Can hear the Brisbane Bullets players crying from here!

.. has anybody in the history of the NBA lost more games than Brett Brown's Philadelphia 76ers?

Bret brown with 76ers. 505 games. 186 wins. 319 loses. Winning % .389. Isn't there anyone else?

If this is true, zero chance it's anything other than Simmons and/or Bolden throwing a tantrum and BA kowtowing to them.

Because as we all know, trashing a long-term culture to bring in a star with an attitude problem always works out well.

You mean the guy that got fired a long time ago and still has no job? Lol ... of course he's exploring his options elsewhere.

BB's winning record with the Sixers is irrelevant given for many years he was coaching a team literally built to lose games. Make no mistake, he is an NBA standard coach with a good working relationship with our star player. This is a masterstroke by BA.

Brown will take over the boomers job and transition away from Philli, regardless of the 76ers results in the next year for two. He's said his NBA coaching days are numbered himself in the past for non Bball reasons affected by being an NBA coach. He goes and stays in a little town past Warrnambool each off season to get away from it all.

It will be good to have the boomers coach only coaching the boomers.

"Last season they were a Kawahi Leonard contested 3 away from an NBA Championship!!!!"

Anon uses this as an endorsement of BB.


Lemanis supporters could also use. Last World championship the Boomers without their best player were a Patty Mills free throw away from a shot at gold.


I'm in two minds about the BB announcement as I think Lemanis has done a good job as national coach. On the other hand I also think that BB is astute enough to pick the best team to fit the various roles in the system he will use. I doubt that the team will include all the players the fanbois talk up and that players such as Bolden have to earn their spots.

Bolden will be in. That's the only reason Brown is getting this job.

We're seven years into an eight-year build, retaining the same core and systems. There's only one reason to bring in a new coach less than a year from the Olympics, and start the process all over again: either Bolden or Simmons threw a tantrum. Given that we know Bolden has already thrown a tantrum, that's where my money is.

And frankly, that's disgusting. If either or both of those guys refuse to play for Lemanis and incorporate into his system, they can take a hike as far as I'm concerned.

If this were being arranged for Brown to take over post-Olympics then sure, Lemanis has had his time and we move on. But bringing Brown in for Tokyo absolutely stinks.

BB was quite underwhelming last time he was national coach, and unequivocally worse than Lemanis is now. 7 years is a long time though, and BB would have certainly learned a lot from his time with Philly. Hopefully he's improved enough to justify what seems like a knee-jerk reaction from BA.

Lemanis chose players to fit his system, Brown will use a system that suits his best players.

Lemanis system is very Euroleague, which doesn't suit Simmons or Bolden at all, so even if Ben played it wouldn't have been a good fit, yes he would have helped but his talents wouldn't be maximised. Boldens skill set didn't suit at all either but he isn't clearly our best player so was able to be left out without too much controversy. Our other top players like Mills, Ingles and Baynes would fit in any system.

Imagine an NBA spread pick and roll system built around Simmons with shooters and secondary play makers all around him, we'll be tough.

I'm still yet to see a reason why Bolden's name is constantly thrown up in the "star players" discussion. Simmons by all means but Bolden hasn't earned a free ride to any sort of special treatment

I'm with Duke fan. Bolden might be a fringe NBA type but he isn't a walk up start to the Boomers at this stage.

Bolden would disagree.

Melbourne Boy. Why is is that Mills, Ingles and Baynes can fit any system but Bolden can't. I agree that systems need to me modified to make best use of Simmons as his unique skills in some areas and almost total lack of skills in other areas are very rarely seen.

Euro systems work best in fiba competition for a reason.

NBA systems obviously work best against NBA defences and defensive rules. I am sure the Greece system tried to put Giannis into situations where his NBA talents were best utilised. How did that work out?

Would you keep Goulding or Kay in the team over Simmons and Broekhoff?

No. But I'd keep Kay over Bolden at this stage.

"BB was quite underwhelming last time he was national coach, and unequivocally worse than Lemanis is now. 7 years is a long time though, and BB would have certainly learned a lot from his time with Philly. Hopefully he's improved enough to justify what seems like a knee-jerk reaction from BA."


What has he learned about fiba basketball in those 7 years?

I'm with KR here. The more I think about it the more I think the decision stinks and is as you said playmaker a knee jerk reaction.

"Would you keep Goulding or Kay in the team over Simmons and Broekhoff?"

Anon. I've got news for you. Lemanis didn't Keep Goulding and Kay over Simmons and Broekhoff. THEY WERE FKN UNAVAILABLE.

What exactly is the overlap between Kay and either Simmons or Broekhoff that would lead to anyone ever having to make that decision?

Some shit is being flung my way, but when we're talking about Andrej Lemanis, we can say what we want about the Bullets, but he is, as of now, the most successful Australian Boomers coach ever. We were within a Patty Mills freethrow of a gold medal game just three months ago, and we were within a point of bronze just three years ago. We are very realistically throwing the baby out with the bath water.

And why? Because it makes Ben Simmons, and probably Bolden, more comfortable. Bolden isn't an automatic selection. And Ben Simmons could very well choose to pull out because he wants to chase a Kardashian around.

Then you look at Brett Brown's own track record. He's hardly Nick Nurse. His NBA record is around 30 percent and his time running the Boomers in 2012 wasn't exactly earth shattering. Could he get it together with this team? Possibly. But there is nothing that suggests to me that this move was an absolute no-brainer and an obvious decision. It's not.

The brigade who want their latest YouTube mixtape fixation kid in the team will probably end up being disappointed when they don't get in above seasoned vets, so they should probably cut the celebrations back about whoevers dunk they just saw most recently.

Lemanis has knocked on the door of a medal a few times now, and yes, he's failed to get us there. But let's not forget the situation he found himself in, with Bolden pulling out, and then not having any real options and point guard and shooting guard. We didn't have the available talent. Yet despite that, we knocked on the door yet again. I'm not entirely sure now is the time for a major shake up. But having said that, this move would have had to have gone past Bogut, Mills, Baynes, Ingles, Delly, and all of the team leadership before given the okay, so I have to put a little trust in that they know what they want.

Nice post ME.

Agree annon. Hopefully Lemanis and as ME said the leadership group were all involved in this decision.

"Just curious will Lemanis or one of the assistants coach boomers in Feb 2020 qualifying window?

A squad that will comprise NBL players."


Qualifying window for what? We've qualified.

Good riddance Andrej! #sacklemonass

Now for K-Mart to to wake up and replace him in Brisbane ....

FSTOS, Greece and Giannis are a perfect example of a coach plugging a player into his Euro system, Giannis wasn't terrible but was utilized terribly, Simmons would have been the same.

Ingles, Mills and Baynes are high IQ players that can make multiple reads with and without the ball. Lower IQ guys like Deng Adel didn't even make it through camp and Bolden left the team, they are more talented players than other guys who made the team but couldn't handle the system and the IQ required. Can Bolden do the things offensively that Bogut did for the boomers? No, he is suited to pace and space. Simmons has the IQ but his skill set wouldn't suit Lemanis system at all unless he played a 4/5 position which he wouldn't do.

Further to ME's observation that AUS men have already qualified for 2020 Olympics, the men's qualifiers will be in June. The qualifiers in February will be for the Women's Olympic tournament.

Why do people continue to deny the existence of the February qualifying window?

Qualifying window for what?

Why would he step down just before the Olympics, and no announcement be made?

Please let this be true.

If I were an owner and my employee had a non paying side gig that took his valuable time to the detrement of my product, I might suggest he choose. Asking alot of any coach . Pretty easy to burn out as a coach I imagine. Hard on the family too. He carried the tourch a long way. He did good. No shame handing it off to the next guy. Thanks coach for your service.

