Olympic News and Scores

Good to see Brad Newley and the Boomers get on track today. Newley led all scorers with 24.

Spain 72 defeated Germany 59 boxscore

"Spain’s tenacious, hounding defense limited Germany’s NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki to just 11 points on five of 15 shooting." - FIBA.COM recap

Australia 106 defeated Iran 68 boxscore

"That’s the monkey off our backs,” Brad Newley said after their first win here in Beijing. - FIBA.COM recap

China 85 defeated Angola 68 boxscore

"It feels great, when you win at the Olympics, in front of your home fans it is special,” Yao Ming said to FIBA.com. recap

Lithuania 86 defeated Russia 79 boxscore

Lithuania’s veteran point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius said, “It puts us in a good position to fight for the first place in the group." - FIBA.COM recap

USA 92 defeated Greece 69 boxscore

"Greece may have snuck up on the United States two years ago in Japan but the Americans were ready and waiting on Thursday night at the Wukesong Arena." - FIBA.COM recap

Argentina 77 defeated Croatia 53 boxscore

Other News

Pat Mills spends some time with FIBA.COM and answers a few questions.

"Australia coach Brian Goorjian launched a stout defense of under-fire center Andrew Bogut after the Boomers' 106-68 win over Iran." - fiba.com read more

Nowitzki loves the attention in Beijing.

"I want to meet Messi. If you see him, tell him I said, 'hello'," Kobe told the Olympic News Service after the win over China. - fiba.com read more

Boti Nagy talks about Shawn Redhage's Olympic role. I tend to agree.

Rivals.com and Pat Mills

My main man DJ Leon Smith talks about the Spanish photo shoot gone wrong.

NBL News

Hat tip to fellow blogger World Hoops Blog. (I do your enjoy your blog.) I offended him early in the week by thinking he was an Aussie. We all make mistakes, so I hope this American that gets a lot of traffic from the South Pacific area can forgive me?

Might need to keep a close eye on A Stern Warning as his Portland Blazers cannot take a trick with injury. Keep your head up champ, you could have been a Sonics fan!

Corey "Homicide" Williams talks about him and Rosell Ellis to be best import combo in the league.

Check out Global Basketball Trotter and find out who Andrew Bogut's new Milwaukee teammates are.

Adelaide 36ers coach Scott Ninnis talks about his team's abilities.

South Dragons beat the Melbourne Tigers.

Gold Coast Blaze lose to Purdue Boilermakers. boxscore

As reported here last week, Fox Sport is back..somewhat.

Everyone Loves A Blooper - Weightlifting is Dangerous in Beijing

Day 2 From Olympic Men's Basketball - Aussies Slip To 0-2

This is the "Redeem Team" and not the Dream Team. There are spare seats everywhere. Are we at the Kingdome?

Men's basketball from the Olympic Games has been happening all day and the picture is getting a little clearer as to who will advance to the medal rounds. Sure it is early days, but teams that have secured 2-0 records can book their ticket to the next round, while the hole is getting a little too deep if you have fallen to 0-2.

Here is a look back at what happened.

Argentina 85 defeated Australia 68

The Boomers never troubled the South Americans and Luis Scola (17pts) continued to dine out on the Green and Gold defense and Manu Ginobili (21pts, 7ass) toyed with the Aussie defense as he penetrated and dished to his wide open teammates as well as knocking down key baskets.

As for the Aussies, they look lost and not assertive at all on offense. Patrick Mills (22pts) is being aggressive but when your point guard is dominating the shot total, this is not a good sign for team play.

The team had a total of nine assists on 29 made field goals for the game. This does not reflect to well on team basketball.

Meanwhile the oppositions in their two games against the Boomers have averaged 18.5 assists and have nailed a total of 23 three's. Most of these shots are wide open and have been created through good ball movement and the extra pass.

Brad Newley (although stat efficient) who is one of the few guys that can create his own shot is running around without any purpose to his movement. He needs to somehow find a way to become more involved at the offensive end. After all, he is there to score.

The big man rotations are not working out. This area is suppose to be the team's strength but there is no cohesion here. Andrew Bogut, Matt Nielsen, David Andersen and Chris Anstey have had not found any rhythm as a combination. They need to find it quickly and I hope this is achieved in the next game against Iran.

Is it time to panic for the Aussies. No, but we need to beat Iran in the next game or the players might as well get an Olympic schedule and start preparing what events they would like to see while in Beijing. (I highly recommend athletics, hockey, tennis.....)

If the team gets off to a slow start Coach Brian Goorjian is going to have to roll the dice on his rotations. Time is ticking and there are no "W's" in the most important column.

boxscore

Lithuania 99 defeated Iran 67

Lithuania (2-0) had to rise and shine (9am tipoff) to play Iran (0-2) today after having an emotional four point win over Argentina less than 48 hours ago.

They were up to the task and thanks to the stellar play from Euro great, Sarunas Jasikevicius, the Lithunanians cruised in the second half to an easy win.

Jasikevicius finished the game with 20 points but it was his 15 first half points that set the Eastern Euros up nicely.

