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3 months ago
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Olympic rookie Josh Giddey reckons the Boomers have never had more legitimate claims to Games gold, questioning whether the United States' all-star ensemble will click in Paris.
The Boomers, bronze medallists in Tokyo three years ago, begin their 2024 campaign on Saturday in Lille against world No.2 Spain.
Spain have the wood on Australia in big tournaments, winning their Rio bronze medal game by one point in 2016 and then prevailing in double-overtime of their 2019 World Cup semi-final.
Tough tasks against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Canada and Giannis Antetokounmpo's Greece will follow, with Australia needing to finish in their pool's top two to guarantee a quarter-final berth.
Beyond that star-studded line-ups await, none more decorated than a US side loaded with Games debutant Steph Curry, flag bearer LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker and Joel Embiid.
Australia led the United States by 11 in the Tokyo semi-final before a 20-point run blew the Boomers out of the water.
They return with a far more credentialed outfit for a tournament touted as the greatest assembly of basketball talent in Olympic history.
But Giddey, still just 21, thinks his squad can take them all.
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'If you look on paper they're the most talented team, it's not a secret,' Giddey said of the US.
'But the difference is these guys have never played together while a lot of these other countries have had a core that's been together for years.
'We're confident with how together we are as a unit that we can go against anyone in the world.
'I know we've got a group of guys that will be ready for it.'
The Boomers' lead-up form backs that confidence up, a six-point loss to the US followed by solid victories against Nikola Jokic's Serbia, Puerto Rico and then hosts France, who boast Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert among an experienced roster.
Point guard Giddey, who will move to Chicago from Oklahoma City next season, and starting centre Jock Landale (Houston) have flourished as a one-two punch and shape as key if the Boomers are to move into Paris's finals stage.
Both men have dominated the NBA arena when given the keys but were relegated to lesser roles last season.
Asked if they were playing with chips on their shoulders, Landale took a buck each way.
'Yes and no,' Landale said.
But Boomers star Giddey says there is a secret ingredient the Americans do not possess
'Any time you are given an opportunity to be a core part of the team you want to embrace that and make the most of it.
'But this isn't the environment to really worry about that.
'Right now we're playing a bigger game, to bring home something better than a bronze.
'We get the sense we have the team to put that together and are in a position we could make that happen so it'd be a disservice to the group if I was worrying about that.'
Landale said Giddey was among the best passers he'd ever played with.
'As a big man that's kind of your dream scenario,' he said.
'He's coming into his own and you get the sense he's about to take a big step.'
English (US)