Shock Olympic demotion Boomers must make amid ‘changing of the guard’: Shane Heal

Four-time Aussie Olympic basketball legend Shane Heal has called for some huge snubs and a monster role change for the Boomers in Paris.

COMMENT

The Boomers will assemble the most talented Australian team ever seen in the green and gold at this month’s Paris Olympic Games.

The 17-man squad has been preparing in Melbourne this week as they fight for spots in a very competitive environment.

The squad are playing two games against an inexperienced Chinese team, the games being used as a combination of both preparation and a selection process.

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Coach Brian Goorjian will love the talent that’s available, with 13 of the 17 players vying for selection having NBA experience.

This will also create some headaches for the master coach, as there are many different ways his team can be selected.

The Boomers won their first ever medal at the Olympics three years ago when they locked in a memorable bronze.

However, at the World Cup last year, the Boomers failed and finished a disappointing 10th.

The team lacked the sort of defence needed for them to achieve their gold medal aspirations.

Another area that was missing was three-point shooting, which has become a must in the modern international game.

These are definitely two things “Goorj” will have in his mind when selecting the final 12 players.

At last year’s World Cup, we saw the combination of rising superstar Josh Giddey team up with Boomers legend Patty Mills.

It was a changing of the guard and there were teething problems that need to be thought through, particularly at the defensive end.

For this reason, I don’t think both should be in the starting 5, which would mean Patty coming off the bench and giving the team much needed punch and energy.

Sorry Patty. Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images

This is Josh Giddey’s team now. Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images

The team needs to start Giddey, Exum, Green, Landale and Reath.

This will provide size, experience and a defensive mobility that will allow them to switch pick and rolls at the international level.

Both bigs – Landale and Reath – can hit the ‘3’ and spread the floor for Giddey to create for his NBA teammates.

This will allow Patty Mills to come off the bench with Dyson Daniel, who is a big, athletic and elite defensive point guard. This combination will allow both to do what they do best.

Matisse Thybulle will come off the bench in the 3 spot. He is a world-class defender that can hit the three-point shot but has been inconsistent throughout his career.

Thybulle, Exum and Green must shoot the ball well if the team are to medal.

Jack McVeigh has had an incredible 12 months, winning a championship in the NBL with the Tasmania JackJumpers. His ability as an undersized 4-man to pick and pop and hit threes is exactly what the team has missed in the past. He has a belief to make shots and I think he can make the transition from a local to international impact player.

Will Magnay is another JackJumper I think should make the team as a back-up 5 man. He has legitimate size, mobility and athleticism to play some valuable backup minutes through the tournament whilst being a valuable insurance policy for his NBA teammates.

This leaves only two spots remaining.

I think it comes down to only one player being selected out of Joe Ingles, Matthew Dellavedova and Chris Goulding. All three have been there and performed well before, and all deserve a spot in their own way. However, I’m going with Joey Ingles to provide valuable experience and an ability to perform if needed.

Joe Ingles and Matthew Dellavedova are chasing one spot. Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images

The last spot will come down to either Xavier Cooks or the ever-reliable Nick Kay, who has held down a starters spot of late. It will be a close call but I think the Sydney Kings forward Cooks will get the final spot.

The team will have two games against World powerhouse countries, the USA and Serbia, in Abu Dhabi on July 15 and 16th.

Expectations for a medal are again high for our Boomers but they will need to beat some very talented teams if this goal can become reality.

The Americans are sending one of the best teams of all-time and whilst that doesn’t always lead to success, I think this team has one hand on the gold medal.

The Canadians will be their biggest danger, boasting NBA stars and more depth than all other counties outside of the USA.

Serbia, France and the reigning World Cup champs Germany are all expected to compete with the Boomers for medals.

Shane Heal in action at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Photo: David Kapernick

Shane Heal’s Boomers Olympics team

Josh Giddey

Dyson Daniels

Patty Mills

Joe Ingles

Josh Green

Dante Exum

Matisse Thybulle

Jock Landale

Duop Reath

Jack McVeigh

Will Magnay

Xavier Cooks

Shane Heal is a four-time Olympic basketball star for the Boomers, including captaining the 2004 Athens Olympic team. A former NBA player and NBL champion, he’s become a leading analyst and coach since his retirement. He is writing exclusively for news.com.au during the Paris Olympics.

Originally published as Shock Olympic demotion Boomers must make amid ‘changing of the guard’: Shane Heal