Three keys for Boomers in World Cup matchup against Luka Dončić and Slovenia

Australia needs to fully embrace their small ball identity against the Slovenian star.

In some ways, defending Slovenia is like the all-too-rapid evolution of AI. Everyone knows there’s a problem, but no one seems to know exactly how to fix it.

Here’s the problem: Luka Dončić is a mega-talented, *6’9 point-guard (*I know he’s only 6’7, but he always feels bigger than that) whose game just wears you down. He’s the type who reads you, finds the one thing you truly feel vulnerable about, and then exposes it again and again in front of a crowd of spectators. In his game against Georgia, he had 14 free throws by halftime. He’s averaging 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists per game, on 45.5% from the field. He plays literal bully ball.

And yes, we’ve beaten Slovenia before, and there’s a bronze medal from 2021 to prove it. But that was a different Boomers team, and this time, Dončić isn’t hampered by a nagging wrist injury. How does Australia figure it out this time?