South East Melbourne Phoenix to help Ryan Broekhoff cement Olympic selection for the Boomers

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian knows Ryan Broekhoff will benefit from playing in the NBL with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian believes Ryan Broekhoff will guarantee himself Australian selection for the Tokyo Olympics if he is fit and playing strong basketball with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Goorjian couldn’t be happier to see Broekhoff join the NBL, even though he feels nervous about trying to shut down the sharpshooter when his Illawarra Hawks face the Phoenix.

These fears aside, he is equally excited to see the former Dallas and Philadelphia swingman pick up a contract in an Olympic year after being waived by the 76ers in mid-December.

“Ryan is a guy who is in that top-tier, so if he is healthy and playing at his best, he is one of the best players in the country,” Goorjian said about Broekhoff, who has an NBA-out in his Phoenix contract.

“I can’t guarantee things, but there are certain guys that you put in. There are guys that are mainstays, and I see Ryan as a guy in that ilk.

“So, if he is right and playing how he should be, then I see a position there for him.

“He is an important piece, especially with Ben Simmons, because you need shooters around Simmons, and Ryan shoots the p**s out of the ball and he is a great teammate.

“I think the Boomers team that played at the 2019 World Cup that lost so narrowly really missed him.”

Ryan Broekhoff is an ‘important piece’ for the Boomers. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Goorjian recently spoke to Broekhoff upon his selection in Australia’s 25-man squad for Tokyo.

At the time, the 30-year-old was still in limbo and desperately trying to pick up another NBA deal.

Goorjian recalls Broekhoff’s frustration to find a new contract, so he is thrilled to see him land in the NBL at South East Melbourne.

“I had a chat to Ryan, and we discussed the importance of him playing,” he said.

“So, when I heard the (Phoenix) news, I put my Boomers hat on, and I was happy.

“It is different being on an NBA team when you are on the end of the bench, where he sat for a number of years.

“But he will be a focal point for the Phoenix, and it is going to be great for the Boomers that he is out on the floor.

“He will be playing in a competition where he is under pressure and we are at the pointy end when it comes to the Olympics, so these guys need to get on the floor.”

Goorjian says Broekhoff’s Phoenix signature is a testament to the NBL’s growing credibility as a professional and competitive league that can serve as a pathway back to the NBA.

Broekhoff will be a focal point for the Phoenix. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Mooy

“It is just great to see for the NBL,” he said.

“Obviously, it makes things tougher for everyone else, but from a league scenario guys like him and Jock Landale coming back shows that this league is becoming attractive to them.

“When I was in the league when it really got going in the late ’80s and early ’90s, one of the reasons was because a lot of our best players were in the NBL.

“Now it is happening again, with top level guys capable of playing in Europe seeing that this competition is well run and it’s good basketball.

“It is a real good time for the NBL to cash in.”

NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger is fully aware of the pulling power that Broekhoff provides the league as an experienced NBA and Boomers player.

“It’s not that long ago that a player like Ryan Broekhoff wouldn’t have considered coming to play in the NBL,” Loeliger said.

“But like Jock Landale and Isaac Humphries, he knows it’s now a world class league and a legitimate pathway to the NBA.

“The Next Stars program has also enhanced the NBL’s profile and visibility globally, and we are delighted Ryan has chosen to come back and play here.”

Originally published as South East Melbourne Phoenix to help Ryan Broekhoff cement Olympic selection for the Boomers