I must say I thought this Lithuanian team was not as strong as their past few Olympic teams but I have been proved wrong so far.

I should not have underestimated the great PG play at this level by Jasikevicius. There is no doubting he could not find his feet in the NBA but I can tell you first hand, this guy can control and win games at the international level.

I first came across Sarunas in 1995 when I was a member of the Gonzaga Bulldogs first NCAA appearance. We played the Maryland Terrapins and Jasikevicius was a member of this team. He has not looked back from those days.

Since that day I have competed against this guy too many times for my liking at the international level. He is one of those players that has the ability to control and win a game by himself. He is that good. He is truly a European great.

Back to the game. Denver Nugget Linas Kleiza lead the Baltic team with 22, while Hamed Ehadadi once again led the Iran team with 21.

A side note on Ehahadi: I'm going to go out on a limb and say that we will see Hamed and his soft touch in some NBA camp come October.

boxscore

Croatia 85 defeated Russia 78

This game was about too much Zoran Planinic and the continued red hot three point shooting from the Croatians (2-0).

Planinic a NBA cast off played an efficient game today. Shooting 7/9 on his way to 20 points helped his team control the game from start to finish.

Croatia killed the Australian team the other night from deep (12-16 3's) and that story continued against the Russians. 8-15 was the damage today.

Marco Popovic led Croatia with 22.

Russia (1-1) was led by Utah Jazz star Andrei Kirilenko who had team highs in points (18) and rebounds (6).

It doesn't get an easier for these teams as Russia plays Lithuania next and Croatia gets the defending gold medallists, Argentina.

boxscore

Greece 87 defeated Germany 64

This game was about a team of champions playing a champion team.

Germany's NBA pair of Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman could not match the team play of Greece.

Nowitzki and Kaman combined for 17 points on 4/11 shooting and 8 rebounds. I'm sure Greece would have taken that before the game.

On the other hand, Greece had 9 players trouble the scoreboard with one time NBAer Vassilis Spanoulis leading the scoring with 23.

It was the Greeks team defense that allowed them to get the easy win. They crowded and made it hard for Kaman to operate down low and double team Dirk at every opportunity.

In the end they restricted the German's to 36% from the field.

Side note: German great Detlef Schrempf has added pressure by saying a medal is needed now.

Germany plays Spain next, while Greece will play the USA.

boxscore

Spain 85 defeated China 75 (OT)

The game of the day. Spain had to fight back from being 14 points down in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.

Spain's electric backup backcourt of Rudy Fernandez and Ricky Rubio (17yo) ignited the Spanish fight back.

Fernandez who will play for the Portland Trailblazers this NBA season ended the game with a near triple double, 21pts, 8 ass, 9 rebs.

Rubio scored 1 point but it was his defense that sparked Spain into action. His game high 5 steals and 4 assists is what allowed them back into the game.

Knotted at 72's after regulation, Spain outscored the host nation 13-3 in the extra period.

LA Laker Pau Gasol lead Spain with 29pts and 8 rebs, while Houston Rocket Yao Ming had 11 pts and 9 rebs before fouling out.

Yi Jianlian still struggles through the Olympics. Playing 38 minutes the New Jersey Net produced 4 pts (2/4) and 9 rebs. i'm confident in saying they would be looking for a little more offensive punch from him.

Liu Wei led China with 19 points.

boxscore

USA 97 defeated Angola 76

The USA (2-0) "redeem team" played another solid and well rounded game against Angola (2-0).

Dwayne Wade continued his hot shooting (6/8) on the way to leading the Americans with 19 points. wade is leading the team in scoring @ 19 a game but the remarkable stat is he is shooting 87% from the field.

Meanwhile the Angolians played without their best player, Olimpio Cipriano, who will miss the rest of the Olympics due to a shoulder injury.

25 turnovers was the killer for the African champions and the USA converted many of these into easy fastbreak points.

The USA is now done with the easy part of their schedule. They now finish the remainder of pool play with Greece, Germany and Spain.

Angola takes on the host nation, China, next.

boxscore

GAME TIME: The Australian Opals play tomorrow night against Korea. Tipoff is 10pm Down Under time.

Blog of Note

Check out A Stern Warning. This Aussie blogger covers everything that I don't, so there is a lot to check out.

NBL News

Adelaide 36ers sign their second import, Temple grad Mark Tyndale.
Sydney Spirit hold onto nickname.
Taipans rookie Kerry Williams shines in first appearance.
Sydney Spirit down Purdue Boilermakers again. boxscore
Aaron Grabau continues to fight off injury.
Wade Helliwell to remain in Italy.

Andrew Bogut talking Olympic Hoops

An Aussie You Have Never Heard Of And He Is Blowing Up

Angus Brandt - a name to remember.

Angus Brandt is his name and he has caught American colleges by surprise. The kid from the Blue Mountains in NSW has made quite an impact in a short time on the other side of the Pacific.

Brandt has taken himself across to the US and been playing in the various summer leagues for high school kids with Chicago Elite AAU team. After a slow start (getting used to the pace and intensity) Angus has captured the hearts of many college coaches.