"FSTOS, Greece and Giannis are a perfect example of a coach plugging a player into his Euro system, Giannis wasn't terrible but was utilized terribly, Simmons would have been the same. "

You assume Lemanis wouldn't change his system. Look back at his first stint at the 2014 world champs and compare that to 2019: our structure have adapted and general philosophy is almost entirely different, and better-suited our personnel. I'm confident he would have made changes to suit Simmons's inclusion - whether they would be optimal, we can only speculate.

"Can Bolden do the things offensively that Bogut did for the boomers?"

Bogut will be less and less a centrepiece of the team in 2020 (for what could be his last international campaign), just like his role diminished in the WC, when compared to Rio. I get your point, but it's probably inconsequential when the system will be tailored moreso to suit Simmons, Baynes, Bolden, Kay etc. at the big spots.

"Simmons has the IQ but his skill set wouldn't suit Lemanis system at all unless he played a 4/5 position which he wouldn't do."

Why wouldn't Simmons play a 4? That's just a baseless, dubious statement. His NBA role changed immensely just based on whether guys like Embiid or TJ McConnell were on the court. He's essentially shifted from being the primary ball handler, to a post target, to a "tight" P&R handler in the post, to a screen setter, to a ball-handling 4-man within each NBA game...

Could there be division among the players (i.e. between the current senior group, who are known to be pretty tight, and the young players who will eventually become the next generation of senior players).

Irrespective of previous results, change, whether now or immediately after Tokyo is inevitable and perhaps BA believe Brett Brown is the best person, in the best position, to facilitate the transition between the players. Doesn't Brett have a relationship with both groups (as a coach or mentor or family friend)?

I am concerned Brett's current employer expects him to be guiding their team to a NBA championship during June (which is entirely reasonably too). This leaves little more than a month before the Olympic for Brett to be actively involved in Olympic preparations if the Sixers do make the Finals.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the support staff and assistant coaches as well? Will this be the end of the line for Luc Longley, Will Weaver? I'd assume David Patrick stays on. Personally, if you have to take out Lemanis, then fine. I am sure Basketball Australia has done a full review before reaching their decision, and yes, we once again missed the mark. But I feel like something was working to some extent within the group so there should be some guys who carry their roles over.

Melbourne Boy. Why is is that Mills, Ingles and Baynes can fit any system but Bolden can't.

I am in no position to come to a worth-while position on who is the best coach, and related, but this worries me from the 'player power' perspective.

Looks to me that BA is caving to the NBA egos and while that might work in the short term, though I deeply fear it won't, I strongly suspect it's not a good long-term strategy, particularly for a national program like ours.

I realise people will argue [some already have] that this is little more than 'facing up to reality', but to me it's certainly not a good look and I sincerely doubt it's good policy or practice.

Integrity anyone?

Ask the Breakers how well that works.

There were probably going to be questions of culture either way heading into this Olympics if Ben were to make himself available anyway.

We don't really know how self-important he was going to be or how much he was going to expect to dominate things, and that would be a factor with or without Lemanis there.

I think more important than coaching is that you have a team that plays for eachother, and plays the right way. And above all else, and above any particular name or coach, that has to be preserved moving forward.

Ben has to know that he's a cog in the machine - an important one for sure - but he is one piece of the machine. And so is Jonah. Jonah should justifiably have to earn his minutes. Sitting on the end of an NBA bench and showing out in G League doesn't mean you're better than a Euroleague guy necessarily. I hope Brett Brown doesn't make getting this gig a fate acompli for him.

I also worry about whether Brett has his nose enough in the NBL to select appropriate role players. Yes, your impact players like Simmons, Mills, Ingles, Baynes, Bogut etc should all feature, but what about the Nick Kays and Gouldings of the world? As far as I am concerned, Nick Kay should have his ticket booked because of his offensive rebounding and ability to miraculously find himself in useful positions. He's not a star player, buut he is a role player whose game translates no matter where he's playing.

If this were being arranged for Brown to take over post-Olympics then sure, Lemanis has had his time and we move on.

But bringing Brown in for Tokyo absolutely stinks.

IMO Lemanis's performance as Boomers coach has been outstanding. I've got no issue with Brown's coaching ability either. (His Boomers results were not great, but he wasn't working with as much)

But a team that has overachieved largely as a result of its culture, having that culture disrupted on the eve of the Olympics (and possibly not just disrupted but actively reversed, if this is a Bolden-related move), seems like a really dumb idea to me.

Just my long-distance opinion, and am more than happy to eat crow if this is what gets us the gold in Tokyo.

Zodiac, if you can't see the difference between having three years to build your system and having two months to cram it in, I can't help you.

"Tokyo will likely be our last chance at serious medal contention for a while, it's not like Bogut will still be there next time"

But Bolden will be in his prime for 2024 so we'll be dominating the world......

"I also worry about whether Brett has his nose enough in the NBL to select appropriate role players. Yes, your impact players like Simmons, Mills, Ingles, Baynes, Bogut etc should all feature, but what about the Nick Kays and Gouldings of the world? As far as I am concerned, Nick Kay should have his ticket booked because of his offensive rebounding and ability to miraculously find himself in useful positions. He's not a star player, buut he is a role player whose game translates no matter where he's playing"

But its fine because you can just base it all on a 3 day camp and then just bring in a rando who wasn't even at the camp at the last minute. Selecting teams is easy!

He's the BEST choice. Stoked. He has loads of contacts in the NBL.

The problem with the opinions on Lemanis is it's two extremes flinging shit at each other. One side thinks he's the greatest the other thinks he's a chump. He's neither.

Lemanis has done a very good job in his time as Boomers coach he's led us to our equal best results in history you could make an argument he's the most successful Boomers coach ever outright.

However, some of his decision making especially at the WC left a lot to be desired like some weird selections like Gliddon who is too scared to shoot in NBL games he was never going to get on a roll on the biggest stage. Trying to play Sobey as a PG because that's the gig he was promised at the Bullets. Both Bullets players where Lemanis is the coach.

Not only did his nepotism hurt us but because his end of bench selections couldn't play he ran the main guys into the ground by playing them such heavy minutes all tournament that they were quite clearly gassed and fatigued at the pointy end.

You can talk X's & O's all you like but that was a very critical error by Lemanis that really destroyed our chances of medalling not some missed free throw or in bounds pass here or there. When you're out on your feet it's human nature to make critical mistakes at crucial times.

Lemanis was a decent coach who gambled on a strategy that almost paid off but like the BA brass I too was concerned about whether he would make the same mistakes again in Tokyo and being our last chance for a while to medal you need to leave no stone unturned.

Brett Brown was obviously going to replace Lemanis after Tokyo anyway so might as well bring it forward a year and try and go for it. I just hope BA keep Weaver on as an assistant he's got future Boomers head coach written all over him.

Zodiac, if you can't see the difference between having three years to build your system and having two months to cram it in, I can't help you.

Agree with Zodiac for the most part.

For mine the worrying thing was Lemanis seeming lack of a plan B.

Yes, the Spain games in Rio and China were super close to securing us a medal. But we had another opportunity to secure a medal in each tournament and got spanked - both times by teams we'd already defeated earlier in the tournament.

"Bolden may or may not be better than a Euroleague guy like Motum, but he is 100% better than Barlow, so just keeping Bolden on the team over Barlow is an upgrade, and a huge one at that. Being on a NBA roster alone and playing a single second is a massive achievement that most Australian players never do. Lets not down play that and pretend someone like Barlow is better cos he plays more in the NBL, while Bolden is on an NBA bench."

