last-second win amid big injury blow
WIN vs PUERTO RICO: Boomers dealt injury scare ahead of Olympics as Giddey stars
WIN vs SERBIA: Patty thrills! Boomers legend explodes to snap out of worrying slump
LOSS vs USA: Giddey stars, Boomers’ weapon emerges as Aussies give Team USA scare
Source Agencies