Playing in tournaments in Vegas (named in the top surprises) and Chicago, Brandt has already generated interest from top programs such as Gonzaga, Georgia Tech, Arizona and Louisville to name a few.

The 6'10 forward is enrolled at Lake Forest Academy for his final year in high school before he embarks on a college career.

Brandt's game is well rounded. He can get up and down the floor very well and can break his man down with the dribble if necessary. He doesn't mind posting up but can step outside and knock down the jumper as well.

The NSWIS product (thanks to Damien Cotter) will only get better with each minute he spends over there.

It is great to see a young Aussie kid take a "leap of faith" such as this. I hope he gets rewarded with the best experience of his life, both on and off the court.

For video footage of Angus Brandt, click here.

Other News

Click here to get all the latest news and results from Beijing for Women's Basketball. Opals do not play until 12.15am Tuesday morning. The Boomers have the same time slot tomorrow night against Argentina.

China/USA game, most watched ever?

ESPN's AJ Adande writes about NBA players leaving for Europe.

Yao to be selfish?

Adelaide 36ers looking for new import.

Sydney Spirit??? beat US college team Purdue. (boxscore)

Justin Brown takes his game to the Motherland.

Yao Ming interview - Pre Olympics

NAsh Challenge Building Momentum & Beijing Hoops

All systems go for Men's Basketball.

While the world was talking about and celebrating the start of the Beijing Olympics, I had my own party as I celebrated my rookie appearance on Yahoo.com's - Ball Don't Lie.

I think the correct way of saying this is a huge hat tip to JE Skeets and his The 10-Man Rotation article.

Makes me start thinking of creating my own movement, Rod Benson style.

While I'm tipping my hat, I must include A Stern Warning. He is teaching me and looking out for me in this dangerous world of blogging. He pumps up my tyres via Ball Hype as well. Thanks.

I don't wish to keep harping on it but the free throw challenge started by Steve Nash is gaining momentum.

US hoop mag, Dime, has jumped on board as well.

World Hoops Blog is all over the contest as well. Cheers knackers.

Unbelievable what knocking down free throws can do!

Lets move on, shall we.

Today saw the women hit the hardwood (all scores here) at the Olympic Games and tomorrow will bring the first day of the men.

I take a look at all six games that will take place tomorrow.

Russia vs Iran (9am China)

Russia has slid under the radar leading into these Games. They won the European Championship last year but everyone seems to have forgotten this when they discuss medal possibilities.

This is a great warm up game for Russia.

Flag bearing Russian Andrei Kirilenko and Co will have too much for Iran's 7'2 Hamed Ehadadi and his teammates.

If there is heavy smog the Russians may break a sweat.

Germany vs Angola (11.15am China)

Germany's NBA pair of Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas) and Chris Kaman (Clippers) should control the boards which will limit Angola's scoring opportunities.

If the Germans start out sloppy, look for Angola's trio of Olimpio Cipriano, Joaquim Gomez and Eduardo Mingas to cause some problems.

I'm predicting Angola to upset someone at these Games. If Germany takes them lightly, they could be the first victim.

In the end the Germans will be too big, too strong for the African Champs.

Spain vs Greece (2.30pm China)

Game of the round. Both teams would be thinking they will be around the mark when the medals are being decided. Neither team will want to start their Olympic campaign with a loss.

Spain is star studded with NBAers Pau Gasol, Jose Calderon and NBA castoffs Juan-Carlos "Nissan" Navarro and Jorge Garbajosa. Also they have talented youth on the roster (Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez) to give them depth.

Greece on the otherhand rely on great team play to get them the "W".

Sure Antonis Fotsis and Vassilis Spanoulis can light it up in a heart beat but it is the unselfish play of Dimitris Diamantidis and Theo Papaloukas that sets the tone for this team.

Greek centre Ionnis Bouroussis needs to stay out of foul trouble against the Gasols. Bouroussis is a player that can have an effect on the game at both the offensive and defensive ends, but foul trouble will hinder his ability to have an impact on the game.

In the end I feel the Spaniards have too much firepower for the Greek's sticky team defense.

Lithuania vs Argentina (4.45pm China)

If the previous game is not the game of the day, then this one is.

Lithuania is not as talented as they have been over the previous three Olympics, but while Saunas Jasikevkius is controlling the point guard position, the Lithos will be in any game.

Argentina on the other hand have all their studs in uniform. Manu Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto, Luis Scola, Andreas Nocioni and Carlos Delfino are one hand but I feel the pressure to perform is on Pablo Prigioni.

The point guard spot has usually been controlled by Pepe Sanchez but he is no longer with the team. Sanchez was a great PG at the international level. He had the ability to control a game without scoring a point.

Now it is Prigioni's turn. They are the defending gold medallists so he needs to perform well if the South Americans are to repeat Athens effort.

Argentina to win this game because of their superior depth everywhere.

Australia vs Croatia (8.00pm China)

This could be the game that sees the winner advance through to the quarter final round.

