As the 2024 Paris Olympic Games become the forefront of the sports world, the Australian Boomers find themselves among expectation, excitement and anticipation. Building on the greatest achievement in Australian men’s basketball history - a third-place finish in Tokyo in 2021 - the Boomers are not just merely contenders, but they embody the growing passion for basketball in Australia.
The Olympic challenge was immediately well-known to the Aussies. Landing in a group that featured basketball powerhouses Spain, Canada and Greece, the consensus was that this would be one of Australia’s toughest tests to date.
Not only were these tough matchups but there’s plenty of history involved, too. Especially with Spain.
The Spanish are used to shattering Australian hearts on the basketball court. This includes brutally knocking us out of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in double overtime and controversially being awarded game-winning free throws late in the 2016 Rio Olympics Bronze medal match.
Spain has always been one of the best countries in the world on the hardwood, despite their lack of NBA talent in recent years. The Boomers had to be prepared for their Olympic opener, as they certainly didn’t want another Spanish heartbreak.
To say a chippy, back-and-forth game unfolded would be an understatement. Technical fouls, unsportsmanlike fouls, constant chatters from players and benches, the game had it all.
Australia were on the front foot early, led by Josh Giddey, who was excellent in the open court. He shot the ball with confidence, something that is so encouraging to see from the 21- year-old. The Boomers went into the first break with a ten-point advantage.
Spain of course was going to respond. Santi Aldama led the way, knocking down some high-difficulty shots en route to a game-high 27 points. This included connecting on six of his eight three-point attempts and taking full advantage of the rotational defense from the Boomers.
In fact, the Australians were clearly instructed to hedge most screen actions, which they defended well for the majority of the game. Spain was able to generate some good looks from it, but the interior switching and help from Australia were instrumental to disrupting Spain’s offense.
Spain won the second quarter 21 to 18, trimming Australia’s lead to seven at half-time.
The second half was where Australia separated themselves. Josh Giddey picked up right where he left off in the first half, dictating Australia’s transition game and often finding teammates rim-running on the break.
He also operated the pick and roll very well, and took most of the primary ball-handling responsibilities, allowing Patty Mills to come off screens and play more of a catch-and-shoot role.
Jock Landale and Patty Mills took a lot of the scoring load, as Landale finished with 20 points on an efficient 64 per cent shooting. He also hauled in nine rebounds, showcasing his ability to play as a big with a gentle touch around the rim.
Again, it was Landale and Mills that came up big in the last stretch of the game, as Landale twice created something out of nothing as the shot clock wound down. On two separate possessions late in the fourth, when Australia’s offence dried up, the ball ended up in Landale’s hand and he was trusted to make a play. Sinking a pair of soft post-hooks, he gave every Australian watching from home some much-needed reassurance.
To put the icing on the cake, as Spain quickly rallied to cut the lead to six with under a minute to play, Patty Mills collected a loose ball from the floor before showing some individual brilliance we’re so used to seeing from him.
He took just one dribble before rising up into a fadeaway deep three, and he coldly swished it through the net. A ridiculously tough shot that capped off a brilliant night for the Boomers, taking down Spain with a final score of 92-80. Mills finished with 19 points.
While it was a performance worthy of praise, there was no time for celebration as Australia quickly shifted its focus to arguably the world’s second-best basketball nation Canada.
On paper, this was certainly a mismatch. There’s no denying how talented the Boomers are, but Canada’s lineup features a plethora of high-quality NBA players and stars.
It was Australia’s time to set the basketball world on fire. They rode an extremely impressive offensive half to lead 49 to 45. Josh Giddey was the main reason why the Boomers had their noses in front, as he was dominant with the ball in his hands early. He finished at the rim and knocked down some really big shots, including a contested step-back triple.
Jock Landale was once again putting in a stellar performance, asserting himself as a real interior presence.
It’s also worth mentioning Dyson Daniels’ brilliant open-court pressure on NBA superstars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray, as Daniels did not shy away from the matchup whatsoever, and picked them up full court.
Unfortunately, the game was a tale of two halves. Canada responded very well in the third period, outscoring the Boomers by six in the term and taking the lead. The fourth quarter was by far Australia’s worst of the Olympic campaign so far, scoring just 13 points and allowing Canada to pull away with the 93-83 victory.
Australia committed 18 turnovers for the game, an amount that will make it tough to win any game, let alone one against Canada. For the entire duration of the game, Canada’s lengthy and clever defenders forced the Australian ball carriers to be uncomfortable and make rushed decisions.
The loss means that Australia now sits second in their group, with Greece awaiting in their last pool game.
Greece are currently winless in the group after going down against Spain, 84-77. However, they are still able to qualify for the knockout stage. They need a convincing win against Australia and Canada to beat Spain to go through.
Whilst the latter is likely, Greece and Australia are now faced with a pivotal challenge against each other. This Greek team has faced plenty of adversity, but Australia are by far the more talented squad.
The key for Australia will be limiting former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo because the reality is they won’t be able to fully stop him. He has averaged just under 31 points per game so far in the Olympics, so it’s going to be a tough matchup.
If Australia can force him to make decisions, that’s where they can take advantage. It will almost certainly include double teaming and excessive helping on pick-and-roll actions.
With players like Josh Giddey, Jock Landale and Patty Mills standing up and asserting themselves as high-impact players, Australia becomes tough to beat. A convincing win vs Spain and an honourable showing against Canada definitely leaves excitement in the hearts of all Aussies.
This matchup vs Greece is going to be one of the most important in Australian basketball history. It is potentially win or go home, with everything on the line. A team that is full of optimism and expectations, the Australian audience is going to see what the Boomers are really made of and their greatest tests await them as they progress in Paris.
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