I've got

Simmons/delly
Mills/exum/Goulding
Ingles/broekoff
Landale/ kay/ creek/ maker/bolden (3 of)
Barnes/ bogut

Goulding deserves his spot after a solid World Cup and can be a real difference maker off the bench. Exum to talented and versatile not to have a spot. Cotton although a super talent if naturalised has no history with the team so no chance for me.

It’s the 4 spot that is the most wide open for me, landale and Kay we’re both great at the World Cup, As was creek at times. Bolden and maker haven’t really taken the next step up imo and bolden pulling the pin on the World Cup was a big mistake and leaves him on the outer

Cotton MUST play if naturalised. I just don't think he’l be naturalised in time, I think the process takes a few years, look at Tai Wesley for example.
Hypothetically though, he’d be on court when Mills is on bench. Simple.
(I’m from Melb so don’t call me a bias cats fan)

I'm picking 8 players to start with
Simmons, Dellavedova
Mills,
Ingles, Broekhoff
Landale,
Baynes, Bogut

Cotton if available gets in over Goulding for me.
Exum if healthy will probably get in.
Josh Green is a chance but might need an injury from someone else to get in.
Power forward is the hardest to pick. Thon Maker could be ok as backup 4/5. Motum won't get in.
Kay still a chance but would be as 11/12 man.
Bolden hasn't shown he should be in.
Adel will NOT make it.

Cotton the X factor in the prime of his career. Simmons can play 1 or 4.

Simmons / Exum / Delly
Mills / Cotton*
Ingles / Broekhoff
Landale / Maker / Bolden
Baynes / Bogut

*Goulding for Cotton if citizenship doesn't come in time

I wouldn't have Maker or Bolden in my Olympic 10/12 man roster.

*controversial*

Simmons / Exum / Delly
Mills / Cotton/Goulding
Ingles / Broekhoff
Landale / Kay
Baynes / Bogut


Simmons height allows for an extra guard over an extra big.

If given a 13th spot, Motum would be my guy IMO.

Haven't been following him, so we expect Cooks to be fighting with Cotton/Goulding on account of his three point shooting capability?

I think Green will be too young.

When you’ve got Simmons driving and drawing defenders, our three point shooting will be absolutely critical. Following that, dogged offensive rebounders will be critical: Landale, Kay

test

This is where it gets very tough.

In the World Cup we saw Kay, Goulding and Creek all playing well. If you add in Cotton it becomes very hard to pick.

While defence is important, three point shooting is just so critical to take advantage of Simmons and Mills.

Where there's an argument for Bolden is our team doesn’t have athleticism which makes it hard against some of the more athletic African nations. We found it harder than we should have in the WC.

But the best teams aside from US are Eastern European which requires the Baynes types

I'd like to see Cotton on the team. You'd have one of him and Mills on court at all times and that would make us very tough to stop.

I'd go for something like KETs team

Bolden would do well in the NBL.
I don't see the fuss about Adel maybe he would be good off some teams bench.

Last Olympics for Bogut, Baynes, Ingles, Mills and Dellavedova most likely would be good to see them get a medal.

My 2 cents...

Simmons
Mills / Cotton
Ingles / Brokehoff
Creek / Landale
Baynes / Bogut

Delly 10th man for inspiration & limited minutes.
Goulding on Boomers past performance at 11th.
Then Kay, Motum, Cooks or Exum sneaks that last spot backing up the bench.

Mills will still be around for 2024. He'd only be 35/36 when that takes place and with the mpg he's logging with the spurs he should still be plenty fresh by the time that rolls around.

"Cotton has applied for Australian citizenship but said he had not received any updates on his application's progress."

Not surprised by this. The Australian citizenship process provides no feedback, no contact information, taking months to years, until it is either accepted or rejected. BA ought to explore finding an inside contact who might know something about the application, or even somehow get it prioritized. It'd be in the national interest, of course. Cotton subbing for Mills would be massive. The on-off splits for Mills were big in the World Cup.

"THEY ARE STILL BETTER ALL NBL PLAYERS EXCEPT BOGUT, CREEK.

"

And you know that by what, all the G League all stars who've come here and struggled?

rjd, reckon Dutton's the man and Cotton should apply as an au pair.

Not many G League stars have come here and struggled

In fact most of them are big success ie Cotton, Jackson, Prather, Long, even Creek etc, etc

In most cases G League stats translate very well to NBL and they have more guys of this Cotton, etc level than the NBL does.

Sure there have been a couple of failures, but overall, recruiting guys who have put up good numbers in the G League is successful for the NBL clubs.

I personally would put the Aussies who play in the G League above most NBL players without NBA or Euroleague experience from a boomers point of view, especially guys like Adel who have had a sniff of NBA experience, to a similar level of Creek who is the NBL star anyway and would likely be of similar level to Creek.

