He has always said his focus was on 2020 Olympics and that the 2019 FIBA World Cup was not part of his plans.

The team that plays in those games will be the WC team so to play in them would mean a commitment to playing in the WC too.

I doubt that if Ben wanted to ONLY play in the Melbourne game, but not the WC, no-one would be stupid enough to knock him back...

Actually, strike that... I'm sure they would be stupid enough, but I would hope smarter heads would prevail...

IF Ben decides not to play, it will be interesting to see how much it affects the crowds for the 2 Melbourne games.

Without Ben, I would go:

Delly
Mills
Bogut
Baynes
Ingles

Exum
Broekhoff
Maker
Bolden
Creek

Green
One of either: Motum or Bairstow

He never said he wouldn't play, just that he's taking it day by day. And he said he definitely wanted to play at the Olympics some day, so he hasn't even said he's definitely playing 2020 either.

""Day by day, honestly, I'm getting ready for the [NBA] season - and then whatever happens, happens," Simmons said.

“I definitely want to represent Australia in the Olympics, in the future.”"

Sounds to me like he is being conservative, but if he is healthy, and if the Kardashian ass plague doesn't consume him, I would be surprised if he didn't play.

Also, if I were Lemanis, I'd be offering for him to play restricted minutes for the pool games and warm ups. To be fair, no Australian is going to be playing more NBA minutes or working harder next season than Ben Simmons, and they should try to facilitate him in all the ways they can.

The World Cup is qualification for the Olympics. If he really wants to play in the Olympics, helping the Boomers qualify via the World Cup is the way to go.

The Boomers qualify by being the highest ranked team in the 2019 World Cup from the Oceania zone. So basically we have to be ranked higher than New Zealand.

Year AUS / NZ
2006 13th / 16th
2010 10th / 12th
2014 12th / 15th

We might've ranked higher than NZ each WC since 2006, but it has been a narrow margin. The Boomers have historically struggled in the WC compared with their Olympics performances. More teams with more potential for upsets.

Yeah the WC is definitely the harder event. In the Olympics you can lose 2-3 games in pool play and still qualify and just need one good win in the quarter finals to make the medal rounds.

WC is a much tougher competition, which makes the Tall Blacks 2002 effort all the more impressive.

Having said that, being Simmons being "no certainty" to play is hardly news. Its a year away. A lot will happen between now and then.

This is like those stories where someone asks a politician/athlete/celebrity "would you rule out doing X?" regarding something in the future where a lot of considerations are needed but then the news is "Politician refuses to say he wont do X!"

WC wasn't as tough in 2002 with less teams and one less elimination round.

NZ went 3-3 in their group and were hammered by USA, Germany and Argentina. They had wins over Venezuela (1-4), China (1-7) and an average Russia (only wins over China, Venezuela and Angola) to get through the group stage.

Then they got a great match-up for them in Puerto Rico to get to the medal rounds, where they had a real dip. Funnily enough, NZ played better at the 04 Olympics but went 1-5 and finished 10th! They lost to sliver-medalists Italy by 2 and gold medalists Argentina by 4, as well as Spain by 4 who only lost one game for the tournament.

Goes to show that luck with matchups is a big factor and that NZ can get that lucky break in the World Cup and steal the Oceania spot for the Olympics.

Besides, surely the World Cup is the more challenging tournament and therefore should be the most prestigious international basketball event.

BA would have to allow him to play for the US, which I doubt they'd do even if he wanted to - which he's given no indication of at any point.

I think that because Ben has played as an Aust as a junior. Ergo, clearance necessary. Kyrie could have, up until he played for the USA. Now he would also need a clearance to play for anyone else.

As Ben has represented australia in a FIBA sanctioned event, he is no longer able to play for the USA. The same goes for Kyrie Irving who has played for the USA - he cannot play for Australia now.

Once someone has played for Australia (which Ben has), they can't play for another country unless BA agree, which I cant see them doing in any circumstances.

Therefore Ben's only international option is Australia and as said above, Ben has never suggested he wants to play for any other country.

For same reason, Kyrie not playing for the Boomers.

Yes Anon, Ben could still play for the States but it would have to be Tiddly Winks as he's already played for the Boomers against NZ in a FIBA qualifier.

Any Sporting body can stop people from representing more than one country if that is what their rules clearly state.