When you get to role players on teams, one player being an overall better player than another isn't the only consideration, but if they play the specific role they want better. If you worry about offensive rebounding, let's say, you might choose a Nick Kay over an NBA guy who has all sorts of other bells and whistles, but can't offensively rebound the ball. Of course your top 8 players are going to be the most talented 8 guys. But as even Team USA has shown, you need role players with specific attributes to succeed internationally. If you can get All Stars who do those things, great. But usually you're not that lucky

I also worry about whether Brett has his nose enough in the NBL to select appropriate role players

"Yes, the Spain games in Rio and China were super close to securing us a medal. But we had another opportunity to secure a medal in each tournament and got spanked - both times by teams we'd already defeated earlier in the tournament."

Yeah, can't deny that. For the most part when the real prize was on the line the teams have imploded. Impressive to get to that position but clearly some change was needed. Was this the change? Time will tell.

Bolden has been demoted to the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats.

"I actually doubt anybody from BA contacted Mills, Ingles etc.
I suspect they just did it. Who in BA would make those phone calls?"

Why do you doubt that?

Why are people feeling so compelled to bring Jonah Bolden into this matter? His previous decision and relationship with Brett are circumstantial at best, unless evidence can be provided otherwise. Surely if Jonah had so much power to persuade BA to replace Andrej then strings would have been pulled back in August to ensure Jonah stayed in the team which went to the World Cup.

And, if Brett was so enamored with Jonah, as some are suggesting, then why has he spent most his time in the G League this season and not yet hit the court in an NBA game (unless I've missed a box score). There is no doubt Jonah has talent but there are still other players who are as good as, arguably better than Jonah who were not in the World Cup team for whatever reason. Brett would know this.

Further, where is the evidence of a bad culture existing within the Boomers? It is even more evident now the Boomers are one major competition away from being going through a transition between players. Perhaps BA believe Brett Brown is the best person to be at the helm for both Tokyo and beyond. Surely BA learnt post the Barnes, Gaze, Longley, Vlahov, Bradtke and Heal era, generational transition must be managed property in order to stay at the top of the international rankings.

I'm enjoying this discussion.

Brett Brown isn't perfect, but I'd rather a coach that's biased towards 76er's than Bullets. Wonder how many years Gliddon, Sobey, Caddee signed for with the promise of playing in Tokyo, EAD, you're garbage.

Regardless of throwing shit at Lemanis haters or lovers, let's ALL just hope this is another step closer to a medal.

I agree Beveridge would be good, but I'd think he'd also have some bias to certain NBL players which we don't want, besides, wasn't he coaching Scotland recently?

We want the best 20-30 Aussies playing in front of Brown's coaching staff and picked on ability and merit.

"Greece and Giannis are a perfect example of a coach plugging a player into his Euro system, Giannis wasn't terrible but was utilized terribly, Simmons would have been the same."

Disagree. Giannis is a finisher and shot creator. I watched his games closely at the WC. He failed to adapt to FIBA zonal defense arrangements, which meant he had to beat an extra defender off the dribble and drive, yet he still opted for hero ball, throwing up poor shots. Simmons is not that sort of player. He has better vision; looks to drive and pass, with the option of finishing if the D backs off. More than the NBA,l FIBA rules rewards team play and good decision making and Simmons has these in spades. Had Simmons been at the WC he would have given the Boomers an extra dimension to their offense, which - IMO - was too focused on setting up Mills, particularly during clutch plays.

I think the deal is just the Olympics but who knows. If it's just the Olympics it's fine because we're gonna have to rebuild after that anyway. I'd be surprised to see much of our core still there in 2024.

You'd presume if we medal in Tokyo Brown would be given the opportunity to continue on as national coach.

1 thing that I find remarkable is that there has been no (official) comment re Lemanis' departure.

The usual procedure would be to retire the current coach gracefully (family reasons, focus on his NBL team, etc), then look for new guy, then announce that too. Seems we started at the back end.

If you are planning a change, it is sensible to be as ready as you can be, so having discussions with BB in advance probably ok, but the leaking of his probable hiring before the news that Lemanis is going.

About the Boomers under Lemanis. They have done incredibly well on the world stage.

* A small population spread over the area of Europe.
* We play our (local/national) competition against 8 other teams who collectively may rank equal to the middle ladder positions in most Euro leagues (Our top teams as good as anyone).
* They play against many more, much tougher teams in very tough, established leagues/championships, all the time.
* We have to qualify for top comps by beating up on Asian teams.
* They play their qualifiers against the best "other" teams in the world.
* FIBA is based, and some say biased in Europe and the game played in European countries is FIBA, FIBA, FIBA. Sure, we play by the same rules but you get my meaning.
* Apart from that we have to also contend with what the US throws at the world (usually).
* In spite of all that, we are the only team/nation to return to the medal rounds consecutively (3 or 4 yrs???)

Lemanis has an enviable international record with some hic-ups. In above threads I read that Greece's coach did not use Giannis well, Pop's team was awful (and further, on the US team. They did not have their own superstars but in all honesty, they were still a damn good bunch of ballers. Sorta like Lemanis' team.). Are there wholesale cries of, "get-rid-of-our-coaches", echoing around the (basketball) world? I know that Pop and Nick Nurse kept their jobs and neither of them could recruit their own super studs either.

Having said all of that in his defence, I am a bigger fan of BB and also Goorjian as Boomers HC. But Lemanis does not deserve to be replaced at what is probably going to be Australia's most glorious basketball moment, that he had a huge influence on the international reputation that the Boomers have earned.

With Ben and others being available (Bolden, maybe not but if we need him to get a medal then we are in trouble anyway!) we may reach that elusive goal with either BB or Lemanis but remember that for the Olympics, all teams will be at FULL strength too.

Even though I've never rated Lemanis since he was made to look good by the Blackwell ownership in NZ (look at the Bullets now - LOL) - but why do BA go back to BB who has been the national team coach in the past? He was unconvincing back then and the NBA game doesn't suit FIBA. After a long NBA season he won't have much time to prepare for the Olympics. This has obviously been done to appease Ben Simmons. Also this seems like a smack in the face to Weaver who by all accounts was the brains behind the operation. Bravo BA you've done it again! (sigh)

I stand with ME in stating his support for Lemanis as coach. Much of what ME has written makes sense.

If the reports are true and that Lemanis is out - then I think it appropriate that supporters pay respect to Lemanis for his energy, commitment to the national team and the way he has managed the team.

Let us not be a community who enjoy building people up only to tear them down later. I read far too much negativity and impatience in forum posts.

During the last WC, I listened to press conferences held by opposition coaches and key players. Almost always they refer to the high quality of Aust play and how well the Aust team is coached. No better compliment I think.

This information has become public via a "Woj Bomb". The man has more contacts than the CIA.

BA might not have expected this to go public the way it has, which is why no formal announcements have been issued yet. That said, there has been discussions within basketball circles that Andrej might not be the coach in Tokyo. Liam Santamaria mentioned this on SEN radio this morning, stating he put the question to Andrej recently but wasn't given an answer (on the record).

Good points about Brett Brown only coaching in Tokyo, I had assumed he would seek a longer appointment, maybe this isn't the case.

Agree Red, I understand Andrej is well respected in World basketball circles and I expect history will reflect favorably upon his (and the players involved) legacy to the sport in this country once emotion and outrage has died down.

Even the best coach understands it is only a matter of time before you must move on (whether by choice or in reaction to decisions made by others).

I could totally understand this decision for post-2020, but I agree with koberulz on this: there must be something else going on, perhaps a player(s)-influenced decision, or more likely, non-players. We need extra personnel to lift to medal level, and in my mind that leaves only one player. Both Bolden and Simmons have obvious and rumoured grudges against Lemanis respectively. Bolden's departure was dramatic, while Simmons appeared to have an issue with Lemanis dating back to being left out of the 2016 team. But it's Simmons who we really need for 2020.

