Tokyo Olympics 2021: Australian Boomers player ratings

It’s a terrifying exercise to imagine how the Boomers would have fared without Patty Mills which is why he got a perfect 10. How did the rest fare? Vote now.

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Patty Mills scored 42 points as Australia finally won their first Olympic medal in men’s basketball, with a 107-93 victory over Slovenia in the bronze medal game.

There were tears of joy as the hoodoo finally came to an end.

It has been a formidable campaign from the Boomers. So who starred and who disappointed?

We run the rule over all the Australian players that competed at the Tokyo Olympics.

PATTY MILLS – 10

At this stage, it’s hard to figure out whether Patty Mills is better on the court or off it. The good news is he’s a 10 out of 10 in both contexts.

It’s a terrifying exercise to imagine how this Boomers team would have fared without Mills, but luckily the 32-year-old brought his best to Tokyo; capping off another world class tournament with a bronze medal-winning 42 points against Slovenia.

It’s not hyperbole to say ‘FIBA Patty’ would probably beat out every Australian politician if we were deciding our leader today.

Patty Mills of Team Australia

JOE INGLES – 8

This was by no means the best basketball we’ve seen from Joe Ingles. And yet, Australia wouldn’t be standing on the podium without him. While he struggled against Team USA, Ingles expertly backed up Mills against Slovenia, as he tallied 16 points – including two massive three-pointers to close the third quarter.

ARON BAYNES – N/A

Australian big man Aron Baynes played nearly two full games for the Boomers. But right now, his performances don’t matter. We’re just wishing for a full, speedy recovery for the centre, who could miss the entirety of the 2021/22 NBA season with nerve damage in his neck.

MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA – 4

Putting aside his obvious impact as a leader in this group, this was not a good tournament for Matthew Dellavedova on the court.

Dellavedova had just 12 minutes against Team USA and was relegated to the bench against Slovenia in a game he played less than two minutes. With the likes of Josh Giddey, Dante Exum, and of course, Ben Simmons, expected to be around for selection in Paris, this might have been Dellavedova’s last Olympic Games.

What a way to go out.

Joe Ingles #7 of Team Australia

JOCK LANDALE – 9

While it’s safe to assume the San Antonio Spurs were already fans of Jock Landale, the 25-year-old’s Olympic campaign could only have helped him secure his multi-year NBA deal this week.

Landale showed the ability to play both at power forward and centre when Aron Baynes was out; stretching the court for the Boomers and progressively making better offensive decisions with the ball in his hands.

NICK KAY – 8.5

Everyone needs a Nick Kay. He may not be the most beautiful player to watch on the court, but damn – he’s effective.

MATISSE THYBULLE – 8

Australia’s very own Mr. Elastic showed off his incredible defensive prowess on more than one occasion inside the Saitama Super Arena. It’s been said a million times, but Thybulle gives the Australian team something they’ve never had before.

DANTE EXUM – 7

After struggling with turnovers to begin his Tokyo campaign, Dante Exum turned it on to help the Boomers to their historic medal. Exum surged against Argentina, stumbled against Team USA, before coming up huge for Australia when things got tight against Slovenia.

The 26-year-old’s ability to get to the rim, defend the opposition’s best guard scorer, and drop in threes at an improving rate is why he’ll be around for a long time in the green and gold.

JOSH GREEN – 6

This Olympics was about soaking it all in for Josh Green, who you’d imagine will be a much bigger part of the Boomers’ Paris campaign.

Still, when the 20-year-old did get on the court, he displayed the sort of defensive tenacity and athleticism that makes him unique.

DUOP REATH - 6

While it seemed at a point – the point Aron Baynes slipped in the bathroom – that Duop Reath might play a bigger part in the Boomers’ Olympic campaign, the big man ultimately had very little involvement in Tokyo.

Still, when Reath did play, he always gave a good account of himself.

Matthew Dellavedova of Australia

CHRIS GOULDING – 7

Sometimes a forgotten hero, Chris Goulding made some big shots for this Boomers team in Tokyo in his regular FIBA reminder that an NBA team could probably use his shooting.

NATHAN SOBEY – 5

He wasn’t the most popular pick among Boomers fans, but Nathan Sobey did his job – providing energy off the bench on both ends – when he did get a run.

OLYMPIC TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT

PG – Patty Mills - Australia

Australia’s general, leading scorer and quite simply the heart and soul of this team. Mills had a sensational Olympics in which he was by far and away the Boomers’ best player and only reliable offensive option, culminating in a magnificent 42-point showing which secured Australia’s first men’s basketball Olympic medal. In the only game he was kept quiet, against the USA, Australia suffered their only defeat. FIBA Patty lives, and long may we enjoy his work in the international game.

SG – Luka Doncic - Slovenia

An incredible tournament for the Olympic debutant, who led Slovenia – a nation of just two million people - to within a fingernail of the gold medal match. Only a last ditch Nicolas Batum block denied them. Put up insane numbers throughout the Olympics – registering scores of 48, 25 and 20, and becoming just the third player to notch a triple double. Has arguably the brightest future of anyone in basketball and it’s insane to think he’s only 22.

SF – Evan Fournier - France

Rarely gets the plaudits – either in the NBA or FIBA competition – but Fournier had a whale of a tournament, leading France in scoring and finishing with more points than anyone bar Doncic, Durant or Mills. The silky scorer’s poured in 28 points and several clutch buckers in the shock victory over Team USA in France’s opening game and backed it up with another big performance in the semi-final against Slovenia to earn a shot at the gold medal.

PF – Kevin Durant - USA

The MVP. Durant, pure and simple, was the reason the US won gold. On a team of superstars, the Brooklyn superstar stood the tallest and was undeniably the most dominant player across the past two weeks. For the third Olympics in a row, Durant dominated the gold medal match – this time scoring 29 in the win over France, to go with twin tallies of 30 in London 2012 and Rio 2016. But it wasn’t just the big game that he thrived: Durant carried the USA through the group stage and knockout rounds with leadership and scoring. The purest scorer in all of basketball.

C – Rudy Gobert - France

The best big man of the Games, Gobert’s elite defensive presence was a massive influence on France winning a silver medal. A menacing presence in the paint, Gobert’s physical play and inspirational leadership were central to everything good France was able to do. The Utah star averaged nearly ten rebounds a game and saved his best performance till last – a 16 point, eight rebound game to nearly stun the USA in the title game. Cut a broken figure after the defeat but had every reason to hold his head up high.

BENCH: Ricky Rubio (Spain), Jrue Holiday (USA), Mike Tobey (Slovenia), Matisse Thybulle (Australia), Jayson Tatum (USA)

Rubio averaged 25.5 points per game – more than anyone at the Olympics – to show off rare offensive prowess, including a monster 38-point game in the quarter-final defeat to the eventual gold medallists. Team USA teammates Jrue Holliday and Jayson Tatum were the defensive and scoring allies, respectively, that Durant needed to secure a fourth straight gold medal for the land of the free. Mike Tobey hung with the best the world has to offer and almost as important in Slovenia’s finals charge as Doncic, while Matisse Thybulle cemented himself as the face of the Boomers for the next decade with his frenetic defence and athletic scoring.