Boomers coach Brian Goorjian kicks off Paris Olympic build up with 16 flights in 16 days to visit Australian NBA stars
Ben Simmons gave Brian Goorjian a proper grilling in an hour-long face-to-face chat during the Boomers coach’s fact-finding mission ahead of the Paris Games. Here’s what that revealed about the controversial Nets star.
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Brian Goorjian says he “squirmed” in his seat as the Sacramento crowd tormented star Boomers guard Josh Giddey during the Australian coach’s 16-flights-in-16-days tour of the US.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Giddey, 21, is the subject of police and NBA investigations into an allegedly inappropriate relationship with a young woman and has subsequently dealt with merciless booing and heckling in NBA stadiums since the allegations emerged on social media. Giddey has not been charged with any offence.
Goorjian, who has seen it all across a decorated 35-year coaching career, caught up with the Victorian guard in Sacramento this month and said, while he was aware Giddey would be targeted, he was still “alarmed” at what unfolded inside Golden 1 Center.
“I’m going to speak honestly, I was alarmed and I sat next to (Boomers’ assistant) David Patrick at the game and the truth of the matter was it was pretty full on,” Goorjian told Code Sports in a wide-ranging interview on his meetings with the Boomers’ NBA talent in the US.
“Booing every time he touched the ball, cat calls, just a really difficult situation.
“I really squirmed in my seat and found it tough but he just ignored the crowd and played with a steely resilience.
“For an Aussie in a foreign country in a high-profile sport like that, to be 21-years-old — he’s a tough SOB.”
Giddey, who scored 18 points to go with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in front of Goorjian, is arguably Australia’s biggest key to an Olympic medal in Paris and, while the investigations remain open, the national coach said he saw an impressive resilience from the former No.6 NBA draft pick.
“We had a wonderful hug and I got a beautiful warm feeling coming from his eyes and he was very ‘I’m going to get through this, coach’,” Goorjian said.
“He definitely has his eyes on Paris. We went through the program and I told him ‘I’m here (for him) any time, pick up the phone’.
“It’s been a really tough situation but I came away feeling our meeting was good for him and it was good for me, too.”
Goorjian, along with Basketball Australia chief executive Matt Scriven and national team director Jason Smith, this month met with every one of the Boomers’ NBA players to unpack the 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign and plot the path to Paris.
“I saw every guy playing in the NBA face-to-face, I made sure I touched everyone, including (assistant coaches) Matt Nielsen (San Antonio), Adam Caporn (Brooklyn) and David Patrick (Sacramento State college),” he said.
“Each guy is in a unique situation and so each meeting was different.
“We spoke about how they found the (pre-World Cup) camp in Cairns, how they found the team, we talked a lot about the culture, how they found the Melbourne (warm-up games) situation, what they were happy with and what they were disappointed with (at the World Cup) and their role within the team and what it looks like (for Paris) next year.”
FRUSTRATED BEN REAFFIRMS PARIS HOPE
One player who wasn’t in Okinawa, where the Boomers failed to qualify for the World Cup quarterfinals, was oft-injured Net Ben Simmons.
The Victorian remains arguably Australia’s most-gifted male basketballer but has never appeared in the green and gold at a major tournament — a combination of his body failing him and a lack of interest earlier in his career.
But Goorjian said the 27-year-old had a genuine want to play for the Boomers in Paris — although a back injury has floored him again.
“Face-to-face, right from his mouth, Ben said ‘I want to play on the national team’,” Goorjian said.
“His questions were around how we saw him, positionally, how does he fit? The main thing from him was he definitely wants to play and is totally frustrated now with the stir up with his back and wants to get healthy.”
Goorjian has maintained for years a healthy Simmons, among the best defenders on the planet, would have a role on the Boomers — but only if he was playing quality basketball.
“We went through what the program would be in the lead up to Paris, it was an hour conversation,” Goorjian said.
“I know some commentators have said they just don’t see it (Simmons fitting with the Boomers) but, since I’ve been involved in this, it’s been the same situation for me — he’s not playing for the Boomers if he’s not playing in the NBA.
“For the last two years, he hasn’t been able to get healthy and get through a season but, if he’s out on the court for the Nets from the (NBA) All-Star break and he gets going, he’s a piece that we just don’t have.”
LEBRON, LUKA AND... DANTE?
Goorjian sees similarities between the injury history of Simmons and red-hot compatriot Dante Exum.
Exum, a year older than Simmons, has been cruelled by a body that continually broke down throughout his career and led him to the NBA scrap heap.