Brett Brown is a solid replacement. His NBA record is irrelevant. His Boomers record is more relevant. Does anyone remember the Boomers offense when Brown first took over? The main offense consisted of iso ball with Jawai. Brown improved over his tenure, but even Lemanis critics have to agree that Brown extracted no more out of his talent than Lemanis did.

Australia is now ranked top 3. I don't think anyone here with a pulse on world basketball would've expected the Boomers to rank top 3 near the end of Lemanis's contract.

Unless Brown quits (or is fired from) the 76ers, how does this affect qualifying windows? We need an assistant to take the helm of those teams.

As much as Lemanis has been criticized, I believe unfairly, for prioritising the system over talent, this same emphasis on the system not only allowed players like Kay to seamlessly slip into the A-team, but it also allowed smoother transitions in the qualification windows, where the team saw 33 players, YES THIRTY-THREE, different players suit up. Of course the Boomers should cruise through these games, but we still should be aiming to win every game in Asia by 20+ to gain full ranking points. Ranking matters because it puts us in a more advantageous pot.

This matters in the ease of first round opponents. Spain, for example, was in the top-3 (+host) pot, which means they couldn't be placed in a pool with any other top 8 nation. This allowed Spain to rest their stars more in the first round, a luxury that Lemanis didn't have. We are top 3 now, so only now can we take full advantage of the results that Lemanis has achieved.

I hope BA also understands that the teams that performed well in the 2019 World Cup all had a coach that had already had years to develop their system and chemistry. The biggest failures/under-achievers: all teams with new coaches.

At least Brown already has some previous experience coaching Delly, Mills, Ingles, Baynes, Simmons and Bolden. But damn, this this is a risk that BA is taking with so little preparation time before Tokyo. For this to work, surely the Boomers still need to run much of what Lemanis did that made them successful, with Brown adapting and adding more for the inclusion of Simmons.

Lemanis selected Gliddon....enough said.

If they selected Gliddon, YES!

He wasn't even used, Jawai would have made more sense.

Do you reliase that when you make up a random name and make a post saying how much you agree with yourself that you just look like a double dickhead?

A = the same buffoon as Dave/Makur? Arguments like suggesting replacing a wing with Jawai suggests we should just ignore them. No credibility.

If this is indeed the case then I hope that Lemanis has the opportunity to assist Brown in the transition period up to and including Tokyo Olympics.

Of course, if the Boomers medal, then Lemanis would share in the fruits of his labour of the past few years. That's only fair.

I seriously believe that BA are of the thought that Lemanis has damaged some relationships beyond repair ahead of Tokyo.

Simmons and Bolden (although he did not help his cause) are two obvious ones, while I suspect the likes of Deng Adel, Mitch Creek and Brock Motum are also were impacted.

"I stand with ME in stating his support for Lemanis as coach. Much of what ME has written makes sense.

If the reports are true and that Lemanis is out - then I think it appropriate that supporters pay respect to Lemanis for his energy, commitment to the national team and the way he has managed the team.

Let us not be a community who enjoy building people up only to tear them down later. I read far too much negativity and impatience in forum posts.

During the last WC, I listened to press conferences held by opposition coaches and key players. Almost always they refer to the high quality of Aust play and how well the Aust team is coached. No better compliment I think.
"

Exactly. People who haven't even coached a kids league game in the lives stand in judgment of a man who took this team to the doorstep of greatness, and they were often a bad foul or a missed freethrow away from getting over the line. Debate some of his choices if you may, but I don't think people can say he hasn't done pretty well if they're being in any way objective about it.

Basketball Australia has chosen to go another direction, and I respect and understand the decision, and I am not here slagging people off the way they are doing to Lemanis and to me. But if this is how people treat those who tireless represent them with energy and pride, I can see why many don't bother to get involved.

"LMAO at Kobe, "ME", and all the other Lemanis Fanboys, bleeding out their asses.
Even according to your own posts prior to the events, Australia should have medal'd in both Rio and China. We didn't because of Lemanis."

Yeah, Lemanis paid the referee for that shit call. He also missed Patty Mills' freethrow.

I'm not even here saying Brett wont be a better coach than Lemanis. I am saying the decision is surprising regardless. Not sure why the constant need to be a fucking asswipe every time you post.

---


As for the system of Lemanis, I ask this - do we have the 3rd best talent in the world with the teams we have? If we don't, our system was working.

"Now Will this is how you go about coaching the Sydney Kings, what I used to do was..." ;)

Now news is that Sac Kings assistant coach Igor Kokoskov will be head coach of Serbia for Tokyo.

Well said, ME. It's obvious that most of the anons on this thread have never coached above junior level, if they've ever coached at all.

Select your best players and then fit the system around them? I doubt you'd find many coaches around the world who would be good enough to do that, except possibly in the NBA where the coach is full-time and has a big team of assistants to work with on this. [And that's just looking at strategy and combinations, without also having to worry about egos and playing time and favoured positions and who's available when and ...]

So WHO ARE our best players? Come on, fanboys, get your act together and tell BA who they should have in the team. You've watched a few dunk highlights so you obviously know more than they do. LMAO

"The problem with the opinions on Lemanis is it's two extremes flinging shit at each other..."

Agreed Zodiac. Too many people just want to push one coach at the expense of the other. Both are very experienced and accomplished coaches.

Lemanis offensive system was extremely effective at the World Championships and he did a great job of getting us to the semi without guys like Simmons and Broekhoff and Cooks. Mills was close to MVP of the tournament because of his offence!

But Brown has had a very long and successful career, shaking up the NBL when he first arrived by winning the title on the back of a zone defence, going on to learn from the master in Popovich and establishing himself as a respected NBA coach with Philly.

Either one is a good choice to coach the Boomers at the Olympics next year. But I think its pretty clear what cost us a medal at the World Champs:
- fatigue from lack of depth
- no elite offensive shot creator to keep the scoreboard ticking over late in high pressure games

Spain won that semi because they could run a Gasol-Rubio pick and roll that was simple and effective. I thought at the time that we should have run pick and roll with Baynes and Mills/ Ingles, but Lemanis chose to go with Bogut and that cost us.

Ultimately though, do we want to try to win a medal with a Baynes/ Mills pick and roll? Or put the ball in the hands of Simmons and spread the floor? I'm opting for the latter every time!

So if bringing in Brown is the only way to guarantee Simmons plays, then so be it. But we should remember that Lemanis has done a lot to be proud of with this Boomers team and deserves a lot of respect.

It is understood a formal press conference featuring Brown and Lemanis was pencilled in for next week but the report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski blew Basketball Australia's plans out of the water."

Good to see that this seems to be backed by Lemanis. It makes any arguments that it was done only to appease some players much less likely. I wonder if this also means that Lemanis might remain on as an assistant coach. For continuity, that would be great.

"Come at us with your best team,"

They should not just choose their best 12, but also rank more players to account for injury/unavailability. Rank the players in order from 1-20. If some players are unavailable, their logic is that we just choose the next "best" player, regardless of position. So here is their chance to come up with a definitive list for BA to follow. I will even start with the template for them:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Ok. So it's a new era for the Boomers. I think Lemanis deserves respect for what he was able to achieve. He took a team that was ranked between 10th and 12th in the world to the top 4 on two consecutive occasions, and presided over a period when the Boomers were actually considered, at different points, genuine gold medal contenders. You can say talent is the reason, but I don't think you can genuinely say we were more talented than the teams ahead of us. Our wins against France, Lithuania were seen as upsets at the World Cup, as were most of our wins in Rio, where we were projected to finish around 9th before the competition began. And we were probably less talented than some beneath us. The Lemanis era is over but I think he deserves respect for what he was able to achieve, not these know-nothing know-it-alls running his name into the ground, a man whose forgotten more about basketball than they'll ever know.

