Paris Olympics 2024: NBL winners, young stars, in Boomers squad for shot at Games selection
The NBL’s tallest player, a late-blooming NCAA forward and a pair of Tasmanian grand final heroes will be among those given the chance to make the Boomers Paris Olympic team.
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The NBL’s tallest player, a late-blooming NCAA forward and a pair of Tasmanian grand final heroes will be among 22 Australians given the chance to make the Boomers Paris Olympic team.
Recent Albert Schweitzer Tournament MVP and Brisbane Bullets’s teen giant Rocco Zikarsky, Kansas Jayhawk Johnny Furphy, Adelaide 36ers sharpshooter Dejan Vasiljevic, grand final MVP Jack McVeigh and hip teammate Will Magnay are the five new faces in the squad.
Every player who was in the selection camp prior to last year’s FIBA World Cup has been picked, save for former NBA big Thon Maker, with 10 members of the Tokyo bronze medal triumph back for another shot at Olympic glory.
As expected, injured NBA man Ben Simmons is not in the squad.
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian said the squad addressed two major needs identified out of the disappointing World Cup camp — physical bigs and elite shooting.
“Everyone we’ve brought in there we’ve got our eyes open for selection.
“There may be a surprise. These guys are going to come in to camp thinking ‘I’m good enough’ and they’ll bring something to this, saying ‘select me, I’m ready’.
“I want that edge.”
Goorjian flagged great change from the World Cup to Paris, regardless of whether that would mean wholesale personnel changes, with roles and style of play under the microscope.
“We’re going to play completely differently, there’s going to be a lot of change in the group moving forward,” Goorjian said.
“There will be some staple marks there but there’s going to be a lot of change in style of play, a lot of change in roles.
“I’m really excited about it.”
The Boomers face a monumental task with the world’s best players set to suit up for their respective nations, including a Team USA squad that will be filled with top-tier NBA talent.
The initial squad will be refined before training camp in Melbourne in July, with a final 12 selected for the plane to Paris.
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Originally published as Paris Olympics 2024: NBL winners, young stars, in Boomers squad for shot at Games selection
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