Basketball

[nick87]

It would be great to have Irving but would he really offer more than Delly?

Yes. Yes he would.
In the most perfect way possible. What Australia really lacks is a genuine scorer. Someone who can make tough contested shots in the clutch. Kyrie can do that.

Hopefully in 4 years time Simmons will be an NBA superstar, Exum will be a little further along and maybe Maker can give us something too.

 

[betcats]

Well done Australia that was awesome. By next Olympics we could be a serious threat to the yanks if Simmons pans out, for this year we should be favs for the silver after that.

 

[Shorty]

Yes. Yes he would.
In the most perfect way possible. What Australia really lacks is a genuine scorer. Someone who can make tough contested shots in the clutch. Kyrie can do that.

Hopefully in 4 years time Simmons will be an NBA superstar, Exum will be a little further along and maybe Maker can give us something too.

Yep noticed that late in the game.
If we have a shooter then we win that game imo.

 

[T-Boon]

Yes. Yes he would.
In the most perfect way possible. What Australia really lacks is a genuine scorer. Someone who can make tough contested shots in the clutch. Kyrie can do that.

Hopefully in 4 years time Simmons will be an NBA superstar, Exum will be a little further along and maybe Maker can give us something too.

True, shooting is the big thing he would bring as well as ball handling class (Delly has been surprisingly good in this area though). Could you have both in the same starting 5?
Simmons will obviously bring a lot in 4 years, but I doubt he brings shooting...though if he is providing for Thon Maker in the paint as well as driving in himself it could keep us close.

 

[nick87]

When you're as thin as Australia is, yeah i think you could play both. You'd just stick one of them in SG. Probably Delly because you want the ball in Kyrie's hands as much as possible. All sliding doors stuff i guess

I wouldnt write off Ben Simmons as a scorer yet. He'll never be KD, but he's still very young and his jumper is a long way from a finished product. He's already handy around the paint. But you'd hope in 4 years time we're rolling out:

PG: Exum
SG: Delly/Mills
C: Maker
PF: Simmons
SF: Ingles

And then have an aging Bogut on the bench who might still be able to give us 10-15 minutes of tough rim protection.Mills?Delly coming off the bench, and there is 2-3 other young kids like Humpries (16 y/0 7 footer), Bolden (SF who got recruited by UCLA)...

I mean we're never going to produce a team capable of beating Team USA unless we get them on a bad day. But the aim is to get a team good enough to get into a gold medal player and maybe they have that bad day.

There is a genuine chance if a things break right, we could have the clear cut #2 BB team in the world

 

[T-Boon]

When you're as thin as Australia is, yeah i think you could play both. You'd just stick one of them in SG. Probably Delly because you want the ball in Kyrie's hands as much as possible. All sliding doors stuff i guess

I wouldnt write off Ben Simmons as a scorer yet. He'll never be KD, but he's still very young and his jumper is a long way from a finished product. He's already handy around the paint. But you'd hope in 4 years time we're rolling out:

PG: Exum
SG: Delly/Mills
C: Maker
PF: Simmons
SF: Ingles

And then have an aging Bogut on the bench who might still be able to give us 10-15 minutes of tough rim protection.Mills?Delly coming off the bench, and there is 2-3 other young kids like Humpries (16 y/0 7 footer), Bolden (SF who got recruited by UCLA)...

I mean we're never going to produce a team capable of beating Team USA unless we get them on a bad day. But the aim is to get a team good enough to get into a gold medal player and maybe they have that bad day.

There is a genuine chance if a things break right, we could have the clear cut #2 BB team in the world

Agree with all of that.
I've been frustrated by Simmons career so far - I mean at LSU I got the feeling he just wanted to be in the NBA (which I can understand as college hoops doesn't mean much to an Aussie).
Hopefully he is working his backside off now to justify all that talent he has.
Its going to be an unbelievably interesting season of NBA generally but especially from an Austrlaian perspective.

 

[Rabbits20]

Great come back effort from the Opals against Japan.

Brilliant

 

[Shorty]

Japan thought they won it, until Cambridge went all beast mode.
Cambridge has stepped up this Olympics.

 

[Shorty]

Business as usual for the Boomers.
As underwhelming as the swimming has been our team sports are performing pretty well atm.

 

[Twizzle]

except for our hockey teams

 

[WaznTheGreat]

Boomers will choke now that there expected to make the gold medal match

 

[Shorty]

Hope not, best they've played ever imo.

 

[lockyno1]

The Opals out choke Cate Campbell that's impressive!

 

[Twizzle]

another epic choke

 

[Shorty]

Not really, a lot of older girls were left out of in favour of youth with a new coach, plus they were sloppy in their last few wins.
The Boomers on the other hand look like they're building.

 

[lockyno1]

Maybe so but losing to that side?

Ugly or not they should have beaten that side.

 

[WaznTheGreat]

Opals choke,what a joke these Aussie sportsman are

 

[Twizzle]

Opals choke,what a joke these Aussie sportsman are

Opals are women derp

 

[WaznTheGreat]

Opals are women derp

Yah i wasn't referring to above when i said the Boomers would choke,unrelated comment,Boomers will still choke as well.

 

[lockyno1]

Yah i wasn't referring to above when i said the Boomers would choke,unrelated comment,Boomers will still choke as well.

To be fair getting the the quarters for the men is a good effort. At least Lituania is good!