Raptors GM Happy With Jawai Pick & Kendall To Miss Out

My mail has Luke Kendall missing out on the Olympic team. Team to be announced Friday.

The Australian Boomers finished their tour of Europe with a 2-3 record. They finished play today with a 89-84 victory over the Brazilians in the Acropolis Cup held in Athens.

As fans can we get a read on the tour as to how we are going to measure up at the Olympics, which is less than a month away?

We cannot read too much into it as the Boomers played without the majority of its frontline in the lineup. Firstly, Andrew Bogut did not suit up at all as he is currently in the States securing his $72.5 million future.

He will join the squad on court for the first time next week. The Boomers have one more 10 day camp before they head to Asia for a few games before the Olympics begin on the 8th of August.

Matt Nielsen missed most of the tour due to illness. Nielsen will be a key factor for the Boomers as the experience he has gained over the past three years playing in Europe will be crucial if this team is to reach the round of 8.

Chris Anstey played when he wanted to. If his body is right he is very effective. He displayed this today in leading the Boomers with 24 points, but he sat out games with injury. Will this scenario rear its head at the Olympics?

David Andersen was the only "Big" to play consistently on tour. From previous personal experience with Andersen, this guy just loves to play for Australia.

He is the one guy that plays at this level of competition all the time, so I feel his game will be ready for the Beijing Games. i look for Andersen to have a very solid campaign and be one of the Aussies best.

So with this kind of talent missing from the majority of the five games you cannot read into these results too much.

We must remember, Greece, Croatia and Brazil are all still trying to qualify for the Olympics. Out of this list Greece is the only team that is a legitimate medal chance and they steamrolled us two nights ago.

I just think we have to hold judgement until the Boomers go to Asia and play in the Diamond Ball Pre Olympic Tournament. That will give us a better feel as to how the team is travelling.

One thing to come out of this tour is that one player had to be dropped to make way for Bogut.

My mail is that former Sydney King and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Luke Kendall will miss out. Look for this to be announced in the media on Friday.

Although you fans voted Kendall out on my recent poll, I felt he was going to make the final team as the 3rd point guard on the squad. Shows you how much I know.

I guess this role will be left up to David Barlow. Not a good option in my books. Barlow has been playing well in these international games so far. I see him logging some big minutes at the wing position and being asked to the main threat from long range.

Now he is going to be asked to play maybe the most key position in the game, in a pinch. It is a tough ask to get a guy to change his role on the fly.

It might just be me, but I feel you should never take a guy away from what he has been doing well, especially at the international level.

As for Kendall, it has been a tough offseason. First his Sydney Kings fold and now missing the Olympic team. I guess if he ends up at the Melbourne Tigers all is not lost.

Nathan Jawai's trade to the Toronto Raptors has become official. It seems that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo is happy about Indiana drafting Jawai and becoming part of the Jermaine O'Neal/TJ Ford trade.

Thanks to one of my readers (Leanyboy) who found this interesting piece of audio discussing the trade. Click this link and fast forward to about the 32 minute and listen to what he says about the #41 pick.

I'm sure this has to be nice for Jawai to hear that the team really wants him.

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