The Boomers (Aussies) have been building nicely during their warm up games and look ready for a strong Olympic campaign.

Over the past month these two teams have met three times. Croatia won two games while Australia managed a solo win.

Should we read into these results? I don't think so. The health of Andrew Bogut's ankle should be more of an issue.

If Bogut is healthy we have a strong front line to compete with anyone, let alone Croatia.

I'll say it again though, CJ Bruton needs to control the situation for the Boomers to be at their best.

Croatia is another team that is not as strong as they once were but they still have enough to scare most.

NBAer Roko Ukic (Raptors) and former Net Zoran Planinic are talented enough to cause Aussie coach Brian Goorjian some headaches.

If the Boomers are to make some noise in Beijing they need to win this game.

Aussies to win for me.

USA vs China (10.15pm)

This game is going to be filled with emotion. For the host nation China, they have sat around all day waiting for their game to arrive.

Yao and Co have an expectation to live up to in their homeland. There is some pressure there for them to succeed. Don't forget, Dell Harris got this team to the quarter final in Athens. They are at home now.

The USA or should I say "redeem team" have made it know they are in Beijing to get back what they feel they deserve. The gold medal. They want to get the first game out of the way.

Yao will pose some problems for the USA as the red, blue and white lack size inside.

The trouble for the Chinese is point guard Liu Wei will struggle against the USA's pressure defense which will limit Yao's impact on this game.

I'll be keeping an eye on newly acquired New Jersey Net Yi Jianlian to see if him and the coach are getting along a little better than during their warm up games.

USA to win this very easily. Will China be able to bounce back though?

News

Quote of the Day

"At the 1996 worlds, I got into it with Alonzo Mourning and Shawn Kemp, and I told them: 'If either of you want to fight me, one of you will never walk again." Words from former Australian Olympian Andrew Vlahov, courtesy of ESPN.

Group A Olympic team breakdown by ESPN's Chris Sheridan and here's Group B.

Five flag bearers are basketballers.

Carlos Boozer to Europe? Andrew Bogut is a Aussie at heart!

Boomers press conference before first game. (video footage)

Croatian game is all about credibility for Boomers.

Patrick Mills gets a wrap from NBA players.

Aussie players get mentioned in ESPN's Chad Ford article.

Josh Smith re-signed by the Hawks. He was a Grizz for a minute.

Kobe to test global market.

LeBron to test Europe waters as well.

Click here to see Pat Mills and Joe Ingles during the Opening Ceremony.

Olympics - It's A Special Time

I feel sorry for the athletes that miss out on this life time memory. I was in the middle there somewhere. (Athens Olympics Opening Ceremony)

In less than a week the world’s largest sporting event, the Olympic Games, will be in full swing. In case you have been hiding under a rock, this year’s games will be held in Beijing and begin next Friday, running over the next two weeks.

It was just four short years ago that I was about to have my own experience in Athens and I completely understand athletes talking about it being a life changing experience.

The first thing I remember is the moment I realized I had made the Olympic team. I was in Melbourne practicing with the team in preparation for the event when a member of Australia Post showed up to present all team members with their own stamp. Not a bad start.

When we finally arrived in Greece, the Opening Ceremony was upon us before we knew it. There is not better word to describe being a part of this than AMAZING! Outside of winning a medal (which we obviously didn’t do) this would have to be the biggest buzz of my Olympic experience.

The minute you enter the stadium, 100,000 people are screaming all around you. You cannot help but get lost in the emotion. You wave frantically to absolutely no one in particular. Somehow it feels like everyone has known one another for years.

After I finished my lap of stranger waving, I spent the next few hours star-gazing as the rest of the countries made their way into the stadium. No matter which way you looked, there were world class athletes and I was going to get a chance to rub shoulders with them over the next two weeks.

Once the Opening Ceremony came to a close all our energy was channeled towards the first game. I will never forget the atmosphere surrounding that game. We opened up against the host nation as 12,000 crazed Greek fans cheered for their team.

One of my favourite perks that came with being an Olympic athlete was being allowed to watch as many of the world class athletes compete as you could fit in. I managed to see the gold medal game for the Hockeyroos, Alicia Molik take bronze and the women’s basketball team, the Opals, win silver.

The Olympic Village is another memory that ranks high on my list of favourites. The dining hall, in particular, was a great place to waste time. I could sit there for hours and people watch. One minute 7’6 Chinese basketball player Yao Ming is sitting at the next table. The next sprinters Maurice Green and Ato Boldon are asking if anyone is using an extra chair at your table.

I could go on about my experiences for pages and pages. There is little doubt that when next Friday rolls around a piece of me will be wishing I was in Beijing reliving the old experiences and creating new ones.

On the other hand it is great to know that there will be many first time athletes there enjoying the same things I did.

Let me reassure you that over the next few weeks, when you hear an athlete commenting about how they are having the experience of a life time at the Games, nothing could be more true.

You can read my article every Saturday in the Townsville Bulletin.

Boomers Win While China's Yi Jianlian Is Unhappy, Jackson Injuried

Yi is not giving his coach the thumbs up.

