Stream on NOW http://fullsportlive.org/2014/08/australia-vs-ukraine-live-stream.html

Boomers are outclassing them, but having said that I feel we probably should be ahead by more. D looks a touch better.. but this isn't a team thats strong inside.

Our defence is too reactive, but galfd weve kept them to just 12 in a quarter.

This is weak. We are completely screwed at the world cup. I am starting to doubt we will make it past the group stages. They need to replace Lemanis now.

How long is Lemanis signed as coach. He should be sacked at the end of this campaign. This is the most woeful I have ever seen the Boomers play. We have NO chance.

It's on ESPN2

I seriously hope we are calling the worlds bluff right now and playing shit as some sort of tactic.. if we keep on like this we will be lucky to beat Korea!

Aussies accounted for Finland overnight 74-65 after Ryan Broekhoff exploded for 15 final-quarter points!

Recap now up on PnR thanks to Craig Rayner:

Boomers back to their winning ways in Europe

The Australian Boomers have returned to winning form in their 2014 FIBA World Cup preparations with a 74-65 victory over Ukraine in Nice on the back of a scorching 15 final quarter points by Ryan Broekhoff who connected on 5 of 7 three-pointers.

Can we actually send Jawai home?

Looks like Jawai is NBL bound soon?

Decent 1st quarter
Poor 2nd quarter
Terrible 3rd quarter
Excellent 4th quarter

Some of that ball movement in the 4th was Spurs-esque. If they can be more consistent and reduce the turnovers I think they have a good run in them. All up I can see we are building towards something but there's plenty of room for improvement. The game against France will be the real measure of where we are at.

Just a side note on Exum, it looks like he's playing with a lack of confidence which has impacted his game. The kid is young. I see flashes which tell me he is going to be a star. This experience is completely new to him and it will position him well for the upcoming NBA season.

I agree, flashes of brilliant and terrible all mixed in together. I think he should always have Delly or Gibbo on with him, let them worry about setting things up and let Exum just do what comes instinctively.

Lemanis didn't seem to be close to settling his rotations last night, still looked like a lot of experimentation. Hopefully by France on Sunday that is sorted.

Excellent fourth quarter? thats the quarter I missed. But I think we will get eaten alive this year with our defence.. Ukraine shouldn't get within 20-30 points of us on a bad day

GWB, Ukraine aren't playing great at the moment, but they came sixth at the Eurobasket last year.

Good to see Broekhoff hit 5 big threes. Have to wonder why they aren't running plays like that for Goudling, to allow him to come off down picks and hit open 3s, seems like a more efficient way to get points then some of the turnovers and plays inside wasting the shot clock then throwing up a bad shot that the boomers have done.

There are many issues with D but still plenty with offence and not just inconsistency.

For example, at the beginning of the 3rd quarter Bairstow beat his man streaming to the hoop and Exum made a good pass but Andersen failed to box out his player and so Bairstow was blocked on the weak side at the hoop after beating two players, that shouldn't happen at this level, Andersen has to box out.

Are the personnel for the Ukraine the same as those who got 6th in Eurobasket Paul?

I just think the team has looked extremely amateurish. Both teams did last night.

I really hope we are calling the worlds bluff and we come out and play different at the Worlds because the way we are playing is concerning.

I hope there is a method to the madness.

Ingles and Dellavedova will need to produce more on offence, they had a combined 6 points on 2 of 13 shooting.

Delly hasn't played very well in the lead up, there was even one game where I thought Gibson played much better. I think the team needs to turn the corner very soon, lets hope we smash the phillipines and find some confidence.. but right now, I wouldn't be surprised if the game was a lot closer than it rightfully should be.

http://www.slamonlineph.com/france-beats-gilas-late-bleu-blanc-tour/

France beat Philippines 75-68, closer match than i would have thought.
France won the 1st quarter 22-20 but lost 2nd & 3rd quarter but came from behind to win the match in the 4th. Batum had 16 pts 11 rebounds.
France shot just 2/17 from 3pt for 12%.

I just read an article from Boti Nagy, it was an interview with Brett Brown that makes me feel a little better. He said he likes what Lemanis is doing and feels that he isn't "showing his hand" yet.

He also mentions how we came out swinging before the 1998 World Champs, got silver in the goodwill games and then we got smashed by all the teams we had beaten by the time we got to the Worlds - finishing 9th.

I think whats been shocking is that the Boomers aren't playing even as good as the team that won the oceania champs last year.. It kind of makes sense to me that the Boomers simply CANT be playing this bad unless there was some reason behind it. I really hope this is the case.

BTW, Broekhoff has made a stand for more minutes right now. And Jawai, Much Much less. I would be surprised if he steps on the court in the real thing with this kind of form. Wasn't he in great form with Galatasary before? What the hell happened? I know he was injured but now its like hes forgotten how to play the game!

"I think whats been shocking is that the Boomers aren't playing even as good as the team that won the oceania champs last year."

Don't forget that team twice trailed a weakened NZ team at half time before exposing their lack of handling and depth. I don't think you can compare the two.

Certainly though, Mills and Petrie were two very handy defensive pieces in Lemanis' system and Mills is obviously a freak offensively when he gets going, which he did both second halves.

Up until the Boomers Euro tour, Jawai had not played a competitive game since January due to injury!

Petrie is playing games with the 6ers, I feel he should be on the Boomers. Actually I would pick either Simmons, Petrie or Maker to replace him right now. Petrie would have more instant impact but getting Maker would lock him in for Australia internationally.

By 'him' I meant Jawai.

Petrie was unavailable due to injury.

Brett Brown apparently sent the 76ers video guy to work for the Boomers. Would Brett in turn have insider info on how they are running? He seems confident about everything when anyone watching with the evidence WE have wouldn't be so. What is the game plan for Lemanis?

Also, while tactically it may make sense to play the lead up games with your 'cards to your chest' as to not be scouted so easily, I don't understand how you can play 9 games in a fashion you DON'T intend to play in and still expect to have form come tournament time. Can anyone shed light how this works? How to European teams do that?

I would love to find out that they had found some way to do that. Maybe the holes that we see are meant to be there? maybe they are parts of the Boomers game plan that already feel solid so they are working on their weaknesses but are in turn playing weak in these lead up games and come Game 1 on August 30 we see the full picture?

Once again, Hope so.

Yeah i don't buy not showing your hand, you can't play a certain way for a month then flick a switch and play a new style. I just think maybe we got our expectations wrong and assumed some guys would be better (Nate, and to a lesser extent Dante)

I've been saying this from the start, but we need an actual backup centre. We don't have one.

Can't wait for the Philippines-Australia match!