Hoops

Opals name Rio team

Let's get this one over and done with first and see who gets the coaching gig, because if Joyce gets it anything could happen,

Sounds like a good squad
Tolo will be around
Mijovic may never make it
Mansfield is 26?
Fastback for macbegor
Interesting time

I'm thinking...

Lavey
Mansfield
Wallace (u19)

Jarry
Allen
Talbot
Blicavs

Froling (u19)
Smith (u19)
Mijovic
Scherf (u19)
Cambage

Phillips (last olympics)
Mitchell (last olympics)
Lavey

Ebzery (most likely last olympics)
Taylor (last olympics)
Jarry
Talbot

Hodges (last olympics)
George (most likely last olympics)
Burton (most likely last olympics)
Tolo (most likely last olympics)
Cambage


The team is going to look so much different after rio...
Who are the likely replacements for the 8 above?

Batkovic and Bishop played here one time ago (lightning) Class act. Cayla Francis was pretty good.
Still, if Cambage could play about 30mpg we would win a medal.

That's why I would have gone small ball and put someone like Talbot on della Donne at pf. At least you can get something out of her offensively.

It's sure going to be a test guarding Delle Don and Stewart

Moving your feet on the perimetre is important. A lot of coaches nowadays prefer much more mobile bigs that can switch/trap on defense and guard 3/4/5 as a big. Batkovic is super talented but limited in her movement guarding pretty much 5's only. The team has enough scoring. A versatile big is much more important in those role playing spots.

What does burton actually bring to the table though?

She can't shoot, she doesn't block many shots, she's not a great rebounder or passer, she's a horrible free throw shooter. Not a great defender.... And from what I've seen rarely puts the ball in the basket even when she's under it or within 5ft.

But she can run faster than the average big....?

Batkovic can do all the things she can't minus her foot speed.

Seems ludicrous to me but best of luck to her and the team....

There'll be even less if take away the right to coach the team of their choice. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Joyce disciple, but I'm a coach and as such expect any coach to have the right to total control in a position they're appointed to. Every coach has favourite players (or type of player) and I support their right to choose those players......and take the bouquets or brickbats that their choices create

Duke Fan - there weren't many high quality candidates for the job.

Sandy Brondello, Brian Agler, etc couldn't commit to a full time role for 4 years as they are all in demand for coaching jobs around the world.

Lemanis is also moving away from the Boomers role to coach in the NBL.

Joyce won't be offered another coaching role, especially in mens basketball due to mess that was created with the Blaze. Dealing with his immense ego is too much on a day to day basis.

Well said

Titan 34, if the control over selections (and you would have to assume that would extend to playing style as well as the two go hand in hand) was given to a committee you're not going to have too many high quality applicants for the job. The coach should have the final say in both. The Opals are like any team from Under 12 reps. Blind Freddy can pick the top 7 or 8 then the last 4 spots are matters of opinion. The coach's opinion should always be the one that counts

Therefore the committees and experts need to get it right in the appointment of the coach. Joyce has been given that role and he should have the team he wants. If he doesn't produce the goods then his role comes under question.

I think Burton is a quality player. Batkovic is as well. I hesitate to bag too many players unlike a lot on here and I hope the Opals are playing off for gold once again in Rio

There are no good players rating Burton as an Opal, that's horsesh!t.
Talk to any quality player privately (some with nothing to lose like LJ have said it openly) and they will laugh at the idea of her being there ahead of Bishop or Batkovic.

But not only should she not be there, just like SoJ shouldn't have been making teams when daddy was around, she is going to start.

Lauren Jackson on Twitter: "Condolences to @SuzyBatkovic Best player in Australia right now. MVP 4/5 years in WNBL. Devaluing the league?

The Opals are our National team and as an Aussie I will support them through right or wrong, good or bad, win or lose. They deserve that much and have earned the right. Whether winning a medal makes Joyce a hero or not is irrelevant. I assume all the detractors, and self proclaimed experts will be willing to look the coach and every player in the face if the Opals do better than any other national,team has in past Olympics. Stop the crap and get on board

Anonymous feedback would be interesting, but it's only a few weeks of playing together and professionals (players and coaches) should be able to play a game of basketball with someone they don't particularly care for on the personal level, since "chemistry" is a public cop out that means "I don't like you", but then I think of Jackson and Taylor and the 2010 results.