So we look forward to the Brett Brown era. Brett Brown might be a guy who does guarantee that our very best put their hand up. But for all we know, Ben Simmons could be too busy chasing Instagram models to find the time. Jonah Bolden left the team high and dry and probably won't be well received by the older guard. Brown also has merely 6 weeks between the NBA Finals and the Olympics to figure everything out. But those facts notwithstanding, If the move was going to open avenues to keep our best players involved, and if Brett actually has the energy and dedication to apply himself to this, it could prove to be a great move. But I don't think it's fair to pretend it was an obvious move to make. We wont know until Tokyo. And if we drop out first game by 20, what chorus will be sung then?

Zodiac:

And if you can't work out that Bogut won't be there in three years I can't help you either.

So i dont think we should have any concerns about culture and everything falling apart with Brown taking over.

Either one is a good choice to coach the Boomers at the Olympics next year.

Good to see that this seems to be backed by Lemanis.

Say what you want about Sobey, Gliddon and Barlow, but anyone who says Nick Kay didn't deserve his world cup spot either didn't watch the world cup, or doesn't know a single thing about basketball.

Hopefully the Courier's perspective on the story is correct. One would hope this had been worked out amicably between Lemanis, Brown and BA, and that this wasn't driven by disgruntled players.

thanks Koberulz - I forgot the Asia Cup window was in feb for men. If that's what the Anon who asked the question was referring to, then the post above, quoting the Courier Mail is probably the best guide:

"An Australian-based coach will guide the Boomers in qualifying games with NBL-based players"

Yeah, nah, your YouTube crushes would DEFINITELY have got 16 and 11 against Spain in the Semis. Yep.

I can pretty much guarantee that random anonymous fuckheads on Hoops had absolutely nothing to do with the decision they've made.

Isaac, are all the anons crowing about being personally consulted by BA about this by any chance posting from the same IP?

Koberulz, so long as we maintain a fair bit of continuity in what we have been doing, I see no problem switching the coach. With the vets we have (Bogut, Baynes, Ingles, Mills, Delly) I think they have a large influence on the way we play and I can't see Brown making major changes those guys are not on board with. He literally just needs to get Simmons to buy in to what we are already doing, and simplify the way we play down the stretch. That should be enough to medal.

"unfortunately he sucked in all other games."

Except he didn't. He was instrumental in the win against France and Lithuania as well. He averaged 7 points and 5 rebounds in very limited minutes and his physicality was able to keep a lot of opposition post threats from scoring. He was even big in the win against Team USA>

Koberulz, so long as we maintain a fair bit of continuity in what we have been doing, I see no problem switching the coach.

So anything near Official confirmation?

I haven't really followed Brown's career in the NBA. I suppose there is an assumption that to coach in the best league in the world, he must be doing something right.

In all honesty, from the extreme outside looking in, Lemanis seems to be a polarising figure. There are clearly players that would follow him if he were coaching a game in hell. But there are also question marks over why others wouldn't.

Selecting his Bullets favourites and his old mate Barlow, was simply foolish, arrogant, and unprofessional. It's the kind of crap you expect to see in the local juniors. Question is whether that reflects on whether and why others won't play for him.

Everyone is quick to jump on Jonah Bolden. He would have been a step up from Barlow, but probably still played very limited minutes. Fact is that depending on availability he may not even make the cut for Tokyo. But again everyone is quick to assume he threw some huge tantrum and ran home, and is now somehow behind this. But who knows? We don't know what transpired between the two. Maybe he saw Caddee walk in, fell on the floor laughing, and Lemanis told him he would never see any court time??? Rather pointless to make up conspiracy theories...

thanks Koberulz - I forgot the Asia Cup window was in feb for men. If that's what the Anon who asked the question was referring to, then the post above, quoting the Courier Mail is probably the best guide:

"An Australian-based coach will guide the Boomers in qualifying games with NBL-based players"

So pandering to Prima donnas like Simmons is what Australia needs???

You better hope Brown can deliver the goods , a team consists of more than 1 player

Last I checked Bolden wasn't in the NBA either.

"f kay is so good, why has he not been snapped up by an nba or a big European team ? Maybe you know more about Kay than NBA scouts ?"

Does this need to be explained again?

You see there are fucking PLENTY of great international players who don't fit in in the NBA.

Six years coaching the national side. No medals in the Olympics or WC. Time to go. Over and out.

Don't be surprised if the 2020 Boomers team is very similar, if not the same as the World Cup team.

It has to be noted that it's because Lemanis got us so close that we got the idea that we should be winning medals.

Let's be real about the talent we have, it's not better than USA, it's not better than France, it's not better than Serbia, it';s not better than Lithuania. There are probably 8 teams at the world cup who could've justifiably said they have equal, or more talent than we did.

Same can be said for the 2016 Olympics. We don't have a Pau Gasol or a Rudy Gobert or a Teodosic. Patty Mills is a bench spark plug, Delly is absolutely scraping to stay as a point guard in the NBA, and Bogut is aging and has been aging for years.

But when you put them together, suddenly you have this team that are knocking off the best teams in the world and they LOOK LIKE THEY SHOULD.

But on paper, no, they shouldn't have. The Boomers played above themselves in the world cup for the vast majority of the cup to getg into a position to be within a shot of a gold medal game.

And in Rio, it was a last second bad call that stopped us from beating Spain - the perennial powers that are Spain. The same Spain that had troubled the USA on numerous occasions.

Gotta remember these are the guys we relied on - Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Jock Landale, Aron Baynes, Goulding, Bogut, Kay.

Can we be a bit realistic about the fact that, while we celebrate these guys as heroes in Australia, in the scheme of things they're just "solid". There is no superstars on the team.

We well and truly overestimate the talent we have, and that overestimation has been justified by the results Lemanis has been largely responsible for.

So while I think nothing of his NBL career. And I hate the Bullets. I think that as a Boomers coach, he has helped bring out the very best in those guys. I mean, let's not forget in Rio, Delly and Mills were the best guard duo in the competition for the first rounds. On paper they weren't even close. Something Lemanis was doing was working.

But regardless, next year it will be Brett Brown's turn. And will we have the talent to "out talent" the other teams without a system in place? It's doubtful.

Ben Simmons is a fantastic, but limited player. Pack the D into a zone and you can likely deal with him.

Who are the other big world changers who are meant to come?

As talented as we think the Boomers are, we aren't going to out-talent the world to the medal. We do not have the depth we think we have.

The problem now is that Brown, in his last stint, was the worst Boomers coach ever (outside of Smyth).

More NBA players, maybe. But what roles are they realistically playing in the NBA? As I said, when it comes to the big name and impact players, we don't have them. We have guys that come together and play well as a unit. Part of the reason for that was clearly Lemanis.

And if you cast your mind back to 2010 and 12, the Boomers weren't exactly playing particularly well. A last second win to Russia was about as memorable as it got, and that was after Russia had already qualified and no longer gave a shit. And there was a spirited performance agains the USA but that ended in a 30 point shallacking.

Has Brett Brown got Australia citizenship? He did spend at least a decade in Australia.
Btw, good choice Basketball Australia

Mixed reports about this now. Some journos are basically calling bs on other journos' reports that Lemanis walked.

