Hoops

Boomers / Opals World Championship teams

I have thought about this long and hard, and so far this is what I envisage:

Bogut / Maric
Andersen / Jawai / Nielsen
Worthington / Barlow
Newley / Ingles
Bruton / Mills / Gibson

I see Bruton as being the starting PG in his farewell to International basketball. Mills has been out too long to get the starter's gig right now. It will be all his by London 2012.

Aleks Maric is going great guns in Europe and should geta gig ahead of AJ Ogilvy and Aron Baynes, although these guys could yet feature depending on injuries. Definite prospects for 2012. Bogut, Andersen, Jawai and Nielsen should get a chance to play. Nielsen is the only one whose form is questionable right now, but he adds mongrel to a possible team that may require it. Brett Brown likes AJ Ogilvy and Aron Baynes, so one of those guys could easily take his place.

I agree with other comments, Dellavedova will miss out if CJ Bruton is available. Otherwise he will get in as the third PG. Delly and Mills could well be our back court duo by 2012. And yes, there has been plenty of talk about Delly and his NBA chances over the past 2 months in the States. Still early days though.

Worthington adds mongrel whcih the team needs. How much impact he has though is debatable and is likely to play a small role off the bench. Barlow is an interesting one - he has been out injured for a while now although is due back sooner rather than later. Ingles will get a gig and can play SG or SF where required. Weigh could easily step in if Barlow is nto fit enough or match ready to step up.

Newley will get a gig as Australia lack depth in quality shooting guards.

This will be Australia's best team on the court for quite some time, however I still beleive Australia's best shot at a medal will be 2012 in London when guys like Mills, Ogilvy, Jawai and even Bogut should be either nearing or at their peak. And by then guys like Majok, Delly and maybe even some others could have stepped up and made their mark in either the NA or Europe.

Some promising times ahead, however a top 8 finish in Turkey would be a fantastic achievement IMO.

I would put Gibson in for Dellavedova. Dellavedova will be in the Boomers for years to come, he is only 19 and he will only continue to get better under Randy Bennent like Mills did. I know that if he went to Turkey, he would only be a backup Point Guard, but I don't think we should throw him into a senior world championship tournament already, because as I said give him 2 or so years and he will develop exponentially at St. Marys. John Rillie blogged about Dellavedova after the Under 19 championships and the Boomers ocenia series:

"Although he is considered a combo guard I believe that he is a work in progress for the point guard position. His feel for the game is well and truly a strong point. Put this together with his decision making and it certainly sounds like we have a point guard in the making.

I would not call him a lights out shooter, but he makes enough from long range that you cannot let him stand their and shoot. (His first touch for the Boomers the other night was a corner three.) "

IMO, Rillie has it wrong when he says that he isn't a lights out shooter. The kid can shoot, and he is showing that at St. Marys..already hit 18 threes in 7 games at 40 %. He hit the 3-ball at 42.1% during the under 19 champs.

Anyway, not to get sidetracked, I think we need to give him 2 years or so. He can play and he can shoot the hell out of it and he is a fighter and a winner. But at the World Champs, he is going up against Calderon and Rubio from Spain, Parker from France, Paul/Williams from USA, Papaloukas from Greece, Arroyo from Puerto Rico, Prigioni from Argentina...Some of these guys have been around for years especially Papaloukas who is in his 30s. For me those guys are much to experienced for Dellavedova, with greater basketball IQs.
Not saying Gibson is at their level either because he is not, but he is a better fit than Dellavedova.
Dellavedova is still developing his PG skills also and I think this was a major reason to why he only played 22 mins a game at the Under 19 world champs, where guys like Cadee and Arnott ran the PG position just as effectively