Hoops

Boomers 12 for Worlds

Any serious hope of future medal contention for us will require some significant team chemistry, trying on our guys with the highest ceilings mite be our only shot at producing a group in future that's realistically capable, strategy for international games is always a gamble at best, mite be time go all in.

PG - Dellavedova/Exum
SG - Mills/Goulding
SF - Ingles/Newley/Simmons
PF - Bairstow/Anderson/Motum
C - Baynes/Ogilvy

That's my 12 man squad there.

Depth Chart in a 40 minute game.

PG - Dellavedova(30)/Exum(10)
SG - Mills(30)/Exum(5)/Ingles(5)/Goulding(0)
SF - Ingles(25)/Newley(15)/Simmons(0)
PF - Bairstow(20)/Anderson(15)/Motum(5)
C - Baynes(30)/Bairstow(5)/Ogilvy(5)

A bit of flexibility in there. Plenty of ball handling between Delly, Mills, Exum and Ingles. Gives you a chance to blood Exum and also have Simmons in the group. Plenty of perimeter shooting between Mills, Ingles, Anderson, Motum and Goulding. Beasts down low with Bairstow and Baynes should provide some easy buckets. Ogilvy adds some size depth. A good blend of youth (Exum, Bairstow, Simmons, Motum) with some experience (Anderson, Newley, Ingles, Mills). Gives us the best opportunity to compete as well as blood some young talent.

It is nice to see reasonable debate on whether the Boomers go with inexperience or experience. A very healthy sign. I tend to favour youth in this instance.

(14/20)

If he got the spot I'd also think interest in Australia's games would be x10

Goulding is the sort of player that can win you a game in a big match if he gets hot. He should definitely go.
Dellavadova/Martin/Exum
Mills/Goulding
Ingles/Newley
Anderson/Bairstow/Motum
Baynes/Jawai

"We need a shooter (Gaze,Heal,Ronaldson) style and we don't have that away from Goulding who is soft and plays no "D"."

I think Goulding is actually not a bad defender. I think people just give him that "no defence" label because that's what everyone says about scorers/shooters.

And to be fair, its not like Gaze or Ronaldson were great defenders either. Yet they still got selected.

Goulding is an absolute must for this team.

You have been crying for a shooter for years now, and you finally get one (and one that is more advanced that Crawford or a Harvey) and don't want to select him.

Australia's defence has always been exceptional internationally IMO. An injection of instant offense would go a long way to fixing some of the Boomers problems.

Don't forget that Longley, Bradtke and Vlahov were all 19 when they played in the 1988 Olympics, and look how successful they became for the Boomers.

I'm all for blooding the young guys, especially if it stops them being poached by another country.

While I like all the analysis so far, I'm not as sold on some of your locks. For me, we look fairly strong on 'd' with most of those names, but might struggle to score against aggressive smalls and mobile bigs. Ingles and Baynes have got lots of experience but haven't done much on offense this season in the (many) games I saw. I've been underwhelmed by Newley's international form for a few years now.

I like the look of

Baynes/Jawai/Nevill
Andersen/Maker/Bairstow
Ingles/Simmons
Mills/Goulding
Dellavedova/Exum

"The guys that are saying Exum and Simmons should be picked are crazy. They aren't ready. We should pick older guys that are averaging 10 ppg in the NBL rather than young 17-18 potenital future NBA all stars."

Strongly dissagree, that's been the issue with underachieving Aussie teams of past, we've never had a crop of dynamic young talent like this, mite be our only chance to see them in green & gold & not die wondering.

Motum hasn't really done anything at the professional level though.

Worthington is declining, however he is a 'bruiser'/physical type of player that can really get under opponents skin.

Steven, I don't think we need to wait until 2019 for an amazing lineup. Hopefully Simmons will be ready to contribute at the 2016 Olympics and then we could go with an exceptionally athletic lineup of:

Bogut
Simmons
Ingles
Mills
Exum

The length and agility in that lineup should give a lot of opponents fits and if Exum and Simmons are the real deal we'd have to be in contention for Silver. If Thon Maker works out and plays for us as well then we might even have a crack at the US!

Delly / Martin or Gibson (I would hate to make this decision!)
Mills / Goulding / Exum
Ingles / Newley
Andersen / Bairstow
Baynes / Jawai

The 12th spot is difficult to pick as it may depend on a need that Lemanis would still like to fill, but it would almost certainly be a 5th big man of some description.

Third Center: Ogilvy, Nevill, Maric.
Mobile PF: Worthington, Petrie + I think Lucas Walker has played himself into contention.

Hopefully Bogut makes strides with his rehab and is available, but personally I'm not holding my breath.

One thing for sure, can't see Wortho getting into the final cut.

As much as Worthington probably shouldn't make it, my thoughts are that he may slip in based on the lack of a mobile 4.

Petrie is solid - I don't think hes up to International standard however. Wortho probably isn't either but he does have considerable International experience.

The 12 will be very strong. The strongest team in some years. The Boomers have so much talent among the guards that someone like Gibson or Martin is redundant.

Greenwood a long way off the pace IMO..no disrespect.

Whats the deal here with 2 basketball camps form Jan 5-9? Seems a bit odd? whats the difference or am I mistaken and its the same camp?