Nostraballmus thanks BA for acting to change a system and model proven to fail at winning medals given the rapidly closing window with this golden generation.
Disappointingly it appears they are hanging their hopes solely on Simmons, B delivering the holy grail and rather than installing a proven winner at international level have gone with a coach who has previously underperformed at international level but who guarantees Simmo will play and who will make this all about him.
Simmo is unproven internationally and we need look only to Giannis struggles at the World Cup recently to see that one player won't get it done. It’s not the NBA.

Still, Nostraballmus commends the change as no way we would medal with the previous approach and mentality.

Spain were beasts in the closing stages of WC Semi. Was disappointing to see Australia go down, but amazing to watch Spain galvanise as a force down the stretch. Spain didn't have amazing group stage performances, but when it came time to show up, man that was impressive. Hopefully Coach and playing group for Australia at Olympics can peak at the right time of the tournament. Maybe it’s some luck, but usually it’s the right game plan and having players who can force their will when the game is on the line.

"Last I checked Bolden wasn't in the NBA either" Yes he is Koberulz you fkn spud,

Could be a better chance at a 2024 medal than 2020 to be honest.
Simmons at or near his peak.
Green, Exum , Bolden and T Maker.

" Bolden has appeared in two NBA games for a total of 5 mins and 2points. 1ppg.
Superstar that everyone wants in the Boomers haha."

He has achieved what 99 % of Aussie pro basketbalkers will never achieve in their
lifetimes ~ becoming an NBA player. You dumbass

If Bolden never plays for the Boomers again I wouldn't give a shit. You can say what you want about Lemanis, and maybe he mismanaged the situation, but he committed himself to the campaign and then walked out on his teammates and the nation. He can go play the flesh flute for that.

"Spain were beasts in the closing stages of WC Semi. Was disappointing to see Australia go down, but amazing to watch Spain galvanise as a force down the stretch. Spain didn't have amazing group stage performances, but when it came time to show up, man that was impressive. Hopefully Coach and playing group for Australia at Olympics can peak at the right time of the tournament. Maybe it's some luck, but usually it’s the right game plan and having players who can force their will when the game is on the line."

Spain has guys like Marc Gasol who just seem to rise to the occasion and who will always find a way to emerge at some point of a big game. Australia still doesn't have that guy you can ride til the end. They tried with Patty but when the moment was its biggest, he burned out. I don't think Simmons is going to be the guy to give us plays when we really need it either. People don't seem to realize it was how this group worked as a team that allowed them to do what they've been doing.

He isn't though.

Lemanis has a very respectable record as Boomers coach. Two baskets away from earning two bronze medals.

I'm not sold on Brown.

But if this is the most likely path for Ben Simmons joining the team, then maybe it's worth it.

"Still, Nostraballmus commends the change as no way we would medal with the previous approach and mentality."

Wait a second, the Boomers were literally a basket away from a medal at two consecutive major tournaments. At the World Cup, we clearly lacked depth at guard. For Tokyo, we potentially have both Exum and Simmons to insert. Plus Broekhoff. Plus alternatives at the 4 such as Maker. Then consider that the Olympics have just 9 quality teams. Plus we should have a higher seeding, although that mightn't be as beneficial as a higher seeding at the World Cup. So unless Simmons acts precious and demands a new coach, what exactly makes Lemanis *less* likely to medal in Tokyo.

You can argue that other teams will send more of their A-level talent, but that will make a medal just as difficult under any coach.

Nearly all of the perceived criticism of Lemanis becomes void when the Boomers have more depth available to them.

My biggest issue with this is it is a gamble.

Put it this way, with Lemanis, you know what you're going to get. You're going to be in the ball park of a medal. You may not necessarily get that medal, but you'll knock on the door. In doing so, probably 60 percent chance you do that knocking without Ben Simmons and Jonah Bolden (booo!)

With Brett Brown, you raise your chances to about 80 percent of getting Ben Simmons and Jonah Bolden (booo!) but you could come anywhere between 12th and 1st. You have no reference of what kind of team or play style to expect. And the only comparable tournaments he has coached in have seen him finish 8th and 10th.

With Lemanis, you have a guy that has a set play style that has achieved a certain level of success with the core of the team. It has not taken us as far as we had hoped, but at least we are in the ball park.

With Brett Brown, he will have about six weeks after the finals to assert himself on the program if he makes the Finals series.

So even if we make the assertion that Brett Brown is a better coach than Lemanis, and it's fair enough if people believe that, there is a certain amount of gambling being done with the future of this program, and the last opportunity many of these players have to ever medal.

So the equation is either ride this thing out with the guy who got you there, or take a chance on a new guy and his assumed promise of Ben Simmons.

I'm not gonna say this is the wrong decision but it isn't blindingly obvious that it is the right one either.

News just in that Ben Simmons' favourite childhood teddy bear will be appointed as an official assistant coach of the Boomers. Further security blanket announcements to come.

Critics of Lemanis: "Lemonass selected his own Brisbane players Sobey and Gliddon! It is wrong for the coach to appoint his players who otherwise wouldn't be there had he not been the coach!" (Argument: cronyism)

[Reports BA hired Simmons' own coach to lure him into playing]

Critics of Lemanis: "Great decision. It is fine for players to influence the appointment of a new coach who wouldn't have been appointed had said players were not playing." [Argument: BA sanctioned cronyism is cool if it guarantees certain favourite players play]




Isn't anyone else concerned that this sets a dangerous precedent for demands to be met, including the composition of the team and coaching staff, in order to play? This is opening the door wide open to cronyism, if it has not already been welcomed in.


BA must like the idea of negotiating with players to just get them to play for their nation in future tournaments. What happened when Simmons reportedly requested a personal chef? Did BA refuse, or Simmons withdrew anyway? What is next? "The coach needs to put me in my favourite playing role with more minutes"? Oh, wait, Bolden did that already.


Yeah, I can see this selfish me-first mindset leading to great success and perfect team harmony.

Spot on, rjd.

I took the point as Bolden not just falling out of the 76ers rotation, but he has been relegated to the g-league, no longer on a regular NBA game roster. I don't know how many games he has played in the g-league, but I read he dominated one recent game. Bolden is unproven at international FIBA level, but I think it translates well. Bolden also has experience playing Euro FIBA ball. The only question mark is his attitude.

*Bolden'game translates well to international FIBA level.

I thought ben simmons already had an assistant coach appointed. Dp

[Two baskets away from earning two bronze medals.]

Actually, what I should've said- one iffy ref decision from an Olympic Bronze, and one Party Mills free throw from a World Cup final where we would've been big favorites.

I've never understood the criticism of this guy. Not since Rio anyway, and definitely not since The World Cup.

Who wins... A Lemanis coached team without Simmons and Bolden, or a Brown coached team with those 2 playing?

[Who wins... A Lemanis coached team without Simmons and Bolden, or a Brown coached team with those 2 playing?]

Good question

But I think the issue is bigger- Simmons playing in Tokyo probably increases the chances of a long term buy in to the Boomers program

So, the Brown appointment could reasonably be considered a part of a long term investment in getting Simmons on board.

And of course, it doesnt guarantee Simmons even plays in Tokyo- but it should hugely increase the chances

I don't see how college links is relevant. There is no one in college right now who is going to Tokyo.

I don't see why some people are talking about Bolden as though he's even close to a lock. After pulling out like that, I'd be fine with him not getting a look in.

Having said that, I think ideally we'd go in to Tokyo with the 9 guys who played in the rotation in China and replace Barlow, Sobey and Gliddon with Simmons and Broekhoff and then one of Maker, Motum, Exum, Bolden, Cooks, Adel, Humphries depending on form and team balance.

More of those guys could get in at the expense of Goulding or Creek, but I think that first 9 showed they're worthy of those spots.

BA must have felt under pressure during the last champs. Such a strong team that so many said would medal because it would be full of NBA players.

