Aussies set for all-star Olympics
BASKETBALL: NBA All-star Ben Simmons is set to headline a significant Boomers overhaul heading into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after the team blew a golden chance to claim a maiden medal at the World Cup.
Basketball Australia chairman Ned Coten expects Simmons to lead an Australian side dominated by overseas players.
“Ben has consistently said to us that hewants to play for australia,” Coten said.
“Circumstances were not in the favour of that happening for the World Cup, but I have no doubt that he is absolutely committed as an Australian player as are the others who couldn’t play at the Cup and desperately wanted to.
“A number of the players in the World Cup team have been getting messages from those guys not playing. It shows the level of commitment that all of those players have.”
Coten also declared coach Andrej Lemanis faced some difficult selection decisions in the lead-up to Tokyo. The Boomers will be boosted by NBA names such as Simmons, Dante Exum, Thon Maker and Ryan Broekhoff. This means reliable local bench players from this year’s World Cup campaign such as Nick Kay, Mitch Creek and Chris Goulding face a battle to make the final roster.
Coten, though, believes Kay, Creek and Goulding have demonstrated they belong in the Boomers’ program.
“Kay, for example – I’d be absolutely surprised if he is not on the radar of NBA and European teams,” he said.
“He has been solid as a rock and Goulding has also been fantastic. My feeling is that every Australian player will be available for the Olympics and there will be some tough decisions to make.”