‘It sucks’: Shattered Landale out of FIBA World Cup

Australian basketball has long punched above its weight, but if the Boomers want to break through and win their first FIBA World Cup, they will have to punch above their height as well.

Starting centre Jock Landale was ruled out of the World Cup on Friday after he went down with a left ankle injury in the first quarter of their 88-67 win over South Sudan at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night in front of 10,823 fans.

It’s Landale’s second ankle injury in a matter of weeks; the other was on his right ankle, and he remained in Melbourne for scans and treatment on Friday while his teammates flew out for Japan ahead of their first game, against Finland, on August 25.

New Oklahoma City Thunder signing Jack White will come into the World Cup side as the replacement for Landale, who joined the Houston Rockets in the off-season and was top of Goorjian’s list to join the team’s leadership group.

Landale tweeted on Friday about his disappointment at missing out on his second World Cup and the chance to chase a gold medal.

“Sitting here this morning knowing the Boomers are about to take off to Japan, and I’m absolutely kicking myself I’m not right there beside them,” Landale tweeted.

“All the build-up and preparation we go through as athletes just to have it yanked away 12 hours beforehand sucks. Gold Vibes Only Always.

“Focus turns to supporting them how I can and preparing for this season with the Rockets.”

Marial Shayok of South Sudan and Jock Landale of Australia reach for the ball. Landale was injured in this contest.Credit: Getty Images

Goorjian was planning to be without Landale as soon as the South Sudan game ended. “Telling the truth here – he is not getting on the plane with us, he will be getting an MRI tomorrow,” Goorjian said on Thursday night.

“It didn’t look great, so they will deal with that here and we will travel with the 12 we have got now. I’m of the mindset now as if we don’t have him.”

Josh Giddey and Patty Mills are the stars of this team but Landale was the most irreplaceable player as the big-man stocks are lacking, with Goorjian cutting bigs Sam Froling, Thon Maker and Keanu Pinder from training camp while 21-year-old centre Harry Wessels travelled with the Boomers for experience but is not yet ready.

On Wednesday night Goorjian asked White to stay with the team as 13th man and travel to Japan for the last two warm-up games but he told him he would miss the World Cup unless a player was injured.

“He asked if there was anything else he could do – I said no, just keep doing what you are doing and let the cards fall where they may,” Goorjian said. “Now he is in.”

Chris Goulding sat out on Thursday night as he continues to recover from a minor knee injury, but he cut a relaxed figure and is expected to face France and then Georgia while in Japan and prove his fitness for the tournament.

“I got criticised quite strongly about having 13 players and not making that [last] selection,” Goorjian said on Thursday night.

“Jack White has been right on the cusp of this thing and is huge for us.

Brian Goorjian gives instructions during the match between the Australian Boomers and South Sudan at Rod Laver Arena.Credit: Getty Images

“Thank goodness he is here, he has played in all of our games and we went down the road that we went on as he is a very helpful piece. He is multipurpose and if we are going to play that small ball, switch [style of game] then he is another important piece.”

This also means the Boomers will go all-in on embracing a “small-ball” style of play where Duop Reath (211cm) will start at centre and when he is off, a combination of forwards like Xavier Cooks (203cm), Nick Kay (206cm) and perhaps even White (201cm) will spend time at centre in various line-ups, along with tall guards like Giddey, Josh Green, Matisse Thybulle and Dante Exum.

Green and Thybulle starred in Thursday’s win; Goorjian said it was likely Green would start at the World Cup as his on-ball defence, his passing and his much-improved three-point shooting were a great mix alongside Giddey, Mills, Kay and Reath.

The Boomers used variations of these line-ups in their three Melbourne games, and they will face much taller teams in France and Georgia in their last two lead-up games before the tournament begins.

“In club basketball, you have your style of play and you only need 10 players [who fit that style],” Goorjian said.

“When you coach international basketball, it’s ‘Who are our best players?’ and then you bring them in and figure out how you are going to play.

“So there is a science to this and a style of play that is according to the best players available for Australia.

“There is an avenue we are going to have to go down, and we’re going to have to be really good at certain things to get to where we want to go without Jock but, it is doable, and I saw patches of that tonight.”

The Boomers play France in Japan on Sunday at 2pm AEST Live & Free on Gem & 9Now.