The Boomers’ trait we should all be celebrating
THE hallmark of the 2016 Boomers has nothing to do with old-fashioned Aussie values. There’s something else we should be beating our chests about.
Aus Team News
Don't miss out on the headlines from Aus Team News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THEY’LL tell you it’s about the trip to San Diego during NBA All-Star weekend and the pre-Olympics visit to Uluru.
That the Boomers’ success in Rio is because they’re a group of guys who get along well and are happy to make sacrifices in their pursuit of a gold medal.
It’s the type of narrative that Australians can understand — and celebrate. We want our athletes to be team-first battlers, who love a fight and win as underdogs. It’s time to tell a different story.
The 12 men who have united to put our country on the precipice of a long-awaited medal in men’s basketball certainly fit many of the traditional stereotypes.
Today, Matthew Dellevadova twice referred to Australian traits — maintaining a team focus and keeping a level head whether they’re in front or behind — while describing his team. That’s nice, but it’s not how we should remember this team, regardless of what happens in tomorrow’s semi-final against Serbia and the game afterwards.
The hallmark of the 2016 Boomers has nothing to do with old-fashioned Aussie values. There’s something else we should be beating our chests about.
‘THE WAY BASKETBALL SHOULD BE PLAYED’
While Dellavedova was happy to talk about sacrifice and unity it was a question about the team’s offence which caused him to break out a huge smile. Australia is averaging 89 points per game entering the semis, second-best in the tournament behind the incomparable American team (104 points per game). It’s a significant jump on our scoring in London (82.7) and our last team to make it to this point of the tournament, the 2000 Boomers (74.5).
But it’s how Australia is getting its baskets that’s the most remarkable. Some of basketball’s most-celebrated offences — including the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors and 2014 San Antonio Spurs — can’t compare to our Boomers when it comes to sharing the ball.
It’s a small sample size but Australia’s assist-to- field goals made ratio is at an ungodly 80 per cent. No NBA offence has cracked 70 per cent in the past decade.
“There’s been times in the tournament where we’ve felt … it’s just a lot of fun because it feels like ‘man, the ball’s moving, people are moving, that’s the way basketball should be played’,” Dellavedova said.
AUSTRALIA’S ALL-STAR PASSING
So how are they doing it? There’s no doubt the many years these guys have been playing together and a team-wide willingness to find the open man has contributed to Australia’s tournament-leading field goal percentage (51.7).
But that underplays the influence of three world-class assist men in Australia’s starting five. Dellavedova is leading the tournament with 7.7 dimes per game but Andrew Bogut (4.4) and Joe Ingles (4.0) are also creating scoring opportunities better than anyone else playing the centre and small forward positions, respectively.
Patty Mills has been the key beneficiary — his 21.2 points per game average is better than any player left in the tournament — but Aron Baynes (10.7 points) and David Andersen (9.2) are eating too.
“I think the beauty of this team is we’re so even. And the offence (coach) Andrej (Lemanis) has in means every game there’s someone different getting the looks,” Dellavedova said.
Dellavedova is also averaging in double figures for points as he stakes a serious claim for tournament MVP honours. His ability to know when to pass (like the four assists he dished out to turn an 84-80 game with 90 seconds remaining against Serbia into a 95-80 win) and shoot (like the four three-pointers he took with the first four possessions of the quarterfinal win against Lithuania) has been key. Delly hasn’t been perfect (he didn’t shoot enough in a defeat against the USA) but he’s been close.
WHAT MAKES THE BOOMERS UNIQUE
Bogut’s screening is another huge factor. Dellavedova and Mills have been running their opposition into the bruising body of the big man with regularity and it’s creating a steady stream of scoring opportunities.
Limiting turnovers has also been important. All four semi-finalists finished in the top five for least turnovers per game and Australia has taken care of the ball as well as anyone. Baynes (1.8 turnovers per game) is the only Aussie featuring in the top 30 for turnovers per game and he’s down at 24th.
Australia isn’t as brash as Team USA but they all carry their own kind of swagger. Having players talk about gold medals when they’ve never been to the semis isn’t the normal way Aussie teams handle their business, but it’s worked for this group.
Some Aussies in the crowd were a nervous wreck entering the quarterfinals because all the good work the team had done earlier in the tournament could be undone with one poor shooting night. Those nerves were nowhere to be seen on the court — except for the Lithuanian line-up.
Australia knows it is as good — or better — than any team on its side of the draw and is playing like it. It’s all these factors combined that have given us a great chance to make it through to the gold medal game — and make some noise against likely opponent Team USA if we get there.
American wing Paul George tried to pack the Boomers in their traditional box when he talked about their “dirty” play when the teams met in the group stage. What he failed to acknowledge was the 54 points the Aussies ran up on his team in the first half with a beautiful mixture of back cuts, ball screens and blistering passing.
That’s what makes these Boomers unique — and a serious gold medal threat.
Originally published as The Boomers’ trait we should all be celebrating
Bold new plunge that has left Jess Fox nervous
Put a paddle in her hand and she’s a fearless competitor but Jess Fox admits she is suddenly nervous. She explains her latest career move to Robert Craddock.
Australia’s first Paris gold medallist pulls pin after historic feat
Australia’s first gold medal winner from the Paris Olympics is committed to retirement – despite becoming the first woman to complete the Olympic-world titles time trial golden double.