Now that it's over And they’ve had time to think ... It’s a pretty poor look when Australia’s best player refuses to play for the current coach, very embarrassing for BA. It probably also meant a big loss of media attention and therefore $$$. (Imagine the media attention when Ben AND the Kardashians are associated with the team!) On top of that, Andre probably needs a break so he can concentrate on his struggling Brisbane team, which the NBL needs to be successful. And, of course, Brett had been told last season that anything less than Conference championship was going to cost him his job. (If he wins the Conference, he goes out a winner anyway.) And, to top it off, we’d have so many NBA stars (as far as the general public and fanboys are concerned) available to work under a successful NBA coach who everybody loves anyway.

Such a simple solution, isn’t it? The media attention and $$$ will be flowing in, everyone will be rushing to play, the coach is everyone’s Mr Nice Guy and is great in front of the media, and with a roster of NBA stars we can’t possibly lose. Simples.

They should Crown on board as a sponsor......oh wait

"More of those guys could get in at the expense of Goulding or Creek, but I think that first 9 showed they're worthy of those spots."

Cram, you seem to be under the mistaken belief that BA rewards past good performances. ;-)

Tall poppy syndrome to explain the attitudes towards Bolden don't hold up to scrutiny. Bolden was on most people's list as their starting 4-man for the World Cup. From what I recall, and anyone is welcome to prove me wrong, most people who now claim Bolden is not a lock, or say they don't care if he isn't selected, had Bolden on their World Cup team, usually as a starter.

As for Simmons, the criticism comes from him not making himself available to play, and seemingly making demands to play. That's not tall poppy syndrome. Surely everyone wants our best player to buy into the national team.

"Boti claims Lemanis resigned rather than jumped, that there was no preasure from BA, he had just lost the urge, In my historical experience of BA, this is extreemly plausible,"

It is plausible, but it is also plausible that this is PR spin to save face for Lemanis while also removing BA from blame by those who wanted Lemanis to stay in the job. PR win-win.

Interesting Ben Simmons quote here. Fruedian slip, slip of the tongue, missprint, or speaking frankly?

"I'm looking forward to it, he’s coaching me now, I’ve known him my whole life, but I’m excited to put together a great team and a great coaching staff," Simmons said.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/us-sports/nba/aussie-ben-simmons-hits-first-career-three-pointer/news-story/3630202d6cd47963a8f063e3820965ac



Might be a slip of the tongue but it does sound somewhat like he's involved on that end of things.

Well there you go.

This can only end well.

BA at their finest.

Why not just replace BA with the Kardashians before Tokyo instead of afterwards?

I don't see what is so hard to understand about this?

Lemanis is an excellent coach. He has proven that.
However he is also well known to be very old-school in his interpersonal approach. He's arrogant, condescending, and it is very much "his way, or the highway."
There are a lot of coaches like that, but successful senior coaches have adapted, he hasn't.

For those players that have made it through, and stuck around, he is apparently very loyal and generally enjoys strong relationships with those players.
I believe that given time he will mould an exceptional team at Brisbane, just as he did in New Zealand.
He's also done a commendable job with the core of the current boomers squad. However his style clearly makes it difficult to draw in new emerging players from the far-flung corners of the world.

There were several key players missing from the World Cup team, all with varying levels of excuse. What has now been made abundantly clear is that most of those notable absences stem from issues with Lemanis.

We all know Simmons is a spoiled brat. Unfortunately if we are going to have superstars in the NBA that is something our coach must be able to deal with. It takes a different approach but there is no reason Simmons can't become as loyal to the Boomers as Bogut.

Funnily enough, I feel the final straw was the inclusion of Caddee, Sobey, and Gliddon. In the final analysis, Sobey and Gliddon only made the team because nobody else was available, and their presence made no difference. However the visual this created was damming. Simmons and Co all missing whilst Lemanis' mates are included.

Its also ironic that Lemanis did so well that he created the impression that inclusion of even one of those better players should have resulted in a medal.

As others have said, the pressure is now firmly on Brown. He must deliver a full-strength team, and a medal in Tokyo.

It is plausible, but it is also plausible that this is PR spin to save face for Lemanis while also removing BA from blame by those who wanted Lemanis to stay in the job. PR win-win.

"there is no reason Simmons can't become as loyal to the Boomers as Bogut."


Those with memories long enough would remember how far from loyal Bogut appeared to onlookers from 2008-2016. There were injuries, sure, but I also believe he pulled out sometimes due to personal reasons as well.

'The die is set unfortunately. Anything less than a medal now in Tokyo and Brown must fall on his sword.' Not unfortunately; medal is the minimum requirement with this group. BA have finally seen that and made a potential medal winning change.

For those suggesting the change shouldn't have been made, I laugh at the suggestions that repeatedly failing somehow justifies retaining the personnel and systems that have produced the repeated failures in the misguided belief that they will somehow then produce success. If Lemanis has walked, i commend the man for his strength of character in seeing he was no longer the one to get the best results out of this group.

Enough about Brown not having time to implement a 'system'too. Lemanis's much vaunted 'system' didn't work repeatedly anyway. These are essentially All Star teams thrown together with minimal preparation. The teams with the best talent, healthiest and able to work together enough will win. Look at Spain. No amazing system there, but talent, depth, desire and execution under pressure.

While a proactive change, one senses this will now be a splintered group, with the new Simmons camp moving in over and above the old guard of Mills, Baynes, Delly, Bogus. Will Brown try and harness them all, or will we see him bring his squad in ? Dont expect (m)any NBL players in Tokyo.

I applaud a great decision by BA. Given that the team is mostly NBA level players, it makes sense to have an NBA level coach.

BigBen'sBabyBlankieBrettBrown

Anonymous- you make a list of likely selections and then tell me who has not played NBA. Very few of them

BBBBBB

"Look at Spain. No amazing system there, but talent, depth, desire and execution under pressure."

FFS. Have you actually watched Spain over the last 10 years with their golden age group. Sure they had great players but their structure and teamwork have been a joy to behold*

*If you know anything about basketball?

For those who say that Lemanis' system has repeatedly failed seem to overlook the great results we have had under him. One could say reaching for Mars and only getting to the moon. Still commendable, far from failure.

In international ball, the weakest teams are the BEST from their regions. To get as far as we have & still do, says that Lemanis and his system is far from failure status. We want better? Sure. But what we really want is a tiny bit of better. Many of you have said things like; only a missed free-throw to make the gold-medal game, a bad call near the end of a game and so on. and yes, the fact that our real superstars were just plain buggered by the end of the tournie suggesting that back-ups were inappropriate selections. Too few of the available roster doing too much of the required work.

So, i think that the only issue is Ben Simmons (Bolden would be handy but not nearly important enough to give him any sort of input into coaching).

Once again I will repeat what is becoming my favourite come-back. Isaac Asimov's quote, "Don't let your ethics stop you from doing what's right". In this case, my ethics say keep Lemanis but I know that the right thing to do is to not (keep him). Sorry, Drey!

No arguments there but that doesn't mean BA should go and hire his club coach.

I think the hiring of BB really kills two birds with one stone. They needed a good replacement for Lemanis and someone who was willing to spend x amount of time in Australia as BB does and being the coach of Simmons (and Bolden) in the NBA should go some way to ensuring Simmons plays in Tokyo.

BB is an especially ideal replacement as on the surface it appears his NBA coaching days are winding down, he lives here in the off-season anyway and he can just ease into semi-retirement with the Boomers job once his NBA job goes.

Anything less than a medal and this forum will go crazy.
I'm not a big Lemanis fan either but I'm not convinced Brown will get us a step higher than 2019..

