https://australia.basketball/commonwealth-games-australian-3x3-team-announced/

I thought I read the other day Lucas Walker was playing or is that just for the 3x3 at the Asia Cup and not the Comm Games?

3x3.. these wily old vets have on court smarts to produce encore performance.. game of strategy.. DJ is the master and who hoo hire and Jesse fully complimentary.. bring home gold you guns

Walker got COVID or something just before the recent tournament so they subbed in Hire. Walker has been playing NBL1 for the Hawks in Wollongong.

All-round guys who can shoot the three tend to go OK in 3X3. I don't know that there'd be any or many full-time 3x3 players in Australia. Not sure what Wright's deal is, whether he works or supplements with another tier?

At least with some of these other guys, you know they're familiar with high-level sport, train, can shoot, are available in an off-season, etc.

Australia didn't qualify for the last Olympic Games in men's 3x3.

I would have thought this would be the perfect quasi-big stage for 3x3-only players to gain much needed experience before attempting to qualify for 2024.

Instead you have near forty year olds competing, NBL players trying to squeeze out a little bit more or the limelight. Wagstaff in particular is cooked yet now is ready and able for an off-season tournament. It's a slap in the gave to the whole Wildcats organisation and fanbase after the atrocious second half he had to the past season.

There is something really complacent about BA and 3x3.

Australia didn't qualify for the last Olympic Games in men's 3x3.

I would have thought this would have been the perfect quasi-big stage for 3x3-only players to gain much needed experience before attempting to qualify for 2024.

Instead you have near forty year olds competing, NBL players who are trying to squeeze out a little bit more out of the limelight. Wagstaff in particular is cooked yet now is ready and able for an off-season tournament. It's a slap in the face to the whole Wildcats organisation and fanbase after the atrocious second half he had to the past season.

There is something really complacent about BA and 3x3.

I thought I read the other day Lucas Walker was playing or is that just for the 3x3 at the Asia Cup and not the Comm Games?

Look I don't have anything against NBL players competing in 3x3 since we don't have the specialists other countries do but why are they all from Dad's Army? Get some twenty something year old players in now and start planning for the future.

I'm thinking no one is really that interested in it so we've ended up with this crew by default. Australia men aren't going anywhere in 3x3 sadly.

Good for Wagstaff in that he is not only milking a career out of NBL at this point of his career but also on the international stage but he really is taking the piss. All power to him if SEG and BA are willing to enable it though. Not surprised sadly that SEG didn't tell him to rest up. Hire being a late emergency sub makes sense. I'll leave comments about DJ to the Adelaideans, I guess he won't be pulling at his shorts too much in this format.

When you play 3 v 3 you are allocated points, which creates a ranking system. The more you play and win the higher the points. It from these rankings that players are selected. Australia has taken a while to embrace the game, but has caught the eye of a few of the older guys. It's not a game where the super stars of the 5 v 5 generally play, so they have no ranking so won’t be picked.

Yes, individuals are ranked along with countries.

Why isn't anyone below 30 interested in Australia though? Does BA even do anything to promote it?

No one said anything about superstars playing 3x3 so not sure why that was mentioned.

Other countries don't have geriatric national league players representing them in 3x3.

3x3 is a fun game to play but about as watchable as an NBA All Star Game. Would not like to see Basketball Australia devote resources to it other than junior comps to develop skill levels.

Yeah I'm as big of a basketball junkie as there is and 3x3 does zero for me. Its fun to play though.

A "specialist" 3x3 player is just someone who isnt good enough to get a regular pro gig yeah? I mean eventually there may be full time professional 3x3 players who've chosen that path, but its hard to see how that could be possible here in Australia right now.

Perthworld I think the NBL now hold all the rights to 3 x 3 in Australia but I maybe incorrect

Surprised to see that Maddie Garrick, Bec Cole and Alice Kunek all missed out for the women's 3x3. I thought they were forerunners? Anneli Maley perhaps for the Opals?

Cole and Garrick performed extremely poorly at 2021 Olympic qualifiers. Even having Garrick's best mate as head coach couldn't secure her a spot is telling you something.

Kunek unlucky in my mind. Her athleticism and height with Maley would have been fun to watch.

But 3x3 is as much about defence as offense.

Maley concentrating on 5x5 World Cup and off to the US based opals camp means she is unavailable for Comm Games.

I actually think someone like Jessie playing in the off season is a good idea.

As people have mentioned, we haven't got full-time 3x3 players in Aus yet so likely difficult to get a good group together who have the time off work or other commitments to actually do so.

All this aside, I truly hate this mentality that younger is always better. Recent years have shown that plenty of players in their 30s are still very good and often better than those 10 years younger than them. It's a very old school mentality that once you hit 30 you're done and should immediately roll out the red carpet for some 23 year old who has done nothing.

Heal, Reid, Kunek, Froling would make a good 3x3 side since none of them made the opals, atleast until 2023.

Perthworld I think the NBL now hold all the rights to 3 x 3 in Australia but I maybe incorrect

@perthworld, would much rather have the young ones focus on playing proper basketball & hone their skills, instead of a shits & giggles bs tournament tailored for kids...besides we ain't gonna medal anyway, unless we get a piss easy draw like we did @ Tokyo, so not sure why you're getting all riled up here.

It was a more a veiled dig at Wagstaff to be honest.

AussiePride 100%. 3x3 is nothing more than muck-about basketball, its basically 1 on 1 with get-out options. Boring as bat p00.
It should not be in international games and should not attract specific funding.

Wagstaff was MVP of the recent tournament, so I'd assume he'd be the first pick for the team?

Yes, but it was in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup. Just like in the full version of the sport there is not much competition for Australia in the region.

Will be interesting to see if the dads army can handle the athleticism of England to win gold.

Greg Hire looked like to pull a groin muscle against NZL so may be in doubt for the rest of the tournament.

Australia vs England in the Mens Gold Medal game.

The Australian womens teams will play New Zealand for Bronze after losing to England in the semis.

Bump.

Free holiday for the coaches...
Just throw a bunch of random players together and hope for the best.
BA might take 3x3 seriously someday.