An All NBA starting 5 for the boomers.. dear god!

baynes at the 4? do you even know anything about basketball.

Love how people think having a bunch of NBA players means we should get a medal. You do realise other countries have a ton of NBA players too?

France,Spain,Argentina,Italy,Croatia,Serbia all have a few nba players whom might not be running scared by our all-nba starting five.....!

The NBA scouts the best players on the planet. The hurdles that NBA players have to go through are far greater than any other league. If you have made the NBA there is a reason for it.

As for other teams with NBA players- Serbia has 1? Croatia has nil active NBA players and the others do not have 5. Sure Spain have a few good NBA players but they are a damn good national team. Australia has a good chance at having at least 5 by the next Olympics with great depth too.

LOL> no one ever said the world is running scared or "should" medal. But it is very good for Australian Basketball to have as many NBA players on the team as we now do... it means that while teams wont "run scared"... they might consider us a team to not sleep on. When you hear a national team has 5 nba players , or if we are lucky we could have 6 or 7 or more by 2016... you think... Ok... these guys are for real... this isnt south Korea we are playing here these are guys we need to think about.

Can we medal with the team we should have by 2014/16, absolutely we can.. We can also finnish 9th. I think its important also to note that, in 2012.. almost none of our players were getting decent minutes. Right now, they are... and if it continues that way, thats great for the team.

heres my projected 2014/16 teams

Boomers 2014 team

Patty Mills
Dellevadova
Dante Exum
Adam Gibson
Chris Goulding
Brad newley
Joe Ingles
Anthony Drmic
Aron Baynes
Nathan Jawai
David Anderson
AJ Ogilvy

Boomers 2016 team?

Patty Mills
Dellevadova
Dante Exum
Anthony Drmic
Chris Goulding
Joe Ingles
Ben Simmons
Nathan Jawai
Brock Motum
Andrew Bogut
Thon Maker or AJ ogilby or Bairstow*
Aron Baynes

It's one thing making the NBA, it's another to be a Star Player.

Serge Ibaka & the Gasol brothers are a little better than "good" sorry.

I think spain has about 5 NBA players? Gasol Brothers, Rubio.. Fernandez, Ibaka.. thats 5?...

Yes they are better than just 'good'... Pau Gasol is a star, Rubio is very good, Ibaka is a defensive powerhouse.

France has 4 or 5?

Australia by 2016... We should have

Delly
Mills
Exum
Bogut
Baynes
Simmons

Maybe Drmic, Maybe Bairstow, We could have between 5 and 8 NBA players. Plus a few with NBA experience like Nate Jawai, Maybe David Anderson..Maybe even Joe Ingles at that point who knows?.... I think we are going to have a formidable team no matter how you look at it.

Take away even NBA cred we are going to have a lot of bases covered next year and in 2016.... We might not be "favourites" for a medal.... but for the first time in over a decade we will be in the conversation for sure.

However by the time the 2016 games come along pau and marc will be older and our aussie team will be quite young with some really good young talent coming through. Don't forget that our under 19 team beat Spains. Good things to come for the aussies.

Might be looking at a bit of a 'changing of the guard' at the moment anyways. Argentina are old now and I dont expect them in the medal rounds next year, nor in 2016... Spain is getting older... Probably still be in the mix next year, but in 2016?... not sure...

Who is on the way up? ... Russia is young and talented. Canada will surprise.. And Australia is right there too.... I wouldn't be surprised to see USA/Spain/Russia/Australia/Canada/Lithuania in next years top 8...and MAYBE Aus could make top 4 with a bit of luck.

Spain still has the best league outside of NBA with a number of player whom don't fit the NBA game but in FIBA comp are very good players....the fact it's FIBA rules helps the Euroleague guys/country as they don't have to adjust to pace,refs etc

That said in a tourney it only takes a slip up and your 9th or it to click and your playing for a medal

We are going to have a pretty interesting team in the coming years... some guys who can genuinely put points on the board and prove a disruption for opposition teams. If the teams pan out like the ones I listed, there really shouldnt be a problem putting the ball in the hole... and defending. I think it will address our 3 point shooting too which had been our downfall of late. 2014/16 will be our best teams since 2000 easily, and MAY prove to be even better.

Avoid crossover in he quarters for 8th place with the US is the biggest risk. Play out of our skins, on our day, against the rest, we are a chance. We will still, on any view, be incredibly lucky to take a medal. No shame in admitting that top 3 in the world is a men's basketball pinnacle that may forever remain elusive.

GWB, Canada didnt qualify for next year's WC, they finished 6th in the Americas. They might get a wildcard but I think countries like China, Brazil, Russia, Greece and Germany would be ahead of them in that race.

Baynes played well, so did Nando De Colo with 29 pts, 8 assists, 8 rebounds.

Having watched some of the game, I think Baynes would really benefit from playing in a few more D league games in the next couple of weeks rather than be recalled and riding the pine at the Spurs, as he looked a little rusty and not a peak fitness missing a couple of wide open dunks and so forth.



Spanish national basketball team current NBA players
Marc Gasol
Pau Gasol
Serge Ibaka
Victor Claver
Jose Calderon
Ricky Rubio

Many players with NBA experience including Rudy Fernandez who now plays for real madrid

I don't think its a case of needing to "play out of our skins"... the Boomers have beaten some tough teams, anc come close to some tough teams with far worse squads then the one we will hbave next year, and in 16.

I think the squad we are about to have will sit very comfortably in the top 8 and will be pressing the best teams. As good a chance as any to medal I think. Ok, no on USA and Spains level.. but I think after the top 2, 3rd and 4th is almost anyones in the 8.

ANon, Nash has long retired from international ball... same with Dalembert I believe.

As for Bogut... irritates me that he is basically shunning off next year, he hasn't played for Oz since 2008, he has had plenty of time off basketball.. I don't see how like 1 month of his off season being with the Boomers is such a tax on his recovery? Maybe only lightly play the guy 15-20 minutes a game even? .. He says he will definitely play next Olympics... but that is a big assumption assuming he is not injured. If he wants to take the Boomers to the podium in an international tournament, he needs to take the chances that his body gives him... and not assume he wont be injured when it comes time that he feels like it.