Id much rather pick guys like Deng Adel over Cam Gliddon and Cooks type NBL players, in the end Adel is a 6'7 very athletic wing, averaging 12p, 3a, 5r and a good defender in the Gleague, and out performing those Giddon, Cooks, Barlow types of Aussies who are in the NBL. The fact those guys got picked ahead of Adel was a big failing,and a big reason why Lemanis had to go.

So I would look a little deeper with the G League players are garbage thinking. Quick example compare Creek and Cottons NBL and G League stats.

In general anyone with NBA or Euroleague experience should be picked ahead of NBL players without it, even if they are currently in the G League

My Team for Tokyo

Bayens/Bogut
Bolden/Maker/Landlae
Ingles/Creek/Broekhoff
Mills/Exum
Simmons/Delly

Humphries, Mathiang,Adel, Bairstow, Motum, Goulding, Kay, Green, Cotton (if naturalised in time) maybe Sobey, M-White, Noi should be pretty much the only other players considered if guys are unavailable.

I only mention Noi as a maybe camp invite, due to his youth, length and athleticism.

Given that the coronavirus is starting to shut sporting events down but that the Olympics is too big to shut down, I expect to see many of the top teams without their stars.

I can see a repeat of the WC where many of the top players stay away because of pressure from their agents or the NBA, which will result in a weaker USA team and the Boomers for example.

There will be a lot of sports executives hoping that a vaccine is found pretty damn quick, so that they don't have to make some hard decisions.

Cotton would be great but yet to see proof of his naturalisation.

I got a sneaky suspicion the vaccine will be released just in time to save the Olympics. Say mid May.

(shit, tin foil hat just blew off!!!! Damn it!)

An anon wrote: "Landale / Maker / (*Bolden, Kay, Cooks, Creek, 1 of) - maybe even Magnay."

Is it that you don't like Magnay's game enough or just feel he is too inexperienced? IMhO, the way he has developed and played this season puts him just behind Landale in the rotation.

A lot of water has to pass under the bridge between then and now. Ben Simmons' injury "shouldn't" be a factor but could be. The coronavirus could see the event even straight out cancelled. Injuries. Contract situations. Anything could conspire to constrict the team, as it often does.

If all went perfectly well and the basketball gods smile upon us we will once again have a team in the hunt for a medal. Whether Brett Brown is actually going to do a better job than Lemanis is up for debate with the only clear edge being Simmons' involvement, and even that is questionable at this point.

MY team:

Ben Simmons
Patty Mills
Joe Ingles
Jock Landale
Aron Baynes

Dante Exum
Mattise Thybulle
Ryan Broekhoff
Thon Maker
Andrew Bogut
Nick Kay
Bryce Cotton

I like your team ME.
Though some will scoff at the omission of Dellavedova.

It would seem like sacrilege to leave him out, but with his three point shooting and form right now he'd probably be a liability. I'd put him in camp and see if he can step up but I wouldn't bank on it. I think he's had his best days.

Coronavirus:

Just a thought.

IFF a vaccine is developed, Will trials/camps need to be delayed.

Vaccinations often impair athletic performance for a short period (a week is quite common).

The high IQ/ low athleticism players would be less impacted, but those relying on athleticism more would underperform.

The vaccination factor may impact on a lot of elite sports.

Apparently the decision will be made by May as to whether it stays going ahead. That is two to three months within which to contain this spread a bit.

Quote: "If our best aren't available the following can fill in at short notice;"

Isn't that a bit lambs-to-the-slaughter?

If our best aren't available it will be cos they don't want to die!

So, what your saying, Anon 266, is "Thanks, and R.I.P." to the following;

Cadee
Teys (capt)
Blanchfield
Majok Deng
Andersen

Adnam
Dillon
White
Drmic
Krzlovic
Jawai
Luke Nevill.

Good one!

Here's my team with approximate minutes
PG: Simmons 28
SG: Mills 27
SF: Thybulle 24
PF: Ingles 25
C: Baynes 25
BPG: Dellavedova 15
BSG: Goulding 0
BSF: Broekhoff 20
BPF: Kay 8
BC: Bogut 15
BN: Cotton 13
BN: Landale 0

If Bogut looks sluggish, Landale/Kay (in small ball 5 role) takes his minutes. If Thybulle isn't hitting corner 3's Broekhoff takes his starting spot. One of Mills/Cotton on court at all times (never together). Ingles/Delly play Point when Simmons off court.

Standby: Exum, Goulding, Creek, Maker, Bolden

Didn't Goorj say recently they’ll be announcing a 24 man squad sometime soon and side note, does anyone think the olympics may not even happen, I believe someone from Japan (as in like a government official of sorts) or like a committee member say given the current circumstances it may not be wise to do an olympics

Is the Asia Cup happening before the Olympics so then we can use at as practice games?

It seems it will be postponed. It doesn't feel possible with Limited travel.

"Goorjan loves mobile athletes, maker will be there, Kay less likely."

Remember the (original) Bear, Tony Ronaldson? Would still be one of Goorj's faves, I bet. Tony to join Bogut, on the sidelines at Olympics!?

Any news on Bogut's Boomers' involvement, in any role?