The Boomers’ FIBA World Cup campaign is over, with the bronze medallists failing to reach the Quarter Finals.
Jock Landale’s injury on the eve of the tournament was always going to make things difficult and while they pushed Germany right to the line, they will leave incredibly disappointed with their performance against Slovenia, which ultimately ended their tournament.
Losing to Germany without Franz Wagner and Slovenia without Luka Doncic dominating is disappointing. The Boomers underperformed and appeared a clear rung below the top teams.
We have gone through each Aussie individually and graded their performance across the FIBA World Cup.
See our rankings below:
Patty Mills
Best Game: 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists versus Finland
Grading Patty Mills against what he accomplished in Tokyo is unfair given he went supernova for a fortnight. He was still the Boomers’ best scorer and playmaker at the World Cup and put up points consistently. He was attacked defensively, but unlike Tokyo the Boomers did not cover him as effectively.
Grade: 8/10
Josh Giddey
Best Game: 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists versus Slovenia
Josh Giddey has risen from missing the squad for Tokyo to being the clear leader two years later. Giddey was the chief creator and attacked smaller guards consistently. Importantly, he stood up when it mattered most against Slovenia. If his three-point ball becomes more consistent, he will almost be the perfect FIBA guard.
Grade: 8.5/10
Josh Green
Best Game: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist versus Japan
Josh Green shot the ball well when given the opportunity, but he was used sparingly on offence, sitting in the corner. He had a good tournament defensively without a real standout moment.
Grade: 6.5/10
Matisse Thybulle
Best Game: +17 versus Finland
Thybulle was incredible defensively in the Olympics, but was utilised less here with Josh Green seemingly the favoured starting defender after the first game. Green is a more reliable shooter and the Boomers struggled to space the floor throughout the tournament. If naturalised, do the Boomers consider Bryce Cotton over Thybulle in Paris for the extra shooting?
Grade: 5.5/10
Nick Kay
Best Game: 13 points, +22 versus Japan
Brian Goorjian obviously loves Nick Kay, who started every game at power forward this tournament. Kay is a quality role player who has a role in the squad, but against the best of the best the Boomers need NBA-level options. Ben Simmons, hopefully.
Grade: 6/10
Duop Reath
Best Game: 8 points, 3 blocks, 3 rebounds versus Japan
Fourth on the depth chart in 2020 behind Bogut, Baynes and Landale, Duop Reath was suddenly the only centre in the Australian squad. He was excellent in the warmup games and against Japan and Georgia, but was beaten consistently on the boards. He has a role in the squad, but he can’t start in Paris.
Grade: 6/10
Joe Ingles
Best Game: 13 points, 3/7 from 3, 4 rebounds versus Finland
Unfortunately for Joe, this was a poor tournament. He went missing in the two crucial games against Slovenia and Germany and he was consistently hunted on defence. The Boomers need shooting and Ingles will absolutely be there in Paris. Hopefully some consistent playing time with Orlando will get him in a better rhythm.
Grade: 4/10
Xavier Cooks
Best Game: 24 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks versus Japan
Asked to play as the team’s backup centre, Xavier Cooks had a breakout tournament. He flew around, got boards and provided a much-needed spark off the bench. A poor game against Slovenia is the only thing holding the grade back.
Grade: 8/10
Dante Exum
Best Game: 18 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds versus Georgia
Exum’s improvement as a creator and a shooter since Tokyo is incredibly evident, with this being his best tournament as a Boomer. He shot the ball well and provided a spark of energy off the bench that was certainly needed.
Grade: 8.5/10
Jack White
Best Game: 7 points, +/- 25 versus Finland
Jack White did what was asked of him, playing as an undersized 4. He was hugely influential against Finland. His spot is certainly up for grabs come Paris.
Grade: 6/10
Chris Goulding
The Boomers needed shooting and floor spacing pretty consistently throughout the tournament, but never turned to the Melbourne United veteran.
Grade: N/A
Dyson Daniels
The New Orleans Pelicans guard was barely used in the tournament. While it was important to get him around the squad, you have to wonder whether this roster spot would have been better utilised by another centre.
Grade: N/A