The Australian Boomers started the FIBA Diamond Ball for Men with a solid 67-55 win over hosts China.

The Boomers displayed trademark Brian Goorjian defense which disrupted the soft Chinese all too easily. China's 24 turnovers did not allow them to get into any offensive rhythm all game.

The Boomers on the other hand had a very balanced team effort. Chris Anstey was the leading scorer with 11, while David Andersen was the only other Aussie player to reach double figures with ten.

Freshly cashed up Andrew Bogut was very solid for the Boomers. His 9 points and team leading 8 rebounds do not tell the whole story. He battled Houston Rocket centre Yao Ming on all possessions and made it a long night for Yao.

Yao lead China in scoring with 14 but Bogut's constant pressure created a team high 5 turnovers from the Chinese centre.

After watching this game (http://www.justin.tv/) I feel Yao needs to get in the weightroom and shoulder press his night away. The Chinese team is expecting their NBA All Star to create a miracle on every possession. Sure it is great to have every play ran for you (ask Andrew Gaze) but you need help to ease the pressure a little. He cannot carry this team on his shoulders alone.

Yao had no help out there tonight.

That leads me to newly acquired New Jersey Net power forward, Yi Jianlian. Yi had zero points tonight on 0/3 shooting. There is no other way to sugarcoat this, he was plain miserable.

Word is, he and head coach Jonas Kazlauskas are not seeing eye to eye. This little tiff apparently started the night before in their game against Angola (maybe due to Yi being abused in the post by Angola's Olimpio Cipriano) and obviously carried over into tonight's game.

Could this be a case of a NBA player coming home and thinking he is better than what he is? I'm betting on this being the case.

He is too good a talent to have zero effect on a game and Yao needs someone to ride shotgun with him. Point guard Liu Wei is no Robin to Yao's Batman.

Enough of the Chinese. This is a solid win for the Boomers but lets not get carried away as I don't think China will advance on their side of the draw in Beijing.

Tomorrow (Thursday) at 6pm EST will see the Aussies take on Angola. This game will be a good test as the team from Africa is a very free flowing style of team. They have the ability to put a lot of points on the board in a hurry.

This game will test our perimeter defense as the Angolans are happy to penetrate and pitch for the three.

Check out www.justin.tv/antileech for a live feed of the game.

On the women's side of things, the Australian Opals defeated the Brazilian national team for the second straight game.

The Opals ran out winners by the score of 85-62, even without the world's best women's player Lauren Jackson. Jackson sat out due to and ankle injury but should be ready in time for the FIBA Diamond Ball for Women.

Suzy Batkovic led the scoring for the Opals with 17, while series MVP Belinda Snell added 13 for the home side.

All players contributed to the end total besides defensive juggernaut Tully Bevilaqua.

Boxscore

The Opals will begin action in the Diamond Ball later this week.

In other Pre Olympic action, you can catch Team USA play Turkey on Thursday night on ESPN from 10pm. This will be live coverage.

NBL News

Gold Coast Blaze get a major sponsor.

Brian Goorjian and his most talented team, EVER!

Spirit debate still going on. Check out the Sydney Spirit website. If I'm Bendigo this is my argument. How serious are they about their name chance? Not to serious if it is still the "The Official Website Of The West Sydney Razorbacks". I will give them some credit. Punch in http://www.sydneyspirit.com.au/ and you get re-directed back to the Pigs website.

NBA News

Ron Artest has been traded to the Houston Rockets. Bobby Jackson back to the Kings.

Ex-ref gets 15 months jail.

$71 million will see Deng stay in Chicago.

NBA teams to play Euro power clubs in preseason.

Emeka Okafor will stay with Bobcats.

Something a Little Different - Former PM John Howard Rolling His Arm Over

Slingers Gone and Some Pre Olympic News

These guys will no longer be part of the NBL.

Although some whispers had started to circulate it is now official. The Singapore Slingers are no longer part of the NBL.

I can tell you that it is true that all player contracts will be honoured and the talk about the Slingers joining an Asian league is true to some degree.

Where the hitch in this master plan is, what league do they play in? Great question because I'm not sure if any league that is currently operating in Asia would open their arms and welcome in the Singapore Slingers. What do the Slingers offer as far as improving the current status of any league? I'm not sure, but I don't think much considering their roster is full of Aussies.

If any of you readers have read any of the newspaper articles, they have made comment about Bob Turner trying to start up a league over there. This is true but where will he get teams from to fill a league?

A factor that may hinder this process is time. How quickly can a league starting from scratch be up and running and also become viable? Once again I have never setup a professional league, but I'm guessing this will not happen over night. I will guess a timeline of about 12-18 months would be needed to set up something viable and long lasting.

Once again, I will keep you posted on this topic as it will be interesting to see what becomes of the Singapore Slingers. There is a small chance that Ben Knight could become a household name in Asian basketball. A status level he never reached in his own country.


Continuing with my individual breakdown of the Boomers roster, lets take a look at point guard CJ Bruton.

strengths: Bruton is entering his second Olympic campaign and is the veteran floor general this time round. Leading a rather inexperienced backcourt Bruton needs to perform at a high level for the whole two weeks of the Olympics if the Boomers are to advance to the medal round.

