On rising expectations for the Australian Boomers

Expectations for the Boomers should be sky high, because times are changing.

Credit: FIBA

Expectations placed upon the Australian Boomers have been evolving over the past decade. We have covered this before. What was once a group of plucky underdogs on the global stage has been transformed into a bona fide international contender. A bronze medal in Tokyo, plus a current ranking as the third best team in the world, signals that the landscape has changed. That’s why it’s fair for the demands and expectations to be higher than ever before.

If we are being honest with ourselves, the Boomers’ path into the quarter-finals at August’s FIBA World Cup is pretty simple. Expectations should be sky high because Australia will be the betting favourite in every game they play during group play. The Boomers were drawn into Group E for the World Cup, alongside three teams that are outside the top 10 in the world.  Germany is ranked 11th, Finland 24th while Japan is rated 36th.

Each team poses a challenge. Finland is expected to feature their NBA All-Star, Lauri Markkanen. Japan will have home court advantage and likely have familiar NBA names in Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe —and Yudai Baba for NBL fans— while Germany is coming off a third-place finish at the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket, and will likewise have NBA-calibre players including Dennis Schröder, Franz and Mortiz Wagner and more. These are all quality teams, but the Boomers —assuming they are at full strength— are simply better and stronger. Australia has clear advantages with talent, roster cohesion and experience.  

The same applies to the teams Australia will face in the second group stage.