I hope he makes it but we have some options.
Top 20 camp maybe?

Giddey / Exum / Dellevedova / Mcdowell-White
Mills / Green / Goulding / Vasljevic
Thybulle / Ingles / Daniels / White
Simmons / Cooks / Kay / Pinder
Landale / Reath / Maker / Baynes

Heard it all before, the team will have enough players that has played minimum minutes, we don't need another one.

Believe it when I see it. Would be very lucky to make the team.

Put his hand up ,then pull out later,as in past .

So this is pretty much expected speculation with nothing of notable substance. Goorj would be honest, and that would be an honest take of it all.

At the same time, as it draws near where it comes to actually properly having to make a decision, he will defer til Paris 2024 IMO.

I think part will be physical health, part will be the mental side too.

And that's fine.

But let’s say he does end up committing...

He gets included by virtue of a relatively weak set of bigs and the fact he’s one of the best defenders in the world capable of defending the best in the world and why would you not take that?

Let’s say they face USA and Durant or whatever. You want Simmons taking that assignment.

Ofcourse that means Ingles would have to start, you don’t want Giddey plus Thybulle if he plays plus Simmons on the court at the same time. Too much non-shooting.

They're not lights out, but both Giddey and Thybulle showed they can hit a three ball this season KET.

Personally hope flog Simmons gets nowhere near our Boomers.

Giddey-Exum
Mills-Ingles-Goulding
Green-Thybulle
Simmons-Cooks-? (Kay/Pinder/White)
Landale-? (Reath/Baynes/Maker)


Reserves
Dellevedova
Daniels
Bigs not selected above

Maybe you start Simmons at centre.

As soon as Simmons steps onto the court, he'll be manhandled all over the place until he proves he can shoot foul shots. If he isn’t injured at the start of the campaign he certainly will be by the end.

Sure, he can defend, but if he’s being knocked about wherever he goes, I think it will get inside his head. In other words, he will be of limited use during the long campaign.

The boy who cried wolf. No way he is playing.

If it is "red pill" Simmons then I am all in on the idea, but if it is "blue pill" Simmons then stop with the same old narrative.

Ben is always going to do what is right by Ben. At this point he needs to do something to rebuild his career. I think the Boomers is a great platform for that, and also for potentially rebuilding his brand. It would make more sense for him now more than ever to play.

I also think we need to consder that he's changed management. I forget the name but the management he had was renown from holding players back from playing for national teams. Ben needs to create good will around his name and prove he can be a winner. Winning a world cup - or medalling - would go a ways to helping that.

But when it comes down to it, we wont know if he's playing until he's on the court. He's been an enigma since the start. There's a lot of tbhings about Ben that I flat out dislike but I think if the most 'gifted' player we've ever had puts his hand up, with a genuine desire to play, then omly an idiot would deny him.

We're not flush with big men so if he's able to play that role then the team would be that much better for it.

I saw a projected line up on the telegraph that I actually like:

Patty Mills
Josh Giddey
Joe Ingles
Nick Kay
Jock Landale
Josh Green
Dyson Daniels
Matisse Thybulle
Dante Exum
Jack White
Xavier Cooks
Ben Simmons

They just listed those who are playing at the highest level. Hardly any shooters on that list. Just 3/12.

An elite defensive team, Simmons and Kay playing centre + Landale according to them.

That's a very athletic team, ME, great for a running game but not for a grind-it-out one like the Euros typically do.

Dyson is probably not ready yet and should be replaced by a big strong body to counter the 7-footers across the various teams. Kay, White, Cooks and Simmons would struggle to stop them, and we can’t put it all on Jock’s shoulders.

Whatever team is selected I trust Goorjian to figure it out. We definitely have the talent to do something at the cup, and with Simmons - even Simmons-lite - IF he is able to fix his attitude, we become even more dangerous.

I think we're a bit of a match up nightmare for a lot of Euro teams. We have the athleticism now to really push them out of their games but the skill to also play it their way.

The new Herald Sun article kind of dampens expectations with Ben merely saying he's rehabbing and would like to play for the Boomers in future. It definitely isn't as strong an indication as we'd like. But at the same time, and as the article states, it makes sense why he would not give a definite answer given how many times that's got him in hot water.

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https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/basketball/australian-basketball-star-ben-simmons-confirms-he-wants-to-play-for-the-boomers/news-story/0da7e463d8927f62dd56b4fa0eda2a58

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Ben Simmons has confirmed he still wants to be a Boomer.

A day after national coach Brian Goorjian revealed the polarising Aussie NBA star was working toward a shock appearance in August's FIBA World Cup, Simmons said he wants to wear the green and gold and be part of the famed Boomers culture.

"I’m currently rehabilitating my back injury and putting my full effort and focus towards that," Simmons said.