This is something he is capable of doing, the question is, does he want it!

CJ's offensive repertoire allows him to win games on his own. When he starts "feeling it" just sit back and enjoy the show.

Over the years Bruton has become a good quarterback in knowing when to pick his spots in a game. I just hope his radar is switched on in Beijing because how CJ goes, so do the Boomers.

weaknesses: Sometimes it seems CJ is just cruising through a game. Happy to keep everyone involved he can sometimes become too pass happy. This type of attitude from Bruton is going to be detrimental to the Boomers success.

If Bruton is happy to take a backseat and watch the youth of Australian basketball gain experience, there will be no medal chance for the Aussies.

overall: Easy said. How CJ goes, so do the Boomers.

Articles from pre Olympic games

"FIBA: It’s interesting to hear you say that you’ve got the most talented team that you have ever had. In saying this, aren’t you raising expectations?

Brian Goorjian: I’m just stating the truth. We’re underprepared and a bit disorganized, but the country hasn’t had David Andersen, Matt Nielsen and Andrew Bogut (all together) before. And we’ve added a lot of length on the perimeter since I’ve been here in Dave Barlow, (Brad) Newley, Joe Ingles. You’ve got 6ft 7in, 6ft 8in in those perimeter spots. We’ve been 6ft 2in, 6ft 3in and most of the guys in those spots were one dimensional where these guys can shoot it and put it on the floor. I know this - it’s a brighter future ahead than four years ago when we brought a lot of guys who were 29, 30 years old that had never played in Olympic Games, never played in the World Games, never played in the Commonwealth Games, due to the fact that that group to seven to eight guys had represented Australia in Three straight Olympics." - FIBA.COM

For the rest of this Q & A with Goorjian click here.

Good to see Goorj supporting his current players. I will argue his statement though. I will take an experienced Brett Maher, Jason Smith and myself over a young and inexperienced Pat Mills, Brad Newley and David Barlow.

In fact, when Smith is healthy again we would take them in a three on three contest.

In a few years time that might be a great statement by Goorj.

Australian Opals defeat Brazil ,easily. boxscore

Good news for Boomers, Russian centre struggling to be fit in time for Olympics.

Argentina slide by Iran by 10 in the FIBA Diamond Ball for Men. (boxscore)

China get win over Angola by 9 at Diamond Ball. (boxscore) Both China's NBA stars Yi Jianlian (11&6) and Yao Ming (21&5) played.

NBA News

Ref to get jail time?

What is going on with free agency and who is the best that is still left?

Kwame Brown joins the Detroit Pistons on two year deal.

Ricky Davis joins the Los Angles Clippers.

Nenad Krstic bolts for Russia.

More Vintage NBL - 1999 Highlights - Thanks NBLBBALL

Spirit Debate Continues & Other Stuff

This is what the Great Debate is over!

Who Has The Spirit

The debate over which team or teams will be able to use Spirit as their nickname continued today in Sydney.

The Bendigo Spirit who play in the Women's National Basketball League have always operated with this nickname.

Bendigo is fighting for their name as the (kind of) new franchise in the Men's National Basketball League, Sydney Spirit, is trying to swoop in on the nickname.

I like the passion that the people of Bendigo are approaching this matter with. I hope they get what they are fighting for.

Bendigo's GM Wendy James had this to say.

"We were given a good hearing and we stood up for our name and the reasons why we want it exclusively", she told the Bendigo Advertiser.

For the full article click here.

Anyone for Steak

"Jason was met at the airport by team owner Bob Turner and driven to his quarters before they proceeded to a downtown restaurant for a steak dinner. Danny said Jason was very impressed with his quarters and might ask a cousin based in Singapore to stay with him in his flat." - INQUIRER.Net

Good to see that all is going well for new Singapore Slinger Jason Castro. If all it takes to impress him is a steak dinner, look for more NBL clubs to recruit players from the Philippines.

RESPECT

"Probably not the NBL, though: people there couldn't organise the proverbial in a brewery without losing their shirts. And pants. And then blaming it on a biased media and a dodgy bloke from Perth with miracle tablets." - Sydney Morning Herald

This is a great article by the SMH's Bernard Zuel. I'm sure when many front office big wigs read this article, they had their lackey put out a press release about something they had just done.

Athens

With the first round of games nearly complete at the FIBA Athens 2008 tournament, finally we are a step closer to finding out which three countries will get the remaining three Olympics spots.

The Kiwis lost to Germany today for the fifth consecutive time, while Greece continues to dominate in front of their home fans.

For all the latest news and results click here.

Vegas in Summer

Check out the latest and greatest scores from the Vegas Summer League.

South Dragons new import signing Ebi Ere has been putting up some solid numbers over the past two games for the Memphis Grizzles.

If he keeps playing well, he may have to take a pay cut to play in the NBA next season.

