Boomers Bolters: Breaking down potential new faces ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Australian Boomers are widely expected to carry over much of their 2023 FIBA World Cup roster into the 2024 Olympics, but there might be room for a bolter or two.

With the 2024 Paris Olympics just two months away, the Australian Boomers recently whittled down their tournament roster to 17 players. Five unlucky players - Will McDowell-White, Keanu Pinder, Rocco Zikarsky, Sam Froling, and Johnny Furphy - were cut from the initial squad and will not be taking part in the warm up matches. Many fans will lament the fact that Zikarsky and Furphy missed out on valuable time in the national team uniform, but it was the expected decision, as head coach Brian Goorjian favoured experienced players with professional credentials.

The 17-man roster features the full roster from last year’s 2023 FIBA World Cup (Xavier Cooks, Dyson Daniels, Danté Exum, Josh Giddey, Chris Goulding, Josh Green, Joe Ingles, Nick Kay, Patty Mills, Duop Reath, Matisse Thybulle, and Jack White), as well as five extra names: Jock Landale, Will Magnay, Jack McVeigh, Dejan Vasiljevic and Matthew Dellavedova.

Most of the World Cup squad will be expected to return for the 2024 Olympics, but there will invariably be room for one or two bolters to sneak in, from this group of five.

Jock Landale

Landale is perhaps the odd one out amongst the group of five, as he missed the 2023 FIBA World Cup only due to injury. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where the Boomers came away with a historic bronze medal, Goorjian ran a three pronged big man rotation - including Landale, Duop Reath and Nick Kay. Landale and Reath boast NBA credentials, while Kay has been a longtime stalwart going back as far as the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. A betting man would expect Goorjian to deploy the same big man rotation once again, and given Landale’s recent form at the back end of the 2023-24 season, he is a near-lock for the twelve man roster.

Landale endured an up-and-down 2023-24 season with the NBA’s Houston Rockets, where Alperen Şengün enjoyed a breakout season at his expense. However, when Şengün went down with a season-ending injury, while the Rockets still had a touch under 20 games to go, it was Landale’s time to shine. The Aussie averaged 9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 19 games without Şengün this season, which included an 11-game winning streak. Although the Rockets ultimately fell short in their quest to earn a playoff berth, Landale hit his stride at the right time and proved he is still in the conversation for Australia’s top big man, alongside NBA compatriot Reath.

At 6’11 Landale has the size to tussle with the bigger centres, and has a smooth touch around the basket to complement his hard-nosed rebounding and above the rim play. And although he only connected on 25% of his three point attempts in the recent NBA season (0.7 attempts per game), Landale offers value as a stretch big on a Boomers team featuring multiple playmakers - including Josh Giddey, Patty Mills, Danté Exum and Dyson Daniels.

Credit: JBC Studios

Jack McVeigh

After Landale, who is exceedingly likely to reclaim his Boomers jersey, McVeigh is arguably the most likely bolter to earn a major tournament debut. The 27 year old is coming off a career best season that recently culminated in an NBL championship and Finals MVP honours. He averaged 17.3 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Tasmania JackJumpers - both of which were career highs - while shooting an impressive 52% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc (on 4.5 three-pointers attempted per game).

McVeigh is a versatile forward who can score anywhere between the paint and the three-point line. He primarily projects as a Boomers three man, but at 6’8 has the size to cover either forward position. After likely returnee Joe Ingles, who suited up at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Australia currently lacks a genuine small forward, which increases McVeigh’s stock as a potential entrant. While Green, Exum and Thybulle can cover the three spot in bursts, none of these players have McVeigh’s size, and the JackJumper can arguably shoot it as well as his aforementioned NBA counterparts.

For McVeigh to make this squad however, Goorjian would have to make some difficult cuts. One player already has to make way for Landale to return, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who that may be. Jack White is probably the most likely incumbent to miss out, after struggling to find his groove in the 2023-24 NBA G League season, where his numbers are down across the board (compared to a stellar 2022-23 season). After that, Goorjian would have to consider cutting Xavier Cooks, who is a known quantity as an interior presence, or Dyson Daniels, who is the least experienced guard on the current Boomers roster, but has NBA reps and impeccable defensive instincts.

Alternatively, Goorjian could replace like for like by selecting McVeigh in place of NBL counterpart Goulding, but the latter fills a clearly defined role on the Boomers. While McVeigh can shoot the three, he doesn’t offer the same instant offence with a gunslinger mentality, that Goulding has always brought off the bench. So whichever way you analyse the situation, McVeigh faces a tough battle to break into the Boomers’ final roster, but if he does, Australia will be fortunate to have small forward depth behind Ingles.

