Australia men's basketball national team coach Brian Goorjan announced the 12-man squad that would play in the 2024 Summer Olympics. And Matisse Thybulle, who plays for the Portland Blazers, is the biggest casualty. His omission infuriated the Boomers' fans.
Some NBA fans saw Matisse Thybulle as the most unorthodox defender in the NBA league. He was a member of the Boomers basketball squad that won the bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Boomers' first medal in international basketball. He became an Olympic hero.
He was one of the first picks for the 2023 FIBA BAsketball World Cup. Many Boomers fans expected the Australian team to make it to the podium in Manila. In fact, this quadrennial event marked the debut of Josh Giddey, who was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunders as the sixth pick in the 2021 NBA draft. But Australia finished 10th. Some analysts thought that the defense, or the dip in defense, was the reason. We'll get to that part later.
There have been a series of friendly games between the participating basketball teams in the Paris Olympics. Some fans would dismiss the results, but the results would have influenced Goorjan's decision in turning Thybulle into a Boomers castoff. Thybulle could take a break this summer and prepare for the 2024-25 NBA season. Many Boomers fans demand an explanation, though.
As one Boomers fan would put it, the Boomers are drawn into a tough group. But the Boomers are tougher. No one would doubt such a claim after the Boomers' play in Abu Dhabi. The US defeated Australia by six points after the latter's late-quarter rally. Patty Mills was the hero of Australia's upset win over Serbia. Andrew Bogut, who played most of his basketball career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), provided an interesting insift:
“Matisse is a real interesting one, he’s arguably the best defender on the squad ... one of the best in the NBA. I think the ups and downs of his shooting was a concern.”
Thybulle might have to redeem himself in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup (in Doha). The next question is related to this one.
Dyson Daniels is the point guard for the Atlanta Hawks. He was drafted eighth overall in the 2022 NBA draft. Daniels, who was born in Bendigo, Victoria, brought something to the team defense. As one analyst puts it:
"It came down to Thybulle or Dyson Daniels. The sense from the coaching staff was that there wasn’t room for both within the Boomers’ main rotation, and there was a desire to lean more into Daniels as a point-of-attack defender on the wing for this campaign."
Goorjan would've come to that decision after the three friendly games against China, Serbia, and the US. He might be thinking of the Australia vs. Canada game on July 30. Many analysts think that Canada is the team that has the fighting chance to knock the USA. The Atlanta Hawks missed the 2024 NBA playoffs. We'll elaborate on that a little later.
Patty Mills may have silenced his critics after the Australia vs. Serbia game, which made it certain that Mills would be part of the starting five in Boomers' preliminary campaign 9in Lille. Josh Giddey, who plays for Chicago Bulls, and Jock Landale, who plays for Houston Rockets, have kept the Boomers close to the Americans during their friendly game, though. Boomers fans can expect the duo to join Mills in Australia's starting line up when it plays Spain.
How about Canada? This matchup is interesting because Canada is an all-NBA team stacked with the best offensive players in the league. And Dillon Brooks's role would excite the fans. Brooks and Landale are teammates. Boomers fans would be left wondering if Thybulle's steals could help the Boomers win over their opponents in group play. It didn't happen in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, as Austral;ia played in Okinawa while Canada competed in Jakarta. This topic should make fans ponder about the next one.
Goorjan leaned on experience, as Matthew Dellavedova played for the Cleveland Cavaliers that won the 2016 NBA Finals. He was also a member of the Australian men’s basketball team that won the bronze medal in Tokyo. It will be interesting to see how Dellavedova, who plays for the Melbourne United of the National Basketball League, will fare against the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Greece, which will square off against Australia on August 2, held off the valiant Puerto Rican team in a recently friendly game. Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t play during that game, prompting many to predict that the Australia vs. Greece game could go to overtime. Will Dellavedova’s experience play a key in the Boomers’ preliminary campaign? Goorjan and the rest of the Boomers staff will find out very soon. It would come down to one thing, though.
If Australia was bracketed in Group B, it might be a different outcome. Goorjan will keep Thybulle in the final roster. The same thing could be said for Group C. Goorjan and the rest of the coaching staff decided to lean on defense and pace after the draw was out. Goorjan was right. So far. The Boomers’ defense effort was largely solid while they played against the Americans.
Australia’s defense against Serbia was impressive. Thybulle struggled during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, or his shots weren’t falling as Bogut would it, which could be a deciding factor. The final roster surprised Bogut and the other analysts, and former Australian players, which would make many wonder about the outcome of group play.
We still think that Canada and Spain will finish first and second in Group A. The first place is very important, as no team would want to play the US in the quarterfinals. Or semifinals. Australia and Greece must fight for third place, and a win it’s not a guarantee. The two third-placed teams with the higher win-lose ratio will advance to the knockout round.
If the Greece vs. Puerto Rico game is an indication, then the Greek team is not one to be taken lightly. The Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Greek squad might score an upset or two. It should come down to luck. And Goorjan would know if he played out his cards right. The Boomers coach might apologize to Thybulle after the Paris Olympics is over.
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