FSTOS
'their structure and teamwork have been a joy to behold'
This was often said about Lemanis’s Boomers too. Great to watch. Not enough to win shit.*
If u know anything about winning at basketball*

Haha, a Dave Claxton reference. Gold.

"These are essentially All Star teams thrown together with minimal preparation. The teams with the best talent, healthiest and able to work together enough will win. Look at Spain"

Essentially All-Star games? Are you serious? Team USA still had more talent than anyone else, with the most respected coach in the NBA, yet where did they end up? At the other end of the preparation spectrum you have Czechia with mostly local league players who had played together for several years, many on the same local league team, overachieving and finishing 6th. All of the top 4 featured coaches who had coached their team in at least 2 other major tournaments. Preparation and chemistry matters. If you want to overachieve, which we will need to do to win gold or silver, or even bronze, we need excellent chemistry.

So much Spain love now. Ooooh have you seen their system 'Ballmus ? You mustnt watch international ball 'Ballmus like I do if u think they arent talented, its their SYSTEM baby.

So why didnt we just go hire Scariolo ?

Simmons will pull out of tokyo due to "injury" anyway so all of this would be for nothing

I'm glad someone appreciated my Dave Claxton reference. I was looking for a glorious and extreme example all in one hit.

The Classics archive on NBL TV is a start but I wish there was wider availability of historical information regarding the NBL. When I first stumbled across the tape trading thread on the other forum I was super excited at the opportunity to get my hands on some older vision but outside Ellis/Grace/Fisher/Vlahov/Crawford for Perth and the absolute top tier from other clubs or guys that still had significant presence in the early 00s, I had no idea what to look for.

Even growing up as a Wildcats fan I'd never heard of guys like Roland Brooks, Dan Clausen, Craig Fitzsimmons, or Adam Brennan. I had no idea who Darryl Pearce and Al Green were.

Compare that to the NBA where everyone knows Wilt, Russell, West, Magic, Bird, etc.

All this talk about Brown is interesting considering his past record with the Boomers.

Why not give someone like Beveridge a go.

He is a very good coach.

Knows the players and a lot of them would play for him.

Not a yes person like some.

Would certainly be worth a go.

Those wondering why not Beveridge might do well to investigate why he left Illawarra and why Sydney Kings didn't pick him up, nor any of the new NBL teams.

There's a story there.

I think there are two, rather obvious points:

A guy who keeps getting his contract renewed in the best league in the world, is assumed to be a better coach than a guy who keeps getting the arse in the NBL.

Most of our top players are based in the NBA. Having a guy in the same league as their National Coach has a lot of advantages:
BB will be able to have regular f2f meetings with most of his players, something the pacific Ocean precludes for an Australian based coach.
If indeed NBA players are precious and need delicate handling then presumably BB is experienced with that.
He will be coaching against many of the players and hence see their strengths and weaknesses first hand.
etc, etc.

"BB will be able to have regular f2f meetings with most of his players"

You're delusional. Simmons yes, Bolden maybe, and that’s all that matters to BA with this appointment. Hardly think ol BB is gonna be flying across the US to Utah, San Antonio, Celeveland, Phoenix etc regularly you have coffee with his Boomer boys during an 82 game nba season and playoffs.

Hilarious !

“Sorry boys won’t see u at practice tomorrow I’m off to Phoenix for coffee with Baynesey “

When it comes to Brett Brown as coach, I have come around to it a bit recently. Chances are the playbook wont change that much and most assistants will stay on in the interest of continuation. But the big red flashing light is definitely the placating of Simmons. Whether it was the reason this happened or not is hard to say but you can get that he will be 'the man' on the team and the equal opportunity play style will probably end up being toyed with to include him for better or worse.

" You're delusional. Simmons yes, Bolden maybe, and that's all that matters to BA with this appointment. Hardly think ol BB is gonna be flying across the US to Utah, San Antonio, Celeveland, Phoenix etc regularly you have coffee with his Boomer boys during an 82 game nba season and playoffs. 

Hilarious ! "

when the 76ers play the jazz, suns, spurs, maverick, pistons I am sure Brown will definitely have a chat, face to face meeting with his potential nba boomers, you dumbass.

ME please elaborate on why Bevo wasn't picked up by other NBL teams.

Lemanis is a 4th place expert. Olympics/NBL/World Cup three-peat.

kr agreed it's a real shame with the NBL TV coverage back then being regionalised - it was what it was. I recall outside of Wildcats games the only ones televised in Perth not involving the home side were Grand Final series, which would lead to a weird feeling of watching two neutral teams. Not even replays of other games in the middle of the night. The only people who had access to all live games were satellite enthusiasts who could catch the various beams sent to the away side's broadcaster on C-band. Cal Bruton apparently has a big collection on VHS which may have been sourced via this method?

Once the regional TV deals were scrapped and the only coverage was national via ABC/Foxtel it took a while to adjust to not watching my team every week.

In saying that (my original point) is that a lot of the references thrown out by me are actually post-2000 yet no one seems to recall much at all?

#776062 you're a gem.

"Beveridge only left Illawarra because of to many conflicts with the owner"

Same reason he left Perth.

Like most Perth fans, I had huge love and admiration for Rob Beveridge. However his behaviour after he left the Perth job soured that.

Game Night in Perth would find him ensconced in the bar across the street, telling anyone who would listen what a shit coach Gleeson was and how many of the players were on the verge of quitting.

"You're delusional. Simmons yes, Bolden maybe, and that's all that matters to BA with this appointment. Hardly think ol BB is gonna be flying across the US to Utah, San Antonio, Celeveland, Phoenix etc regularly you have coffee with his Boomer boys during an 82 game nba season and playoffs."

You can't really be that big of an idiot?

During the season he will actually be on the same court with many of them. Even if he only gets a 30 second chat before they head to the airport, its far better than any Australian based coach would get.

Phonecalls & Skype are much easier too when there is littel or no time difference.
And if he does want to organise a meet up, its a lot easier to take a 1hr commuter flight, than a 20 flight across the pacific.

Then of course there is the off-season, again much easy when they all live in the same country.

Brown doesn't live in the US in the off season, does he?

I don't blame Beveridge for not taking it well. Marvin was an absolute dick to him about applying for the Boomers head coaching position.

Koberulz, you really don't know what Brett Browns whereabouts in the off-season is.

Bahahaha "lucrative".


And no, not playing dumb. I asked because I recalled someone saying he didn't but I wasn't sure.

Browns last performance...

https://australia.basketball/blog/2012/10/29/boomers-farewell-coach-brett-brown/

#150- go have a banana mate. And whilst I pleasure yourself realise I am not here to follow your commands shit stick

Hey

Brett here. Team's already picked. Here it is.

Simmo
Azza
Bogie
Jingles
Patty
Ryano
Dante
Delly
The Flying Karate Kick
JoJo
Jockstrap
CG

"Simmo
Azza
Bogie
Jingles
Patty
Ryano
Dante
Delly
The Flying Karate Kick
JoJo
Jockstrap
CG "

This is hilarious! The only one I can't work out is JoJo!

My mate Azza Baynes, gonna fly to Phoenix all the time for coffee with him
Jockstrap Landale, I need someone to talk trash in Lithuanian
JoJoJonah, my boss wants to sell more Sixers gear in Oz right

Jo Jon= Joe Ingles, I guess.

Phonecalls & Skype are much easier too when there is littel or no time difference."

ummm...

There are 6 main time zones in the USA (4 in the continental USA, plus Alaska and Hawaii).

"Offset” is up to 4 hours.

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"Lemanis to coach NZ at Olympics?"



Yeah, nah. New Zealand would have to get through the qualifying tournaments, and those things are about as tough as the Olympics itself. Not happening.

This one goes into the 'Disappointing, but not unexpected' basket!