A Pocket Full of Posey

"You knew this was coming -- the inevitable overreaction to a role player on a championship team in free agency. Every year there's one guy whom teams can't stop fawning over, and this year it was James Posey. Sure, he was an integral part of championship teams for both Miami and Boston, but as with a lot of players who win rings it can be hard for us to look at him rationally." - ESPN's John Hollinger.

A good article explaining how timing is everything for a solid role player in the NBA. I'm a James Posey fan, but the New Orleans Hornets have just shelled out $25 million for the best role player in the recent NBA Finals series. Is he worth it? You decide.

Yao Rusty

"Entering to huge applause from the crowd in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Yao appeared rusty in scoring six points over seven minutes in the first half. Four of those came from free throws, helping China race to a 51-39 lead after the second quarter." - Associated Press

China's great basketballing Olympic hope Yao Ming returned to action today against Serbia.

Although it was reported he looked rusty, the confidence he brings out in the other players will see China become a much tougher opponent with him in the line up.

During my recent trip to China I was told that the other Chinese players on the squad respond positively to the presences of the big Houston Rocket centre.

Youngsters to Scrimmage Team USA

"We're looking for this select group to really compete and help prepare our senior team for Beijing," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said in a statement. "I'll also repeat something I said last year. Some of these players have represented USA Basketball in the past and there are others who will. This is an opportunity for them to get into the USA Basketball pipeline." - Associated Press.

To check out the full squad click here.

Marbury Gone?

The future of Stephon Marbury with his hometown New York Knicks looks bleak. The Knicks signed Anthony Roberson to a two year deal. This signing seems like it could be the death of Marbury in New York.

A Little Ol Skool NBL - 1982 All Star Game

China Takes Game 2 Against NBL All Stars

Yi had a lazy double double.

A Yaoless Team China had a narrow victory over the Aussie All Stars last night in Ningbo in front of 7000 screaming fans.

The final score was 66-61 but the way the game began everyone was thinking we would be lucky to get to fifty points combined.

First the first six and a half minutes the game saw six points scored, and all were by the Aussies. After that the Chinese team went on a scoring spree for the remainder of the quarter. The quarter time score ended at ten apiece.

The first quarter was marred by turnovers and scrappy play from both teams.

The second quarter seemed like a scoring bonanza with both teams managing nineteen points each in the quarter leaving the half time score locked at 29-29.

The Aussies were the better team in the first half and should have capitalized on their good defense the really limited the Chinese perimeter game. If you have not seen the Chinese team play, they rely on the three ball more than me.

Too many turnovers was the story for the Aussies. Fourteen first half TO's was the downfall for the team. The way we were playing we should have held a ten point lead by half time. Not to be though.

The third was played like the second period. Ugly basketball by two teams that were disrupting each other very well. The Chinese won the quarter by one, 20-19.

The fourth quarter become a free throw shooting game for the Chinese. The All Stars racked up four team fouls within minutes of the quarter starting. The home team knocked them down at a good rate and the Aussie offense could run as efficient.

The All Stars really tested the Chinese team tonight and were unlucky not to steal a win.

There is no doubting that Yao Ming will make a difference when or if he returns to the team but I cannot see this team getting out of the first round at the Olympics.

Their backcourt is not quite at international standard right now and that means less touches for Yao.

Yi needs to be able to dominate for this team at times. He should have against the talent he was playing against in the Aussie All Stars, but it seemed he would have preferred to be elsewhere.

When Yao is absent, Yi needs to be the man for this team. I'm not sold that he is there yet.

Trends of the Game

The first quarter was the ugliest basketball I have maybe ever seen. My memory is not giving me anything better than what I saw tonight. The Aussies played some great defense during this period, hence the 10 point period for the Chinese.

New Jersey Nets fans may note that Yi Jianlian did not seem to want to play in the first half. There is no doubting his talent but his team would like to see him play with a little more urgency I would imagine. To his credit he the big plays for his team down the stretch, both on offense and defense.

His final stat line will read pretty good but he was the recipient of some very good "home cooking". He will not see this at the Olympics or in the NBA.

17pts (4-7 fgs, 9-13 fts), 14 rebs (4off) and 4 blks.

Singapore Slinger fans will be happy to know that Darren Ng was in an groove tonight. Ng lead the Aussies with 16pts (7-14 fgs, 2-3 3pa) and 2 steals.

The game had quite a disparity in the foul department. 31-11 was the foul count against the Aussies which allowed the Chinese to make a trip to the foul line 42 times. The All Stars shot 9.

Aussie Stats

Oscar Forman - 5 points, 4 rebounds and 4 TO's

Rhys Carter - 2 pts, 4 TO's

Peter Crawford - 11 pts, 3 rebs and 7 TO's

Cam Tragardh - 6 pts and 6 rebs

Greg Vanderjagt - 6 pts

Matt Knight - 4 boards

Matt Burston - 4 pts and 8 rebs

Cam Tovey - 1 reb

Alex Loughton - 11 pts, 4 rebs and 6 assts

One way to get around the streets of China.

Please excuse my lack of blogging for the next day or two as I will be travelling home.

