The fallout from the Boomers 2023 FIBA World Cup result has been predictably scathing and unforgiving. There are calls for change at the top, and pundits are on the hunt for fillers in a squad that has plenty of holes.
The expectations of this group might be lofty, but they are also likely to be unrealistic, even with a squad loaded with NBA talent, for a range of reasons.
Australia finished 10th, well beneath our world ranking of third. Following a three-point loss to eventual gold medallist Germany, and an 11-point loss to Slovenia, who finished seventh, the Boomers dropped out of medal contention at the mid-point of the tournament.
In context, finishing a tournament 3-2, with one of those losses to the eventual winner — in a game that could very easily have gone the other way — is in actual fact, not a terrible result.
The emergence of Josh Giddey, who claimed the Wanda Rising Star Award for the tournament, as the centrepiece and playmaker of the team was exciting, and the re-emergence of Dante Exum as an athletic and physical impact player was also a positive for the group.
But a closer inspection of their recent performance reveals that the problems stem, not necessarily from decisions made across the tournament, but the absence of key pieces that the Boomers need to be successful on the FIBA hardwood.
The Boomers took Bronze in Tokyo — Rose Gold as it has become affectionately known. The result brought tears to the eyes of former champions and administrators of the program, along with basketball tragics around the country. An Olympic medal was a long wait for many.
Soon after, there was an air of expectation circulating. Not only should a medal now be a fait accompli, but the colour should probably lose its shade of rose.
The team may well be loaded with NBA talent, but nine NBA players in a squad doesn’t guarantee success in international basketball. Just ask team USA, who had 12 NBA players for a fourth-placed finish at the World Cup.
Increasingly, the make-up of your team matters more, and small ball in FIBA basketball can leave you vulnerable in key areas.
Outside of the United States, the teams that pushed deep into the tournament all had worthy bigs, who could play the pick-and-roll, crash the boards and rim-protect. And they all had lethal shooters at multiple positions.
The Boomers had neither — at least not to the extent of the European powerhouses. And it’s something that will hamper our efforts as we look ahead towards Paris 2024. In a more physical game with clogged lanes and full-court presses, size in the paint, and prowess from the perimeter are critical.
Without these tools, the Boomers rested on a high-pressure defensive, and a driving and slashing offensive set-up. We were vulnerable inside, and the ask of Patty Mills to be our sole perimeter threat finally became a burden too great to bear.
The Jock Landale injury hurt more than many might concede, as we lacked a true back-to-the-basket post player, and one who is also very handy in the two-man game. Beyond this though, the notion that we have an NBA calibre squad is a little misguided as — and this has been a challenge for previous iterations of the Boomers that also boasted NBA talent — we are ultimately a team of role-players.
Mills has really been the only player who has walked off the NBA floor as a spot-up shooter and into the program as a bonafide leader. We owe much of our bronze medal to his exploits. And as Steve Kerr, head coach of the USA said recently, in FIBA basketball, you have NBA players stepping into their country’s jersey, and turning into Michael Jordan. Solid NBA players turn into superstars in FIBA. In Tokyo, that was Patty. Who’s going to be that guy in the twilight of Mills’ career?
If the Boomers are going to medal in Paris, based on this FIBA World Cup result, not only does Landale need to play, but we will need another solid big with a physical presence in the low block and contesting at the rim. But more than that, we need a clutch shooter, with enough swagger to toss the country on his back and go and get a bucket when we need it. Without it, we can expect middle-of-the-road results. And give the level credit — FIBA World Cups and Olympic Games tournaments are tough competitions. Maybe we need to manage our expectations as we wait in hope for the next great Boomer to emerge.
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