The apparent decline of Baynes is possibly the biggest concern.

Mills has been trundling along; I think they just minimise his minutes to put time into upcoming players?

Swap Maker for Kay, then Sobey (Goulding looks done) and Humphries or Motum whomever works better if Baynes struggling

It's a genuine question of whether playing very little but training against NBA talent is better preparation than playing in Europe or NBL. It's sad to see Thon and Bolden essentially become irrelevant waiting for an NBA contract.

NBA form doesn't always translate to Boomers form and vice versa. As such, Baynes inability to perform at the Raptors isn't of much concern to me as far as the Boomers go. He will fit back into the Boomers mould like a glove - Patty too. If you think this is going to be the tournament where Patty is anything short of a leading scorer again, you have another thing coming.

Dante Exum was never on my Boomers team. He'd get injured boarding the flight. I wont pencil him into any Boomers team until he can play a season healthy. You're not going to see Maker or Bolden. Delly will be given every chance to prove his fitness and I expect he'll still make the team and play an important role. Not worried about Broekhoff. If he is healthy, he will do what he always does - put the ball in the ring. Cotton almost definitely will be naturalized by the time Tokyo hits. Landale's injury is minor and he's just played his first game back with United.

Where this gets interesting is Simmons and Ingles. Ingles said he doesn't care what happens, he'll be on this Boomers team, and I think that's a promise he'll keep. But I don't expect such loyalty from Simmons. If there's a Kartrashian he wants to chase around like a lost puppy in the off season then that is likely what he will do.

If Simmons and Ingles do play and come in late, it certainly throws all of the preparation into a flux. But we're still looking at the most talented team we've ever assembled, and many other countries will be feeling the burn just as we are. Two of our group opponents will have to qualify without their NBA players. There is a lot going on. Some players will choose not to play due to Japan's handling of Covid 19. I think on that front, we have a higher chance of keeping players willing to fight the cause that other nations.

If Delly or Simmons is out, Cotton, Giddey and McDowell-White move up the chain of command. You'd certainly want at least one or the other on the team or things do look pretty grim but I expect we will have at least that much.

With the short preparation time, it's a good thing the Boomers are in a position where they have a core group who have all played under the same head coach for several years, who will be running exactly the same system, so everyone already knows their roles and can slot back in on short notice.

Oh wait.

^ I don't imagine that will be too much of a big deal as Steve Kerr mentioned in the recent USA/Aus series the boomers have been running mostly the same sets since 2012 when Brett Brown was running things. Plus with limited prep time Goorj is a smart enough guy not to change too much.

I think a few things we need to consider when picking these hypothetical teams is that we shouldn't be doing so like we might pick if given the chance, instead we should be picking the team based how goorj will pick the side.

With that being said, I know the diehard nbl fans here love him but considering the bloke isn’t nationalised then don’t even bother with cotton as he currently isn’t even able to be picked.

Also as a side note part of me feels goorj will love thybulle as the bloke is legitimately an all defense candidate in the nba and I think he’ll love green.

Also genuinely curious, why do people on here not think twice when the likes of delly, baynes, broekhoff etc stink it up in the nba but instantly say they’re locks for the team, but when it’s maker and exum all of sudden they’re not ready or good enough. And if the response to that is 'the others are proven at international levels’ then yes but that’s only because they’ve gotten the chance whereas between injuries and opting not to play, exum and maker haven’t gotten the same chance.

And sorry if this seems like I’m kicking a dead horse but please stop this nonsense (I’m not saying this because I think exum, maker and Thybulle should make the team, in fact out of those 3 I think Thybulle is the only clear one who should make the boomers side), with ‘guy hasn’t been too good in the nba, he shouldn’t be in the boomers team’ as buy that logic then only Simmons, Ingles and Mills would make the team. And especially avoid this idiotic type of statement as there have been plenty of talented aussies who either did basically nothing in the nba or weren’t even given the chance but still we’re good to great for the boomers, and to get to the nba is an achievement in itself, let alone being able to be on rosters and train with the best talent and then even more so if you get to actually be a rotation player and so on and so forth.

