Basketball World Cup: The 10 big questions for the Boomers in the World Cup
Injuries, changing roles and X-factors. Here are the biggest things we learned leading into the first game of the Boomers’ World Cup campaign.
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Australia will hope a clutch late basket from Patty Mills that helped deliver a rousing 78-74 come-from-behind World Cup warm-up victory over France will help the legendary Olympian snap out of a horror shooting slump.
The Boomers put aside shooting struggles and the reality of life without starting centre Jock Landale to record a promising win against the Olympic silver medallists.
On a sour note, key wing Josh Green limped from the court in the second quarter with what appeared to be a leg injury and did not return.
The Boomers rallied without Green, overcoming another slow start to push the French and steal the game in the closing minutes.
Mills came up big down the stretch with a bucket to give the Australians the lead with 36 seconds on the clock.
He also nailed two clutch free-throws to help him push aside a previously forgettable shooting display.
That’s a very, very special player. pic.twitter.com/nJRstJfxYj
— Michael Randall (@MickRandallHS) August 20, 2023
Duop Reath caught a body ☠ï¸
— NBL (@NBL) August 20, 2023
(via @wwos) pic.twitter.com/LwIT4FAXrM
The veteran guard shot just 2-7 from two-point range and 1-9 from three to finish with 11 points.
As Mills has done for a decade, though, he produced when it mattered most to give the Boomers and himself a confidence-building win over the French.
The 35-year-old, arguably our greatest male Olympic performer on the court, shot just 25 per cent from the field and was an ice-cold 5-25 from deep through last week’s three Melbourne games.
Many of his attempts came up short hitting the front of the rim - most were bread and butter Patty in the past.
Add in Sunday’s France game and the NBA star is 12-51 from the field and 6-34 from deep.
It’s vital Mills, who dominated Australia’s stunning run to Olympic bronze in Tokyo, is able to get his groove back.
The Boomers had five players score in double figures in the win over France, including Josh Giddey (12), Dante Exum (11), Duop Reath (11) and Nick Kay (12).
Kay also overcame an elbow to the head from French big man Rudy Gobert, which was ruled an unsportsmanlike foul.
The Boomers will be undersized at the Cup after Landale suffered ligament damage to his left ankle.
This was on show early against the French, with the Boomers battling to contain the likes of Gobert in the paint.
Led by New York Knicks star Evan Fournier, France had 17 points on the board in just four minutes as the Australians had no answers defensively.
In a positive sign, though, the Boomers were able to steady and find a way to win.
The Boomers play a final warm-up game versus Georgia on Tuesday before opening their World Cup campaign against Finland on Friday from 6pm (AEST).
Matt Logue and Michael Randall look at the 10 key factors set to define Australia’s bid for a Cup medal.
TEN THING WE LEARNED BEFORE WORLD CUP
1: What does life without Landale look like
Far from ideal, but there is plenty of reason to be optimistic, as Sunday’s win over France showed. Landale was our only genuine NBA big and was set to form a devastating combination with young star Josh Giddey. It's now a makeshift effort at the five with backup Duop Reath the main man, coach Brian Goorjian set to cycle through small ball line-ups featuring forwards Xavier Cooks and Nick Kay at the five.
2: Thybulle the flamethrower
Matisse looked like a new man against South Sudan and his ability to make a high clip from deep will be crucial to the Boomers’ fortunes. Goorjian has an interesting question to answer about his starting line-up. While we’re not ready to write Patty Mills off just yet, the Boomers looked best when Giddey-Josh Green and Thybulle were on the floor together - at both ends.
3: The new dogged Delly
Goorjian called Green’s on-ball defence “Delly on steroids” and it’s easy to see why the legendary coach has an instant love for the Dallas Mavericks wing. It’s not just the defence from the 22-year-old - he’s a super offensive threat who can shoot it, get to the rack and loves to share it. Without Landale, he could prove our most important player outside of Giddey, when the tournament is done.