“I love what coach Goorjian is building with the Boomers and I look forward to being a part of the program in the future.”

That’s not definitive proof he’ll play in August’s World Cup — and that’s smart from the three-time NBA All Star because a lot has to go right for him to be a part of the Aussies’ campaign.

It’s understood he won’t be named in the initial Boomers squad but will be given every opportunity by Goorjian to prove his health and commitment.

The 208cm Melbourne-born guard is still dealing with the effects of residual nerve issues in his back, stemming from an operation in May last year to fix a herniated disc — a surgery that can take up to 18 months for full recovery.

Ben Simmons is keen to return to the Boomers program. Picture: Getty Images
Ben Simmons is keen to return to the Boomers program. Picture: Getty Images
Simmons, who ruled himself out of the Boomers’ groundbreaking Tokyo Olympic bronze medal campaign, is understood to be working hard on getting back on the court, but the Aussies enter training camp in late July, and that means time is not on his side.

If the son of Melbourne Tigers’ legend Dave Simmons was to declare himself fit and available, Goorjian would have no issue adding him as a late entrant to the Cairns camp.

But he would be thrown straight into the fire of the most-talented group of Australian players ever assembled in one place — 18 mostly-NBA players, including Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels, all hellbent on being part of the 12-man squad that’s on the floor in Okinawa, Japan when their World Cup campaign tips off against Finland on Friday, August 25.

The former NBA Rookie of the Year’s litany of issues in Philadelphia are well-documented and, after last season’s tumultuous new start in Brooklyn (6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists), which ended with him away from the team after 42 games, he parted with long-time agency Klutch Sports.

Now represented by power agent Bernie Lee, a rehabilitation of body and image is under way and many in Aussie basketball believe the best way to sway public sentiment is to absorb the atmosphere created by the likes of Joe Ingles, Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova and fostered by Goorjian.

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Many Aussie fans reacted poorly to the news Simmons was still in the national team frame — and they have good reason, he’s often been his own worst enemy. But there are still plenty of believers and, should he lock in on the Boomers — and contribute to — national success, the naysayers would quickly change their tune.

Here’s hoping.

This will liekly be unpopular but Simmons has turned his back on the Boomers a few times now.

Even if fit and healthy I don't want him back as he is just using the Boomers to increase his stock.

"I look forward to being a part of the program in the future."

Not exactly indicative of someone with a burning desire to play in the world's toughest international basketball tournament. To me, comes across more as PR than passion.

If he wants to attend some Boomers camps once he's healthy then I'm all for that. I'd still like to think that being in that environment would be a positive for him.

But his words ceased to have value quite a while ago.
Get back to me when his actions indicate any type of change in his attitude.

I think if Goorjian is saying he expects that he'll be there, that he's at least reasonably hopeful and has the indication that that is the way it is trending. I can't see Goorj speaking out of turn on it. I think Ben dampens expectations for he abovementioned reasons. I think it's trending towards him playing but it IS Ben Simmons and until we see him on court, we wont know. But there are a lot of positives for his career if he does do it. It makes more sense for him to throw the jersey on now than it has before. And surely if he's fit and healthy and declines again it wont help him.

ME, I usually agree with your basketball opinions, but not "if the most 'gifted' player we've ever had puts his hand up, with a genuine desire to play, then only an idiot would deny him." Or, I agree with that, but I disagree that it's applicable to Simmons. I buy that he's the most gifted player we've ever had, but I can't buy that he'd be there with a genuine desire to play. The Opals with and without Cambage made it very clear how much the most talented player can get in your way if their attitude is wrong. And as unlikeable as Cambage is, she's also unquestionably a more effective basketball player than Simmons has shown himself to be in the last 4 years.

It does make sense for him, personally, to use the Boomers to try and repair his reputation. If there's a willingness to sacrifice to be a part of the program in order to get that benefit, fine. He comes off the bench and plays his tail off at the defensive end. His job is to make the opposing team's #1 option want to cry. If he doesn't want to do that, let him go back to drinks with little umbrellas and two week relationships with reality tv stars.

I agree Cake, I have a real fear that he wouldn't want to buy into the role he would be most effective at international level with.

We saw with Bolden and Kay that sometimes taking the less talented player who is willing to buy into the system reaps much greater rewards than taking the more talented or highly credentialed option.

Well, he's not in the 18 man squad so that looks like an end to that.

Not in the squad because of his current injury, but a chance to be added at a later date.

I don't think he'll get added. I would have thought you’d be included in the squad anyway and then just not selected or withdrawn at a later date if you can’t get up for it with injury, especially since there’s still a few months until the final squad gets named.

By not even being named in the squad it saves him more bad press at a later date by pulling out if he just cbf playing like usual.