I am massive on Vasiljevic and if he can have the work rate of Mills (or Gaze) to get open off the ball and get cheapies as well as the additional freebies at the line then he could be a valuable addition for Boomers going forward... if he stays healthy

You beat me to it, Proud.

And in what I saw of Vasiljevic, he worked hard throughout. Some have questioned his height and his defence, but after his impressive first season I'm a big fan even with those possible 'deficiencies’.

I think our guard stocks are strong with many listed above.
Vasilijevic is one I think could be our main shooter.
Plenty of time to see how these guys go.

I think a Goulding replacement is a more realistic projection for Vasiljevic. We're definitely going to need shooting though.

You're never going to get a like-for-like replacement for Patty. What I think we're more likely to get is a group of guys who average around 10 points per game each rather than one who averages 20 or more. And as such, can we 'replace' Patty's scoring load? Well I think so, by committee. Green-Daniels-King-Proctor-Exum-Thybulle-Vaselivi-- all guys capable of averaging double figures or nearbouts. Then there will be kids who pop up that we've never even heard of. We just need a couple of them to be capable of around 10 points and we're okay.

There won't be another Patty Mills.

The future looks different, but very promising. We will have a mix of great size, playmaking and defensive tenacity on the perimeter - Giddey, Green and Thybulle are the foundation of that. Hopefully Daniels comes along as a do-it-all type. A knockdown shooter would complement that nicely.

The most important thing is that Boomers spirit and culture lives on.

Damn, left out Exum of that above group. Always the forgotten man.

I've been wondering the same thing. I see the Boomers having great depth in the future with plenty of rotational talent.

But replacing one of the best Boomers scorers of all time, who can be the centre of a heliocentric offence and light it up for 40 when needed, is going to set Australia back for a little while. For example, replace current Mills with peak Delly.. do Australia have a run of 4th-4th-4th-3rd in the 2010s?

Intrigued to see how the top-end talent like Landale, Giddey and Daniels emerge (assuming of course, Simmons continues to be DNP-Preference).

You'd think this far out, the future core of the boomers looks to be

Giddey
Green
Thybulle
Lawndale

Exum on the bench

Be interesting, we've had an unbroken sequence of world class centres since Borner, if Landale goes to 4, we'll have to see how the spurs shape him.

We've had at least one high volume shooting guard since 1983, except when we had Brutonn/Smith in the back court, and that's when we weren't competing for 4th.

2023 might be a experimental tournament trying to get Giddey and Green to take the reigns

So what's the rule(s) with Simmons?
I thought I read somewhere that a player who only played as a minor could elect to change their affiliation??
If that's the case, has he actually played for Australia since he turned 18? And if not, id he still holding our hope of one day representing the USA?

It will be interesting to see how Cotton performs at "international" level. (Presuming he gets back to near full fitness, and does eventually naturalise.)

He's be a shoe-in for the NBL qualifying team, and who knows, if he's able to make a big impact maybe he puts pressure on Thybulle.

Bryce Cotton is an American. If he does get naturalised he will always be behind Matisse. As good as Cotton is, he is not in Matisse's league. Too little.

Yep, they were senior Aus games - highly doubt he can reclassify now (especially after what happened with Nneka Ogwumike and FIBA's decision not to grant her Nigerian eligibility).

Firstly I love the idea of Cotton putting pressure on Thybulle, I don't think anyone would begrudge Matisse being selected as he deserves it but if it plays him into form then great, however under no circumstances do I think Matisse should be our top scorer, he is fucking awesome but too much of a load to carry

Damn shame! Cotton and Thybulle are 2 of our 3 best players. Only 1 of 2 of these can represent us and the other 1 of the 3 doesn't want to, even though if he did, we would at least have 2 of our best three on the team.

In the Cotton v Thybulle issue, I agree with the general consensus that Thybulle does get the nod and that Cotton will rep us in qualifiers etc.

If Thybulle should become unavailable for any reason, then Cotton is straight in (obviously not as a Thybulle replacement but just cos we can have him on the team then).

In the meantime, would Cotton be a viable choice for capt of the B team? As much for his super scoring ability as for what he has missed by not being a full-time Boomer.

I have seen no clue if he is capt "material" or not. May be the 1st player picked for any team (or 2nd, in the Boomer's case), but as capt?

If he had a pinch of Teysie I'd go for it but does he?

Good topic. Life after Patty will be interesting. He has been the heart and soul of the team for many years now and won't be easy to replace however, as mentioned above, there are some good candidates to fill the role "by committee" which may also be a good thing. Remember the massive minutes Patty played in 2019 WC (along with others in the core) and how exhausted he was - this would help prevent that situation - particularly at WC when the schedule is so intense

I can't see Bryce surpassing Thybulle for the majors - all things considered - however love the idea of him captaining Boomers during the qualifiers. Have a feeling he could still dominate at that level as opposed to role player at WC and Olympics.

As an aside it will be interesting to see Ben Simmons role in future campaigns. I definitely wouldn't be writing him off. He was obviously in a very bad place after last NBA season and, whether his own decision or following advice of others, on the surface didn't handle it well. Not one person here could imagine the pressure he was under to perform in the play-offs - not just because of the money but also the pressure he would have put on himself; not meeting those expectations would have been devastating for any elite athlete. Not sticking up for him as I was as upset as anyone when he withdrew however trying to put another perspective on it. He seems, on the surface, to still have a good relationship with team and, in particular, Goorjian, so who knows? I don't think we should be writing him off just yet

Chillbaby, your final para re BS is just so spot on. I too was a hater. More for the way it all unfolded rather than that it did happen.

Seeing as everyone of us has who commented has already made up our own versions of what has gone through, let me go the fantasy route.

Ben Simmons has a stunning career ahead to look forward to. That was until he stank during the final game(s).

His coach approaches him and says, "Enough, your lack-of-shot has gone on for long enough. Forget any ideas of spending your off-season playing at the Olympics for another country. Get your game in order or your out."

Ben Simmons thinks, "Fuck, what do I do now? I already told Goorj and the world that I was going to be there. Now this. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! Maybe coach will simmer down, realise how important it is, for so many reasons, and say I can go."

Coach doesn't change his mind.

Ben Simmons thinks, "Well at just 25 years of age, I will have lots of time to play for the Boomers in future campaigns. This is a cross-roads in my life, could make me or break me (for ever more). And the Boomers are all pros, they will know what it's like."

Ben Simmons ends up the biggest prick in all Aussies' eyes.

Now that's just me with nothing better to do with my time. I thought of that scenario and I am as far removed to the truth as all of us have been. My fantasy has all the validity of all the hate (including mine).

Back to: Life after patty mills for the boomers?

Chillbaby, you also posted (in your 1st para), referring to Patty "He has been the heart and soul of the team for many years now and won't be easy to replace however, as mentioned above, there are some good candidates to fill the role "by committee" which may also be a good thing."

Another whacky thought is that Ben Simmons could be that answer.

Put him in the Boomers and pretty sure he would create another Doncic scenario for all opposition teams and would be a focus of there D, which would free up our shooters around him which is apparently what they need, open looks.

If they don't focus on their D on him ('cos he can't shoot) even better!