This team is ranked #2 in the world. Anything less than silver will be a disappointment.

Good luck.

titan34, will a medal calm you down??

I think all the critics are a bit premature. Positive comments would be welcomed by the team i am sure.

Will a gold medal make joyce a hero?

Regardless of whether I like the coach or his selections, they're still our Aussie reps and I'll be behind them all the way. It doesn't mean that I'll like everything they do, but they're OUR Opals and I wish them all the best.

Duke Fan - after what I saw from this coach I am thinking there should be a committee who makes the final decision on selections or non-selections.

I also think the Opal team members should be able to provide anonymous feedback about the coach and team chemistry, at least 6 months prior to Olympics or the Worlds. claims that the decision was based on unmeasurable skills, like, better Chemistry fit, excellent defence and playmaking skills would not be as possible.

I doubt that any of the above have real basis for the decisions, they appear to be simply excuses, just like the claim that he has the ability to identify quality in a player that none else can see.

I think it's pretty clear that this coach based his decisions on favouritism and not on skill or talent. I think this coach's tactics were to undermine and discredit some players, perplexed to understand why. Most people see through this though.

Anonymous (the one saying that we need to suck it up and move on and continuing to defend Brendon Joyce and his ability as a coach to see hidden talents). It's your prerogative. But accept that

1. We do not have to suck it up, we can vent our disappointment with stupid decisions, and there have been a few.
2. comments are not only being made by armchair coach's. If you check the various social media platforms you'll see that decisions made by this coach are being negatively judged by many other coach's, journalists, players (worldwide).

As for Burton, nothing against her personally, I actually feel sorry for her. she may be a little more athletic than some others but being able to run faster up and down the court doesn't win games. You actually need to have better basketball skills to win games.

It's beyond me how he can claim that Burton has proven her defensive skills on an international stage - many other players have actually proven themselves on the international stage yet they were omitted from the team, some were not even given an opportunity to prove themselves.

We should be taking our best to the Olympics, and this time we are not!

You don't take developmental prospects to the Olympics, you develop them through camps.

You're right... burton is not good enough for opals.

The smart players rate Burton - far more highly than some others on the squad.

Some clueless rubbish being written here - for example Smith and Burton will never be good enough to be Opals.

I'd take any of our u19 power forwards over burton...

Smith, froling or magbegor...

"Burton fits what the Opals are going to be doing this olympic campaign more than Batkovic does."

Losing?

Absolutely right Duke Fan. And I hope BA don't succumb to any pressure to re-ink Joyce until they can evaluate his Rio results.

Coach got the team he wanted and that's as it should be. He has to coach them to the plan he's formulated that he thinks will be successful so it's only right he should get the players he wants to implement that plan. It's also right that he should live or die in the job on the results he achieves with his team.

Hope they do well and I'll be cheering them on

Nope, I don't even rate Joyce that highly. But he is a better coach than all of us arm chair warriors so he clearly see's a lot more than we do.

#591285

Its a privilege to have a Joyce family member join the forum.

fyi - Burton becomes unplayable at international level for any team that does any form of basic scouting on Burton and her offensive deficiencies and keeps the team in the half court. The offense will grind to a halt any time she is on the floor.

Good thing Joyce has much better basketball knowledge than all of you and clearly agrees with me. Burton fits what the Opals are going to be doing this olympic campaign more than Batkovic does.

Suck it up, move on.

It is a shame and definately not what most of us would do including me but you would not leave liz out and Mariana is the future centre after liz so I can understand it.
I am definitely disappointed about Bec Allen too.

Penny Taylor has said she loves playing the style Brendan has introduced AND I agree with her but honestly the league mvp at the end of a brilliant career and you can't sit her at the end of the bench in number 12 spot for a proud Goodbye.