Agree that Thybulle is a Goorj-style player. Had four blocks and three steals in 20 minutes today, admittedly against Houston.

Deciding Cotton Vs Thybulle now is crazy. Both would be in a final squad of 15 and then it comes down to last minute availability / injuries. Lets not repeat 2019 with making hard cuts weeks out only to have to add a player who wasn't ever going to make it just because he was there.

If Cotton doesn't make it and Thybule is in I'd take Sobey instead of Creek.

I think most guys will make themselves available. I don't think Exum makes it due to injury.

And Simmons pulling out should be the same odds as Mills playing. Simmons doesn't care about the Australian team and won't be there.

Why Thon Maker? Look to the future not the never was.

2021
Simmons, Dellavedova
Mills, Thybulle or Cotton.
Ingles, Broekhoff
Landale, Kay or Motum
Baynes, Humphries or Magnay

Two spots left for a 3rd point guard and a shooting guard or small forward player.
Simmons can play in forward spots at times.
Exum, Giddey, McCarron, Green and Creek all in contention for final two spots.

Fast forward to 2024 ...Mills and Ingles might have one last go in them depends on their bodies over next 3 years.

Plenty of young talent to take the team forward Giddey will be 22.
Simmons 28, Exum 29, Thybulle 27. Cotton will be 32 . Landale 29, Magnay and Humphries both 26. McDowell White also 26.

2021
Simmons, Dellavedova
Mills, Thybulle or Cotton.
Ingles, Broekhoff
Landale, Kay or Motum
Baynes, Humphries or Magnay

Two spots left for a 3rd point guard and a shooting guard or small forward player.
Simmons can play in forward spots at times.
Exum, Giddey, McCarron, Green and Creek all in contention for final two spots.

Fast forward to 2024 ...Mills and Ingles might have one last go in them depends on their bodies over next 3 years.



Plenty of young talent to take the team forward Giddey will be 22.
Simmons 28, Exum 29, Thybulle 27. Cotton will be 32 . Landale 29, Magnay and Humphries both 26. McDowell White also 26.

Oops double post.
If Sobey was available I would definitely include him in 2021 team.

Different system yes, but a number of the plays they run, they've been running before Lemanis took over. That comes from the main 5 guys or so playing together for the last decade or so.

"why do people on here not think twice when the likes of delly, baynes, broekhoff etc stink it up in the nba but instantly say they're locks for the team, but when it’s maker and exum all of sudden they’re not ready or good enough"

Probably because maintaining the Boomers core is very important for our chances of a medal. Chemistry matters. Exum's role was never well established, while Maker has played all of 2 Boomers games on our B-team.

Anon059, I'm not disagreeing with you but my point was more about the present as by the same standards delly hasn’t been good in the nba for like 5 years, so I understand the point of they’re already proven but in regards to currently why do immediately discount the likes of exum and maker. In regards to Thybulle, if anything his minutes have gone up since he was out of the rotation in the first 5 games or so and is now frequently getting time off the bench for one of the best teams in the league. Hope I’m not coming across as a smart ass just curious what your thoughts about delly and broekhoff one the similar manner you mentioned baynes.

Rjd, your point about the core and chemistry is a good one especially with the shorten prep time this go round, however considering the talent we now have access to, is broekhoff and even delly to a lesser extent apart of the core of the tea? As if Simmons plays it’s very likely delly loses a lot of his minutes to the him. I understand the importance of chemistry so I’m not trying to suggest let’s not bring delly or broekhoff, all I’m asking is why do immediately jump to exum and maker can’t be in the team when as you precisely said, they haven’t had the same chance at competing at multiple senior men tournaments( I mean actual ones of importance like the World Cup and Olympics not random qualification games)