But the 28-year-old used an excellent Tokyo Olympic bronze medal campaign to rebuild his body, mind and game in Europe and then franked a brilliant effort at the World Cup into an NBA return in Dallas.
Injury paved the way for opportunity and the Victorian guard is now a bona fide star.
Goorjian saw as much when he watched Exum bury LeBron James and the LA Lakers with a number of clutch daggers on his way to 26 points and seven three pointers at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
“Dante’s maybe our best player, right now, Boomer-wise, playing in the NBA,” Goorjian said.
“We were at the game where he made three huge shots and the game winner against the Lakers and the place was going nuts yelling his name, pumping their fists, the stadium was packed
“It was Luka (Doncic), it was LeBron and it was Dante,” he laughed.
JOCK AND THE GREAT BARRIER REATH
Goorj is champing at the bit to unleash a two-headed monster centre tandem of South Sudan-born Duop Reath and Jock Landale.
Landale wrecked his ankle on the eve of the World Cup, throwing the Boomers’ plans into disarray, while Reath, 27, wasn’t used heavily in Okinawa.
Goorjian coached Reath in Illawarra and says the difference in the 206cm big man, who is playing a solid role behind Deandre Ayton at the Trailblazers, is stunning — in 20 games, he’s averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds, while draining the three ball at 36 per cent.
“I had him in Illawarra and his skill package was all over the place and he just wasn’t a conditioned athlete,” Goorjian said.
“Now, he’s leaner, he’s running the floor and he’s much more fluid — besides his ability to shoot the ball and his confidence in that, his mobility has really taken a step.
“He’s developed into that pick and pop guy and now, and, defensively, he’s coming in for Ayton and showing he can switch.
“His minutes (at the World Cup) were a little bit restricted because we used him as our drops guy (moving back toward the rim to protect). I wasn’t as comfortable with Duop (showing or switching on screens) but what he’s doing now on a consistent basis really gives us a strong help with the Boomers.”
Landale’s faced months of frustration with the pre-World Cup injury hampering his new start in Houston, where he’s averaging a career-low 9.1 minutes per game, but the 28-year-old is arguably the Boomers’ most-important player in Paris.
Goorjian says his catch up with the 211cm Victorian-born star was a key focus of the trip.
“He is a piece that we just really struggled without,” Goorjian said.
“We talked about that frustration he’s dealt with and staying ready. He loves Houston, he sees opportunity there, great coaching, young team and he knows he can contribute.
“It’ll happen. He’s played double-digit minutes in three straight games now.
“He’s working hard, his body looked great and he’s excited about the Boomers.”
PATTY AND JOE
With the younger talent coming through, the reality is the roles of legendary duo Patty Mills and Joe Ingles will change in Paris as the national program looks to the future.
Ingles, 37, was playing well in Orlando as a bench connector before he was injured. Mills, 35, has only just started recently to get on the floor in Atlanta.
Goorj acknowledges they are robust conversations but says both veterans are realistic about the future vision and share an excitement for what’s to come in Paris.
“You’ve got to bring the young in but also, the young’s got to be touched by the right guys on the way out,” he said.
“Patty, there is a role for him and now it’s coming to terms with what that role is and then the culture and the handing over of that was talked about in detail.
“He’s a huge part of that and I walked away from there feeling really good about the next meeting with Patty and that he gets it.
“It’s a very similar situation with Joe. I spent an hour or so with (Orlando coach) Jamahl Mosely and he talked a lot about what Joe brings to his team and why he’s there and it’s the exact role that you would want him to play with our national team.
“He’s a great connector off the bench who shoots it at a high clip and a guy who has been there, done that, knows what’s expected, knows what to expect.”
PUMPED, BUT NO ILLUSION AT MAMMOTH PARIS TASK
If the World Cup was tough, Goorj isn’t kidding himself at the monumental challenge the Boomers face in Paris.
Just scratch the surface and the silver-medal winning Serbia is set to add record-breaking Denver Nugget Nikola Jokic while the NBA’s best Americans, embarrassed by what unfolded where USA’s B-team failed to medal, will be on a mission.
“It’s going to be tough as hell,” Goorjian said.
“I look at Serbia, they’ve got a silver medal and they’re going to add the best player in the NBA.
“Then it’s going to LeBron, (Steph) Curry and all those guys.
“I know what it is but I’m excited about our group.
“From all the meetings I had, there wasn’t one person I came away from saying ‘Is he OK?’ or ‘he doesn’t want to do it’.
“Everybody’s champing at the bit, everybody’s keen, that came through loud and clear.”
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