Basketball news: Boomers coach Brian Goorjian on Ben Simmons and the ‘brutal’ cut

Brian Goorjian says Ben Simmons would add “spice” to the Boomers but he’s got bigger fish to fry with young and old set to collide in a brutal battle for World Cup selection.

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian says cutting his squad down to 12 for the FIBA World Cup will be “brutal” but that’s the harsh reality if the Aussies are going to improve on their history-making Tokyo Olympic bronze medal.

Goorjian could take 19 players — if Ben Simmons commits — into selection camp on August 1 and he’ll need to cut seven before the team jets to Japan for its World Cup-opener against Finland, later that month.

The master coach says he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The game of basketball at the top level is brutal and … If you’re sitting here saying ‘who is No.11, who is No.12?’, if it isn’t a tough cut, how the heck are you going to win a gold medal?,” Goorjian said at NBL club Melbourne’s United in business function.

“I’ve been on the other side where you’re trying to fill spots as opposed to making tough decisions.

“Everyone says to me ‘I don’t envy you’ … (but it’s) a nice situation to be in.”

He already made the tough decision to leave 36-year-old big man Aron Baynes out of the extended squad and he’s fully aware father time is a big factor in shaping the Boomers, not just for the World Cup, but for next year’s Paris Olympics and beyond.

Ben Simmons is back working hard – but will he join Boomers? Picture: Instagram.

Among the Boomers’ best, Joe Ingles is 35, Patty Mills and Chris Goulding are 34 and Matthew Dellavedova is 32. The young brigade of Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels are 20, Josh Green is 22 and Sam Froling is 23.

“It’s one of the most important things in my role,” he said.

“Father time, right now, that’s a part of this thing, and Giddey, Josh Green, Matisse (Thybulle), those guys need an opportunity to blossom.”

Goorjian reiterated Simmons had an open invitation to make himself available for the selection camp and believes a chance to suit up in the green and gold would be beneficial for both player and country.

“When I spoke to him leading into the Olympics, I said ‘I’m not recruiting you’, I think you’d be great for the Boomers … (but) in turn, this is a great situation for you,” he said.

“I get an energy from him that he understands this and it’s something that he wants to do.

“If he can come through the door and perform at Ben Simmons’ level, he’s going to give us a much better chance to win.”

Goorjian said, with Simmons’ ability to guard every position on the floor, he could help solve the Boomers’ size issue. Jock Landale is the only walk-up starter in the big man department, with Thon Maker and Duop Reath the other key talls vying for a spot.

“You’ve got Jock and then the back up is something we’re discussing all the time,” he said.

“We played a lot of small ball at the Olympics. We do have some back ups we want to look at but we also have the ability to go small.”

Coach Brian Goorjian says the Boomers are good to go with or without Simmons. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

He said the doubt over whether or not Simmons would play was no issue for the team.

“It’s like a meal, it’s that little spice you add to it — we’re building the foundation and a process moving forward and, if he comes, that’s a nice addition to it, if not, we’re good to go,” he said.

The Boomers have embraced the target on their back, no longer the hunters in world basketball.

“One of the things I look back on, I didn’t set the bar high enough I didn’t challenge, I was always like ‘oh, Team USA, oh, those guys (are too good), from the minute I walked in there, (the players drove) ‘gold medal or not’,” he said.

“There’s a respect now with us being a legit top four team for a long period of time.

“We’ve got a lot of NBA players a lot or players who are respected, world wide, on this team and we have a reputation of paying hard, playing together with a strong culture.

“The country is expecting gold and the team’s expecting gold.”

Originally published as Basketball news: Boomers coach Brian Goorjian on Ben Simmons and the ‘brutal’ cut