After months of preparation and trials, the Australian Boomers 2010 World Championships team has been named. And it’s mostly as expected. Let’s take a look…
The squad is as follows:
Golden Star Australian Boomers – 2010 FIBA World Championship Team
Name / Height / Age / Position / Most Recent College or Pro Team / Junior Team
David ANDERSEN / 212cm / 30 / Centre / Toronto Raptors (NBA) / Frankston Blues (VIC)
David BARLOW / 205cm / 26 / Forward / CAI Zaragoza (Spain) / Sandringham (VIC)
Aron BAYNES / 207cm / 23 / Centre / EWE Baskets Oldenburg (Germany) / Cairns (QLD)
Adam GIBSON / 188cm / 23 / Guard / Gold Coast Blaze / Launceston (TAS)
Joe INGLES / 203cm / 22 / Forward / CB Granada (Spain) / Southern (SA)
Steven MARKOVIC / 190cm / 25 / Guard / KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd (Serbia) / Bankstown (NSW)
Aleks MARIC / 210cm / 25 / Centre / Panathinaikos (Greece) / North Sydney (NSW)
Damian MARTIN / 188cm / 25 / Guard / Perth Wildcats / Gloucester (NSW)
Patrick MILLS / 183cm / 21 / Guard / Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) / Shadows (ACT)
Brad NEWLEY / 198cm / 25 / Guard / Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) / Forestville (SA)
Matthew NIELSEN / 209cm / 32 / Forward / Olympiacos (Greece) / Penrith (NSW)
Mark WORTHINGTON / 202cm / 27 / Forward / Brose Baskets (Germany) / Bunbury (WA)
What does this mean?
Many of the selections made themselves. The likes of Patty Mills, Brad Newley, Joe Ingles, Matt Nielsen, David Barlow, David Andersen and Mark Worthington were never really doubted. The rest of the squad was more contentious.
As expected based on recent form, Brett Brown has gone with his duo of defensive terriers in Adam Gibson and Damian Martin. Both have proven themselves as in-form players and fit perfectly with Brown’s philosophies. There will be times where the two play in tandem, challenging the ball up and down the court, in the same way as Mills is capable.
The selection of Steve Markovic is a testament to the experience he has picked up overseas and the need for another point guard to cover in case of injuries, given that one of Martin/Gibson is slated as a backup shooting guard in this squad.
Aron Baynes won the reserve big man role that was hotly contested by the likes of Alex Loughton (more of a rangy, slasher) AJ Ogilvy (still developing physically) and Luke Nevill (less versatile – a traditional pivot).
Maric is the big coup. His addition gives an additional legit international big man option and his inclusion would have been celebrated by Brown.
Rotation
Mills is a clear lock as the starting point guard (particularly after the recent international retirement of CJ Bruton). He will play the lion’s share of the minutes and be rested by the pairing of Martin and Gibson, as well as Markovic.
Newley will be one of Australia’s primary scorers as the starting shooting guard. He will likely be teamed with Joe Ingles or David Barlow in the starting wing positions, depending on form. And those players will be rested by Gibson/Martin in the backcourt and Worthington at the three.
At power forward, Nielsen is the clear starter. His experience, consistency and versatility will be key to Australia’s fortunes. When it’s crunch time, there is no way you will see him sitting. Brown has suggested that Worthington will see some minutes behind Nielsen at the four, as a floor-spreading smaller power forward. That will be an interesting look for the squad.
Andersen, a newly inked Toronto Raptor, will start in the middle. For a change in look, Maric will come on and play significant minutes, providing muscle. Baynes will see time at both the four and the five, mainly if the other bigs see foul problems.
Additional information
This comes from Basketball Australia’s media release:
This will be the second consecutive World Championship team selection for Andersen, Worthington, Ingles, Newley and Barlow, all of whom were in the 2006 Australian side in Japan. Seven players will be making their senior World Championship debuts in Turkey (Mills, Baynes, Gibson, Markovic, Maric, Martin and Nielsen).
Boomers head coach Brett Brown said the selection process had been difficult but that he was happy with the make-up of the team and felt it gave Australia the best possible chance of success in Turkey.
“I’m content with the few years of due diligence everyone has put in to ultimately arrive at a group of 12 players that will represent Australia at the World Championships in Turkey,” Brown said. “I believe that we have a well balanced team, with the right people put into the right positions, and most importantly a group that personifies ‘team'”.
The Boomers will wrap up their seven-day Melbourne training camp this afternoon. The players will then have a few days at home before reassembling In Melbourne for their official World Championship farewell at the 2010 Australian Basketball Hall of Fame Dinner at The Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on Wednesday 18 August.
The Boomers will depart Melbourne for Europe on the evening of Thursday 19 August, and will play their final pre-World Championship tournament in Lyon, France from 22 – 24 August before travelling to Turkey.
Australia has been drawn in Group A for the 2010 FIBA World Championships and will open their quest for gold with a clash against Jordan on 28 August. They then face Argentina (29 August), Germany (30 August), Serbia (1 September) and Angola (September 2). All of the Boomers’ five preliminary round games will be held in the Turkish city of Kayseri.
All of the Boomers’ world title games will be shown on FOX SPORTS.
