Jonah Bolden withdraws from Boomers' World Cup campaign
Jonah Bolden has withdrawn from Australia's run for the FIBA 2019 World Cup tournament, citing personal reasons.
The news comes just a day after he had a breakout game for the Boomers. In an X-factor performance, he registered 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks in the win over Canada on Saturday night.
According to a release from Basketball Australia, Bolden is returning to Philadelphia.
“My first thought is always with the player in these situations – having to withdraw from the national team is tough for anyone,” Boomers head coach, Andrej Lemanis said. “From a team perspective, the timing is sub-optimal, but again, we are very fortunate to have the depth of talent we have in this country available to take up this opportunity. Whilst it can feel like we need to make a quick decision, the most important thing is to bring in the player that best compliments the other skill sets we have on the team.
“The Canada series has allowed us to understand a little more about who we are as a team and we need to consider all available players to ensure we add the appropriate set of skills that match the needs of the team.”
The discussion as to who will replace Bolden has already begun, with Brock Motum and Deng Adel being regarded as the two most likely contenders.
According to NBL's Tom Hersz, it may be difficult for Motum to join the team as he is already in Valencia ahead of the upcoming season in Spain.
Australia plays Team USA on Thursday, August 22 and Saturday, August 24. After those games, they head to Dongguan, China for the World Cup, which tips off on Saturday, August 31.
International Basketball Series game schedule
Australian Boomers vs Canada Basketball, Friday 16 August 2019 , 7:30pm
Australian Boomers vs Canada Basketball, Saturday 17 August 2019 , 7:30pm
Canada Basketball vs New Zealand, Tuesday 20 August 2019 , 7:30pm
Canada Basketball vs New Zealand, Wednesday 21 August 2019 , 7:30pm
Australian Boomers vs USA Basketball, Thursday 22 August 2019 , 7:30pm
Australian Boomers vs USA Basketball, Saturday 24 August 2019, 2:00pm
USA Basketball vs Canada Basketball, Monday 26 August 2019, 7:30pm
All times are denoted in AEST, and games available via SBS and SBS On Demand.
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