Already been covered but I think anyone who is an avid supporter of Australian basketball internationally should be praying that he has an average season next year and therefore doesn't get it in his mind that he'll be good enough to make the USA team.

Australian basketball needs him to be at his worst next season for their benefit.

Is that ironic? I know nothing in Alanis' song was ironic (which IS ironic).

Wow!

I thought he had no real interest in Australia..perhaps his father (who played here) is persuading him a little bit, but who knows.

Imagine running him at the 2 spot (combo guard spot) along side Patty Mills..it would easily be the fatest backcourt in the World.

Starting 5 at 2012 Olympics could be:

Patrick Mills
Kyrie Irving
Joe Ingles
David Andersen
Andrew Bogut

That would be one hell of a team.
As a kiwi though, I hope we make the Olympics instead.

I would like it if both teams make it (Aus and NZ).

That team couldnt defend a blind man on a perving charge! Could score a lot of points though.

We've got a decent chance considering the current USA PG depth -

Rose
Rondo
Westbrook
Paul
Williams
Wall
Curry

Irving will never play in a full strength USA men's team.

Great line paul! Regarding Irving's father, I think the opposite was true, that his parents were acually hoping he would hold out for a possible USA team rather than play for Australia.

Given he has represented USA at junior level, I think it's a long shot, but as I understand, it's not impossible, provided both FIBA and USA approve of the change of allegiance.

Just noticed MACDUB's misspelling of the word fastest. I hope Mystro doesn't see it, he'll be all over this thread with Jawai jokes too.

BTW, here's the previous thread

http://www.hoops.com.au/forum/25568-kyrie-irving-not-ruling-out-playing-for-australia/

I'm pretty sure all hopes were dashed when he went to Duke and played under team USA's coach and I think he's repped USA as a junior now (I believe but cannot confirm as I can't be assed busting my google out).
lol @ aussieboomers4eva

Mystro, he can still play for Australia if FIBA and USA Bball allow it. Some thing happened with Australia and the would champs with Maric, but Australia wouldn't release him

"couldnt defend a blind man on a perving charge!"

Pretty much won this thread with that line right there.

Umm Paul : Who led the NBA in blocks last season?

*Past Season

Patty Mills can more than hold his own defensively.

I remember Coach K(after that pre-Olympic game against USA) said Mills was the only one he had seen that would defend a player on the ball for the whole 90 feet of the court.

Mills on-ball pressure is relentless.

Andersen is handy defensively (If he couldn't play Defence he wouldn't have played for the NBA teams he has and he def. would not have survived in Europe)

Ingles has improved defensively bigtime. You can't play for Barcelona in the top Euro comp and expect not to become good defensively.

Bogut is a very good defender.

Andersen has been covered for defensively his entire career with favourable matchups, and while he can cover the post ok, guarding international PFs he struggles.

Mills gets lost easily, and while he can pressure the ball and get steals, he is also a liability on defence at times.

Ingles sits on the bench for Barcelona, and he doesnt lack offensive skills. He and Mills were a bad defensive combination in Turkey.

Irving I dont know a lot about, but would be undersized and inexperienced at the SG spot.

I would just say, if you have two pgs, put someone like Barlow who is bigger and strong defensively at the SF spot, and if you have a big centre who cant guard smaller quicker players, have someone like Nielsen or Knight at the PF to balance that.

Then use guys like Andersen and Ingles off the bench where they can be alongside better defensive players. Nothing wrong with having all those guys on the team, you just have to balance the line-ups you put out on the floor.

does anyone really think he would play for us? just cant see it happening, although he was born here, he is American so why would he want to represent us.

I agree, though reading between the lines his management seems to see playing internationally as a good marketing tool, so if it isnt for the US maybe he will try and play for Australia.

You would think it is a long shot.

If promotion is the reasoning, I would prefer he didnt play to be honest. There are many players who dream of wearing the green and gold, and giving it to someone who doesnt really want it cheapens the value.

Maybe ask,

Ricky Grace
Scott Fisher
Mark Davis
Leroy Loggins

Or even Ballanger

paul, I wholeheartedly concur with you regarding your thorough assessment of those players defensive capabilities.

