It's Boom or bust for Australia against Turkey

The Australian Boomers have been praised for their talent and impressive win against Lithuania in the group stages of the FIBA World Cup, yet criticised for their inconsistency and tanking against Angola.

There was a great deal of pre-tournament hype surrounding Australia taking one of their most talented squads ever to the World Cup.

At times the team and individual players have looked to live up to this hype.

After defeating their favoured opponent Lithuania, the Boomers went on to win three games in a row. This marked the first time they have achieved this feat at an international tournament in 16 years.

The strong performances of swingman Joe Ingles have not gone unnoticed around the world, with rumours that NBA team the Philadelphia 76ers could find a role for him on their roster in 2015.

Ryan Broekhoff, the original 12th man for the squad, has turned into one of the best performing perimeter shooters of the tournament. Against Mexico he went four from four from downtown in the third quarter to put the game beyond doubt.

Excitingly, Australia is leading the tournament in three-point percentage, shooting an astounding 51.9 per cent from beyond the arc.

The overall performance of Dante Exum has been disappointing and NBL guard Adam Gibson has now taken preference in the team rotation. However, we have seen flashes of outstanding potential from the 19-year-old.

Much of the criticism pointed his way has been unwarranted as his minutes have been restricted. His first step off the dribble is hard to rival and he has shown a great sense of composure and unselfishness when on the court.

But Aron Baynes has been by far Australia’s best performer.

Undoubtedly Baynes has been one of the most dominant big men in the tournament and is a force on the low block. Against Mexico he had 10 points in the first quarter alone. Just do not let him shoot outside of the paint, it’s not pretty.

Despite these promising developments, the Boomers at times have played questionable defence and lacked purpose and direction on the offensive end. Their scrappiness has not gone unnoticed and they have struggled when the tempo of the game slows down.

To maintain momentum and intensity the Boomers have consistently played a half-court trap against the weaker guards in the competition. However, they were found out against Slovenia in the first game when Goran Dragic had nine points, four rebounds and two assists in the first quarter.

Australia’s inability to curb the Slovenian guard’s influence was ultimately what lost them their first game, and remains a fundamental weakness for the team progressing through the tournament.

The controversial nature of the win against Angola has had many people deeming the Boomers as un-Australian, fixers or tankers, and all in the name of ‘tournament strategy’.

Even Slovenian NBA player Goran Dragic demanded that FIBA do something about their unconvincing effort to win. Whether you agree with coach Lemanis and the team strategy or not, there is undoubtedly some positives to come from the Angola game.

Our starters will be well rested, our bench players have now played extended minutes and if we continue to win, we will not face the USA until the semi-finals.

As the Boomers progress through to the final crossovers of the World Cup, what can we expect?

Firstly, the talented Turkey outfit should not be underestimated. Despite going down to the Ukraine, some may have forgotten Turkey were up by five against the USA at halftime during the group stage.

The game will likely be won or lost inside. NBA player Omer Asik had a mammoth game against the Ukraine, scoring 16 points and pulling down 20 rebounds in just 32 minutes.

Baynes will be tasked with limiting his influence on the defensive and offensive glass and will be expected to score more than his counterpart. However, do look for Asik’s heavy 2.13-metre frame to cause headaches for Baynes and the Boomers.

If Australia can overcome Turkey and progress through to the quarterfinals, beat their likely opponent Lithuania again, and face-off against the USA, many will forget about their controversial tournament strategy.

However, if the Boomers do lose to Turkey in the first round of the crossovers, expect the Australians to be rightly criticised by both analysts and fans.

Time will only tell if Australia made the right choice to throw the game against Angola.

Australian Boomers play Turkey in Barcelona on Monday, September 8, at 4am (AEST). The match will be televised live on ABC2.