Boomers battle for bronze

The 2016 Rio Olympics is Australia’s chance for an elusive men’s basketball medal.

Two fourth-placed finishes in Atlanta and Athens were followed up by the team not progressing further than the quarter-finals in the past three Games.

In Beijing and London, the Boomers felt the wrath of America, who smothered the green and gold convincingly in the quarter-finals on their way to consecutive Olympic golds.

In Rio however, the Boomers have drawn the USA in their pool, which should be a blessing in disguise. If Australia can snag at least fourth position in the group, they won’t have to face up against the tournament favourites until the semi-finals or the final.

2016 Rio Olympics basketball schedule

The pool will also contain China, Venezuela and two teams, most likely two of Greece, Serbia and France, who will be decided through the qualifying tournament.

Led by two former top-five picks, Australia’s core group of players is a mixture of youth, talent and NBA-experience we haven’t seen before. Seven of the likely roster are currently on NBA rosters currently, with most playing significant minutes for their respective teams.

Despite the loss of the versatile Ben Simmons, the expected #1 draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft, the grittiness and wealth of big-game experience could lead the Boomers to unchartered Olympic territory.

Veteran Andrew Bogut, participating in his third Olympic Games, is coming off an NBA championship in 2015 and another successful season this year, and is relatively injury free. The savvy passing skills of Bogut will help facilitate the backcourt finding open baskets from deep and will reward the team’s cut and runs to the basket, while his elite interior defending will prove a challenge for any team.

Patty Mills has also been to the NBA finals. He made his name by scoring 20 points against the USA in a warm-up game before the 2008 Olympics, and has proved his worth in international play since then, leading the London Olympics in points per game (21.2), including a 39 point outburst against Great Britain.

Joe Ingles was a European champion with Tel Aviv and is now a role-player at a solid Utah team, while his club teammate Dante Exum, while just coming off an ACL injury, will be hoping to show off some of the flair, athleticism and defensive tenacity he showed in his rookie season.

Matthew Dellavedova has led the Cleveland Cavaliers to victory in NBA playoff games in the past, and his tireless work ethic on the court has landed him in hospital due to dehydration. Delly’s grittiness will be a key factor for the Boomers should they advance given the increased physicality in international play.

The experience and size of Aron Baynes and David Andersen will be a prized possession against some of the larger teams such as Greece and Spain, and Brad Newley will supply the veteran leadership for some of the younger studs on the roster.

The Rio-bound Boomers have size, experience, grittiness and dynamism. Multiple players have spades of experience in FIBA, European and American competition. This combination will place the Boomers on the radar of the FIBA powerhouses for the first time in well over a decade. Should Andrew Bogut stay injury free and Patty Mills shoot consistently, this team could add Australia’s first Olympic men’s basketball medal to the collection of women’s.

Prediction: Boomers to claim bronze