Australia have reason for optimism ahead of their Paris 2024 basketball opener against Spain with a young core lighting up the warm-up games
Josh Giddey and Australia face Spain on Saturday, followed by Canada and Greece, in a tough Group A for the Boomers at the Paris Games.Josh Giddey and Australia face Spain on Saturday, followed by Canada and Greece, in a tough Group A for the Boomers at the Paris Games.
Concerns ahead of Paris were compounded by Goorjian’s squad selections. The omission of Matisse Thybulle, an elite-level defender in the NBA who had a breakout performance in Tokyo, prompted much head-scratching. Thybulle had been considered a likely starter in Paris, and certainly a regular member of the rotation – but suddenly he was not even in the 12-man squad. Also not on the plane was Chris Goulding, one of the best three-point shooters in Boomers history.
The going gets even tougher from there. On Tuesday, the Boomers will meet Canada – a team full of NBA talent, including Oklahoma point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver star Jamal Murray. The pool will then conclude three days later with a match-up against Greece, led by two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Boomers need to finish in the top two to guarantee progress to the quarter-finals, although the two best third-placed teams also go through.
Veteran Mills and new Chicago Bulls signing Josh Giddey have provided impressive attacking spark in recent games, as has 21-year-old Dyson Daniels. And the Boomers’ defensive solidity has been on display in all four matches, most notably in containing 2023 NBA No 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama on Sunday.After lacking size in the paint at last year’s World Cup, strong performances from Will Magnay, Jock Landale and Duop Reath will have reassured Goorjian.
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