Can't say I'm surprised. At least it gives Boti something to write about!

I hate to say it but I cant say Im surprised with todays result. I only was able to catch the match from half way through the third 1/4 but it looked all to familiar with what I expected from Goordjan....
Maher was playing a great game - shooting well and being an offensive threat. So why take him off when things got close? Bogut was trying his ass off but was constantly being double and triple teamed when he got the ball and as a result was forced into some pretty ordinary shot attempts. The thing that surprised me was that Bruton and Smith were on the floor - neither were even remotely threatening on the offensive end. The Greek guards were picking up our players well outside the three point line and stopping us getting into any offensive sets - we clearly needed someone who could take their opponent off the dribble and drive to the hoop (Dare I ask where was Cattalini or even Saville) thsi in turn could have oppened things up for Bogut as players had to play help D and also would have made the perimeter defense take a step off the ball carrier to stop the drives. It seemed pretty simple to me but again Goordjan seems to be very stuck in his ways of playing 'his' players and 'his' game plan even when it is clearly not effective. Also when things were geting desparate in the last where was Rillie? One of the sweetest shooters in the game and sitting on the bench - we were in need of 3's and fast surely he deserved a chance to 'get hot'

Ahh so frustrating!!!

Posted on the Athens2004.com website, press conference after the game:

Shane HEAL, captain (AUS)

"We had a disappointing game. We started with a scoring gap to fill, and we managed to come back, but then Greece took it in the inside and we were not able to find a way to defend.

"Also, when you can't score, this puts too much pressure on your defence. We have good scorers missing and are not a very high-scoring team. I think the key was the Greeks' good rotation inside, that got Matt NIELSEN and Andrew BOGUT in early foul trouble."

Brian GOORJIAN, coach (AUS)

"It was a struggle for us. We started poorly, and although we came back at some time we did not know where to get points from.

"The Greeks tightened their defence, stretched out, threw big bodies at us, and because of our frontline being in foul trouble we took the floor in the fourth quarter with a five that had never played together before in the game. We lost our patience and looked very poor during that period. I hope we'll get better as the tournament goes on."

what has 24 legs and arms and can't get out of the pool???

The Aussie Basketball team!!!
ahhahahahahahahahaaaa!!

Wanna know why???

The coach!!!!

The team isn't called the Australian Kings!
It's the Australian Boomers!!!

Play them like it!

so much wasted tallent!

Our talent bag has a leak

I was really disapointed with Goorjian playing small ball against the Greeks.

Brett Maher worked his ass off to get the Boomers within striking distance only to get benched in crunch time.

Saville played about 15minutes but didn't do anything of note. Cat played 4minutes before fouling one of the Greek shooters on a 3pt attempt and then got benched straight away.

I think if Neilsen is trying out to play SF in the NBA he should be starting SF on the Boomers. He does alright as PF in international ball, but i'd much prefer a big man setting picks than one of our supposed 'guns'.

Heal is going to get posted up all tournament, his shot selection is as random as ever. Our team seems alot like the Gaze and Heal show of old, without Andrew. Alot of players defering to Heal, wanting him to create everything.
CJ made a couple of decent moves to the basket, but not enough to warrant the minutes he recieved.

Who should start?

Heal
Maher
Nielsen
Bogut
Anderson - knows the international game, the European game, how they play.

ideally i would have brett at PG, dependable ball handling, nothing flashy can create enough offense to keep the defense honest and rillie as SG. but in absense of the honorary towel waver for athens, i guess i could live with heal as PG if he stopped shooting early in the offense on pullups and faders.

PG: Heal
SG: Maher
SF: Neilsen
PF: Bogut
C: Andersen

I like that lineup alot more than the one we run atm. It might force Rogers to play more if we are in foul trouble, but I can live with that.

Either way we really must use players like Cat and Rillie off the bench. When we are lacking scoring, they are the guys we need to goto, not shane and matty.

You guys are all spot on.

You may be diff in opinions but at least you think outside the square to better the team... unlike the Boomers/Sydney coach.

Can't believe that Smith was playing, that hardly any Cat or Rillie, not enough Maher, and too much Heal.

just a quickie after reading this post............the mistake has been made before of not giving cattalini enough court time, hope it isn't going to be repeated.......heal wasn't the best player to have on court against the greeks for as long as he was, he was very much height challenged and not playing team ball, maybe pretty for here but not when you're playing world standard
Me thinks there needs to be more of a team effort

Exactly Swish....we need a TEAM effort - and that goes for the coach as well. When the players arent treated as a team in respect to rotations and soem guys are getting favoured it destroys the chemistry on the floor. The 6ers proved that a great team is better than a team of great players in their more recent championships....The coaching staff had faith in ALL the players and treated them as such. As a result everyone enjoyed playing, felt less pressure, played for the team and the results speak for themselves.

As for Shane Heal - I believe he needs to be on the floor - his experience is invaluable - somehow we just have to get it through his bleached head that he isnt a one man show. Errors such as running out of shot clock without even making a pass or looking at a shot as he did in the final 1/4 against Greece we just cannot afford!

Could be just me being too cynical but I swear there were at least three occasions in third quarter where Maher wide open (one after superb baseline cut) was not passed ball from Heal.