World Cup Preparation Schedule
The Australian Boomers have begun their preparations for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with a 10-day training camp in Cairns.
Of the 18 men that are participating in the training camp, three won’t make it beyond that point. The roster will be shrunk to 15 when the Boomers head to Melbourne on August 14th to play tune up games against South Sudan, Venezuela, and Brazil.
That mini-tournament in set to end on August 17th and three more players will be cut from the team as the final 12-man roster will travel to Okinawa, Japan to prepare for their first game on August 25th.
Roster Outlook and Key Players
Training camp attendees include ten NBA players, five NBLers, two members of the Chinese Basketball Association, and Nick Kay who plays in Japan.
Many may be quick to assume that all ten NBA players are locks for the team. Well, that is not necessarily the case as National team experience, chemistry, and team needs are all major factors.
When trying to predict the final roster, we find it easiest to start with the stars.
Patty Mills has long been one of the faces of Boomer basketball and has a knack for playing his best when his country needs him. As captain of this team, he will lead them in the locker room and as starting point guard he will lead them on the court.
Josh Giddey will join Mills in the backcourt in Japan. The 6’8 versatile ball handler is coming off a great second season in the NBA with the OKC Thunder and will be the face of the Boomers for years to come.
Starting lineups are tough to predict especially this far out but as it stands now, we expect Josh Green, Joe Ingles, and Jock Landale to round out the starting five. All three were a part of the Boomers squad that claimed Bronze in Tokyo and have had success on the NBA stage.
We see three other players as locks for the final 12-man roster.
Matisse Thybulle is one of the best defenders in the NBA and despite offensive limitations could play a vital role for this team when facing off against some of the best offensive players in the world in Japan.
Dyson Daniels is just 20 years old and will be a key part of Australian basketball for the next decade plus. Though he got limited playing time in his rookie season, he has a diverse skill set that the Boomers could use and getting him some national team experience is in their best interest.
Lastly, Matthew Dellavedova may not be the sexiest name on the list, but he is a Boomer veteran and still offers a lot as an on-ball pest.
The final four spots could really go in any direction, but we are expecting the roster to be filled out with Xavier Cooks, Jack White, DuopReath, and Chris Goulding.
Boomers’ World Cup Expectations
The Boomers are one of the countries that will be battling for a medal at the FIBA World Cup. As the Olympic Bronze medallists, expectations are high considering other contenders Greece, Serbia, and France are all missing significant pieces in Giannis, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama.
Many betting sites have the Boomers as the fifth most likely team to win it all, bundled in with both Slovenia and France. The Aussies are also expected to win their group which features Finland, Germany, and Japan.