4: Cooks the X-factor
Always underestimated, always exceeding expectations. Every time Cooks has been ready to debut on the international stage, an injury comes along and ruins it. Not this time. As mentioned, Landale‘s exit puts the microscope on the reigning NBL MVP and new Washington Wizard. How he handles the big rigs on opposing teams - and makes them pay with his speed and athleticism the other way - will have a huge say in how far the Boomers’ progress. His effort-level will set the standard for everyone else.
5: Giddey triple double watch
It‘s basically Giddey everything watch. This is a changing of the guard, unfolding before our very eyes with Giddey, Green, Thybulle, Exum and Dyson Daniels the future leaders of Aussie basketball. At 20, Giddey might already be our most-talented player ever, and, with his calm persona and multi-skilled talents, expect him to go close to a triple-double on most nights as he combines a scoring punch with the rare ability to make his teammates walk taller.
6: Small-ball challenge
The Boomers are small after losing starting centre Jock Landale, so they face an enormous task to contain nations loaded with bigs like France and the USA.
On the plus side, coach Brian Goorjian has selected an athletic squad who can have an impact at both ends of the floor. There is no doubting that Goorjian will adopt a run-and-gun, fast-paced style to suit Australia’s speed in a bid to counteract the squad’s lack of size. The master coach is also hangs his hat on the defensive end and has selected the likes of Xavier Cooks, Josh Green and Jack White to lock down opposition defences.
It won’t be easy to stop centres like France’s Rudy Gobert, but you can expect the Boomers’ bigs in Duop Reath, Nick Kay and Cooks to defend by committee.
7: Mills and Ingles changing roles
Patty Mills and Joe Ingles will be forever bronzed-Boomers legends, but the end is edging closer as the Australians usher in a new generation.
Mills will still start, however he will play a different role to what he did as Australia’s conductor at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The introduction of Josh Giddey as the Boomers’ primary ball handler and distributor means Mills can focus more on his potent shooting.
Mills battled from three-point range during the three warm-up clashes in Melbourne, shooting just five of 25 across three games.
If he can find his grove, though, he will again be a vital cog for the Boomers.
Ingles looks like he’ll come off the bench for the Boomers, but his shooting and vision hasn’t waned, so he could become Australia’s X-factor and only add to the team’s impressive depth.
8: Exum the second-unit conductor
Dante Exum is primed to take the next step in his international career at this year’s World Cup after excelling at the Tokyo Olympics.
Exum was a star for the bronze-medal winning Boomers – in his first appearance for the national team in seven years.
The Melbourne-born guard is coming off one of the most successful seasons in his career. Exum helped Partizan Belgrade lift the ABA Championship trophy, which paved the way for him to return to the NBA via a two-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. Boomers coach Brian Goorjian has given the gifted guard a crucial role as Australia’s guard backup to Josh Giddey.
“He’s more than just the backup to Josh Giddey, we need to get him involved in the game more, and maybe play those two together more,” Goorjian said of Exum and Giddey.
9: Reath to the rescue
No Jock Landale is a major blow for the Boomers, but in Duop Reath the Australians have a big man determined to seize the moment.
Reath was a standout in the three World Cup warm-up games against Venezuela, Brazil and South Sudan.
The former Illawarra Hawk was a constant threat in the paint while he formed an uncanny connection with Boomers guard Josh Giddey.
Giddey threw up multiple inch-perfect passes for Reath to dunk – and it’s a combination that will only grow with more game time.
10: Goorjian’s defensive mindset
Brian Goorjian has always been known as a defensive coach – and it’s a mindset that will help the Boomers thrive at the World Cup.
Goorjian instils a desperation in his players to defend, which was particularly on show in a warm-up win over Venezuela.
The Boomers restricted the South Americans to just 41 points, including four points in the third quarter.
Australia will face much tougher challenges than Venezuela, as we saw on Sunday against Olympic silver medallists France.
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Originally published as Basketball World Cup: The 10 big questions for the Boomers in the World Cup
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