As for your idealism about the value of a Boomers jersey, i think it is admirable, but look at Maric. It seems clear that he did not want to play for Australia at all, but rather with Serbia. Once it became clear that BA would not allow that to happen, he became a valuable member of the Boomers 2010 WC campaign

I know it's not comparing apples with apples as Maric learned his basketball through the Australian system, but I ask you, did his selection cheapen the Boomers jersey?

Personally, if Irving's inclusion gives us a chance at medalling at a major tournament rather than finishing 4th to 8th, then I'm all for it as the impact on the sport in this country would be huge.

Guess who brought out Father Irving in 1992 to the Bulleen Boomers in the SEABL?

Brett Brown!

There might be an upside to having Brett as our national coach after all...

Maric suspected that he had the luxury of being able to choose who he played for internationally and his first preference was not Australia. BA advised him otherwise, which Alek accepted, and then subsequently put his best efforts (one should assume) into the Boomers campaign.

To suggest Maric didn't want to play for Australia is not necesarily representing the whole facts, Maric was proud to have the opportunity to play internationally for Australia, just as he would have been proud to play for Serbia had the choice been available to him. To suggest Alek didn't want to play for Australia is misleading.

Irving's situation is, in part, similar to Maric's, however USA Basketball will ultimately determine whether Kyrie can be available to represent Australia. I would suggest however the pride Irving would experience when pulling on a Boomers jersey would be quite different to Alek's.

IF Irving does ask to play for Australia, I think the USA will let him.
The USA have an insane amount of Poit Guard talent at the moment.
There are even 2 guys in this draft who you could argue are just as good as him, Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight.
Plus all the young PGs in the NBA who are all better then Irving,
Westbrook, Jennings, Deron, Paul etc


So it isn't like the USA would miss not having Irving available.

I hear what you are saying ab4eva, but Maric grew up here, went to the AIS, played in our junior teams and won a gold medal for Australia. He and Irving are incomparable.

The word was Maric wanted to play for Serbia, but that was immediately after a year living in Serbia as the hero of the Partizan crowd. I am not sure, now that he is removed from that environment, that the pull would be the same.

Having said that, I thought Maric was very poor in Turkey with the exception of the game against the Jordanese donuts, and I think we probably would have been better off going with someone else in that position.

I stick by my position re Irving, if it is just for marketing value lets stay away from him. It not only cheapens the jersey but it also probably wont help in the middle of a tough knockout game. It isnt easy on the international court and if things werent going his way, how much fight would be in him?

I find it interesting that you are more idealistic about the Boomers jersey whereas I am more pragmatic. But when it comes to the question of a players level of effort on the international stage, you seem more cynical than I.

I agree with Big Ads in that a professional sportsman's performance, Maric and Irving included, would be 100% regardless of which colours they wear.

Having said this, you often hear comments from American coaches regarding international players, who in regular professional play are seemingly solid players, but not world beaters. However, when donning the national colours, they seem to grow a third arm.

So I guess the question then becomes, does a 100% Kyrie Irving give you more than, say, a Gibson, Markovic or Martin with a third arm? As much as I respect those three players, I would argue that, yes, it does.

However, there are few whose opinions I respect more than yours, paul. Perhaps mine is just a different perspective.

Very kind of you ab! As I said above, I understand exactly where you are coming from, and if Irving has a genuine interest in representing Australia then great, welcome aboard.

I just worry, that should the motivation be for personal promotion, if he is having a bad tournament, or not getting as many shots/minutes as he wants, what is his motivation like then?

I think we should also remember that this is a kid who has only played a handful of college games. Plenty of players with big wraps as juniors have not gone on as predicted.

Interesting news...Dontaye Draper is acquiring Croatian citizenship and is going to play for Croatia.

Draper has no links to Croatia whatsoever, except that he played there for like 1 season..

At least Irving was born here if he was going to play.
A Maric went to the AIS, grew up in OZ and won a gold medal with the OZ junior team.

FIBA needs to adress this issue..
They allow 1 naturalised player to play if he has citizenship of that country.
That is very fair though because different countries have different time of residency requirements.
And theres nothing stopping country's govts from simply speeding up the citizenship process just so they can have a better national team.

FIBA should not just impose a time period of their own..e.g. 3 years of residency in that country.
It shouldnt be based on individual countrys nationality law.

Supposed to read: 'That ISN'T very fair though because different countries have different time of residency requirements'