Will Magnay

Much like McVeigh, JackJumpers big man Will Magnay is coming off the high of championship success. In a resurgence of sorts, the big man posted season averages of 10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks en route to Tasmania’s maiden NBL title. Those numbers don’t make Magnay sound like a dominant force at face value, but he was averaging just a touch under 20 minutes per game, and shot 67% from the field.

Magnay benefits from the fact that he plays an interior role, where Australia is somewhat lacking in depth. Landale, Kay and Reath are the three most likely big men to make the roster, but beyond that it’s anyone’s guess as to what Goorjian is thinking. If his previous choices are anything to go by, the Boomers will likely roll out a three-man rotation at Paris, with the addition of a fourth name such as Xavier Cooks, Jack White or Magnay for added depth.

Landale, Reath and Kay all offer perimeter shooting, in addition to their interior scoring and rebounding abilities. What they don’t have however, is Magnay’s reputation as a rim protector. If Goorjian is looking for a different type of player to round out his big man rotation, who can’t quite shoot the three but offers shot blocking ability, Magnay is his man. It’s also possible that we will see an extra guard or forward in place of a fourth big man, especially given that Landale is expected to return to the team and should assume a commanding role.

Dejan Vasiljevic

Dejan Vasiljevic is one of the most fearless shooters in Australian basketball, and will likely be battling Chris Goulding for a bench guard role. Both players are vying to fill perhaps the most clearly defined role on the Boomers - one where instant offence off the bench is paramount. Vasiljevic has the confidence to jack up a three in any situation, regardless of how much defensive attention he draws, and Australia could benefit from this sort of mentality when their offence stalls.

In the 2023-24, Vasiljevic averaged a career-high 19.7 points, to go with 3.2 assists per game. The 6’3 guard did shoot just 40% from the field, and his 32% clip from downtown (8.0 attempts per game) may not jump off the page, but one must factor in the degree of difficulty on his shots. Aside from contested shots, Vasiljevic isn’t afraid to launch a three off the dribble, or shoot from way beyond the three point line.

Standing in Vasiljevic’s way is Goulding, who has more runs on the board as a longtime Boomer stalwart. Goulding is also coming off one of his best seasons as a pro, where he shot a whopping 40% from downtown (on a whopping 9.7 attempts per game) and made the All-NBL First team. It ultimately comes down to whether Goorjian wants to build for the future, as Goulding turns 36 this year, and Paris 2024 will likely be his last Olympic campaign.

Alternatively, Goorjian may throw a curveball and opt to travel without a volume scoring bench guard. Goulding ultimately saw very little playing time at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, so it’s possible the veteran coach will go in another direction, but right now it would be a major shock to see a roster without one of Goulding or Vasiljevic.

Matthew Dellavedova

There’s no questioning Matthew Dellavedova’s track record in the green and gold. The 33 year old made his Boomers debut in 2009, and since then has gone on to become a three-time Olympian. For a time he was arguably Australia’s top playmaker, forming one half of a formidable back court duo alongside Patty Mills, who has always taken on a score-first role with the national team. But despite being one of Australia’s most well-known NBA players, Dellavedova missed out on a roster spot for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, largely as a consequence of his position.

Dellavedova is primarily a point guard who can occasionally play off the ball in a two guard role. Unfortunately for him, Australia is absolutely stacked when it comes to the back court, with a growing list of NBA names - including Giddey, Daniels, Thybulle, Green, Mills and Exum. Despite putting together a strong individual season with Melbourne United - where he led the NBL in assists - it’s hard to see a way back for the veteran.

The crafty point guard has showcased his prowess in distributing the rock, but his three ball remains a major question mark - he drilled just 31% of his threes in the 2023-24 NBL season (4.0 attempts per game). If Goorjian intends to run the offence through Giddey and Mills, much like he did at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, with Exum as a potential secondary playmaker, more might be needed from Dellavedova in an off-ball role. At this point in his career, and with the names in front of him, it appears that Dellavedova could be on the outer yet again.

Nonetheless, there’s an additional argument to include Dellavedova when factoring in team culture. The 33 year old has acquired a reputation for being one of the hardest working professionals in basketball, and will be a valuable off-court presence. It’s difficult to visualise Goorjian including Dellavedova solely for this reason, but stranger things have happened.