To the guy making comments about basketball knowledge; only a Joyce sycophant or a family member would defend Joyce's decision to take Burton over Bat Girl. Batkovic does EVERYTHING better than Burton as has been proven time and time again the past 2 years. This wasn't a basketball decision; it was an ego decision.

I look forward to seeing him queue at Centerlink in September.

Joyce didn't want O'Hea in the squad.

Allen did make that sacrifice. She didn't go to New York this year until it was clear she wasn't going to make Rio.

"So, Bishop - who is one of five Aussies active in the world's premier competition, the WNBA, at a time when 10 of the Opals for Rio are not - is not good enough for Australia."

Dumb logic. Some others chose to put Opals preparation above WNBA aspirations and are now seeing the benefit of that sacrifice. Allen & Bishop didn't make that same level of commitment.
Bishop wouldn't have made it anyway. She is not good enough and most WNBA fans wonder why Seattle even has her on their roster. Allen unfortunately has not returned to the level she was at before her injury and I think her cutting was justified on form. Except that form doesn't seem to matter to Joyce considering Batkovic is missing and Burton is there. One is a league MVP who absolutely destroyed the other in the recent WNBL grand final series, but somehow the one who went completely missing in those games is on the plane to Rio despite being useless at both ends of the court.

W
T
F

Boti holding no punches here.

http://www.botinagy.com/blog/opals-chase-gold-and-funding/

The shame is the focus on the Burton over Batkovic selection. While its unfathomable and reflects badly on the status of the WNBL, it's done now. Hopefully the other players who have earned their spots get recognised and supported. I feel for Katie Ebzery who is getting heaps of press in her home town (as she should), but it is always attached to the outrage of the treatment of Suzy... Inevitable but not what either of them would be wanting for the other.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4026538/agony-and-ecstasy-as-batkovic-out-ebzery-in-for-rio-photos-poll/?cs=305

Hey Michelle - that article is spot on. I can't wait to read what Boti has to say after today's announcement!

Interesting read

http://www.botinagy.com/blog/opals-must-select-best-12-for-rio/

By the way - I have been trying to articulate all day how I feel about this squad... All I can say, is missed opportunity - especially as Candace Parker was not chosen for Team USA.

Opals: please make a fool out of me and prove me wrong!

O'Hea didn't put her hand up - she is currently playing for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA though.

I wondered the same thing about O'hea...
Also, I agree with whoever said Batkovic is clearly the better player individually. But I do see why Burton fits into a specific structure. Hopefully everyone has a great tournament anyway.

Lol well I am getting old so I'm way wrong on the assists but out of the aussies only Gab Richards got more offensive rebounds.
She even got more than kelsey griffin.

If she could up her level in defence that would help lots.

Lorenzo you aren't remembering correctly.

She's certainly a good athlete.
I hope she has a good tournament.
If she can put her mind to rebounding that would be a huge plus for the team.

Passing doesn't necessarily mean getting assists. I meant the ball doesn't stick with her in an offense. She's a glue type player, a role player as you put it. We can agree to disagree, I think she does play very solid defense at NBL level, especially within a team defense structure.

I agree with you, Batkovic would have been a huge inclusion and probably should be in. But I totally understand why she wasn't.

If I am remembering correctly her stats for Offensive rebounds and assists per game were quite good in the wnbl.

* Edit - trap the pick n roll ball handler with a hard double.

Scouting notes:

Keep the Opals in the half court.

Trap the double team and leave Burton open to receive the pass and make the play.

Double Liz off Burton.

Don't leave Mitchell, Penny or Erin open at the 3pt line.

Play others straight up, half a step off.

By the way, this is coming from someone who doesn't rate Burton all that highly myself. However, I do understand why coaches do.

I made the comment above about bball knowledge.

You guys are comparing Batkovic to Burton directly. Which is just ridiculous. Batkovic is CLEARLY the better player. But Cambage is in the team, so when Joyce is thinking about rounding out the team you have to take into consideration specialist needs for the group (think D Martin). No point taking 2 big slow players, who are no doubt elite, but don't suit Joyce's game style.

And to the fella who listed off the stats.. Stats aren't everything. Ask any Coach, intangibles are important.