1.3 Billion Can Watch

Yi Jianlian fronts the media oncourt immediately after the game.

I am currently on the other side of the equator, more specifically China, and I can tell you that basketball here is alive and strong.

So strong, in fact, that basketball has become China’s number one sport. Its growth and development has risen as a result of the team’s emergence as a force on the international stage. Having an NBA superstar like Yao Ming promoting the game doesn’t hurt either. But the big guy is not the only famous face here. All the top players are stars in their home land.

Just to give you a taste of their popularity, they arrived at the hotel on Thursday night via police escort and they needed it. The hotel lobby was overflowing with fans trying to get a glimpse at these guys, so they needed assistance just to make their way to the hotel elevator. They did take some time to pose for photos and signatures along the way for a few members of the hotel staff.

Since Team China’s arrival into town, even the attention we draw from the locals in the city of Wuxi has changed dramatically. We had been able to roam around the city at our leisure, generating only the occasional tourist type glance.

Not anymore. We will now join the motorcade to and from the game, complete with our own police escort.

Game One will be telecast live throughout China so the likes of Peter Crawford and Greg Vanderjagt could potentially be watched by 1.3 billion people.

After this game, we will immediately depart for Ningbo, which requires another three hour bus ride. Here we will play the second and final game of the tour.

Again we will not be alone on the road. The two teams will also be joined by the marketing company hosting the event.

Anywhere from 60-100 media outlets will be covering our two games series and they will have their own bus.

And last but not least, the TV crew has their crew and equipment. All in all five buses will be escorted out of town headed for Ningbo.

It is truly an amazing thing to be a part of.

Basketball in Australia will find it difficult to operate at this level if for no other reason than the huge difference in population, but it does demonstrate how the success of your national team on an international stage really does go a long way toward boosting the profile of your sport on your home ground.

Peter Crawford being presented with the trophy.

My weekly column can be found in the Townsville Bulletin every Saturday.

Bits and Pieces

There will be no more Sonics in Seattle.

Tonight is the first of two games that the mixed NBL squad will take on the national team of China.

The squad has spent the last two days practicing and getting accustomed with their new teammates. I have to say the guys have been progressing at a good rate as far as picking up what Coach Andrew Gaze is looking for.

Team China arrived in town today, but the big question is whether NBA All Star Yao Ming will play? Yao is working his way back from injury but it seems to be top secret as to whether he will play or keep recovering.

There other NBA player, Nets Yi Jianlian, is playing and I look forward to him and Alex Loughton going at it. After seeing Loughton up close for a couple of days know, I have to wonder how he got cut from the Boomers squad so early. The guy has some tools to play this game.

Tune in tomorrow to see how this squad represented Australia in China.

The Australian Boomers have kicked off their tour of Europe with a 78-74 win over Croatia.

Although on tour Matt Nielsen did not suit up for the Aussies as he is suffering from a virus.

This is a solid win for the Boomers as their previous combined five games against Iran and New Zealand presented little opposition.

Croatia is preparing to qualify for the Olympics via a tournament in Greece in the upcoming weeks. There are three spots remaining in the Olympic field and they will be filled by the top three teams from this tournament so Croatia is playing for something.

These teams play again this morning.

Germany has just enhanced their chances of qualifying for the Beijing Games. Los Angles Clippers centre Chris Kaman has just received his German passport. Potentially starting a front line that will include Kaman and perennial NBA All Star Dirk Nowitski, Germany will like their chance of securing one of the remaining three spots available at the Olympics..

Brisbane Bullets legand Leroy Loggins is prepared to run a new look Bullets as long as somebody can put up the cash. I'm guessing many people would put up their hand if they could find somebody to fund the project.

Check out this Q & A with the NBL's CEO Chuck Harmison. He talks about how the second Sydney franchise could not get off the ground.

New Zealand Tall Blacks finally taste victory. They defeated Lebanon 84-71 in the Jack Donohue International being hosted in Canada.

Now we wait and see what happens with television rights and a naming rights sponsor.

In NBA News the Seattle Sonics are moving on. Their new home will be made in Oklahoma City. The Sonics have been part of Seattle's landscape for the past 41 years. Owner Clay Bennett was always looking to move his team and it was decided today it will coast him $75 million to move to Oklahoma.

RIP Sonics and you have lost a big fan in DJ Leon Smith.

Free agent Elton Brand is considering taking the offer made by Golden State. Although it seemed as though Brand would be a simple re-sign with the Los Angles Clippers, all of a sudden the lucrative deal ($90 million) the Warriors have offered has Brand rethinking his future team.

DeSagana Diop and Gerald Green will sign free agent deals with the Dallas Mavericks.

High School kid thinking of skipping college to play in Europe before he enters the NBA Draft.

Sonics Owner Clay Bennett

I Have Touched Down In China

For some reason the fluro lighting on top of a roadside toilet stop caught my attention.

After a ten hour flight from Sydney to Shanghai and then jumping onto a bus for a few more we have made it to Wuxi.

For those who are not in the loop "WE" are a put together team from the NBL that are playing the Chinese National Team in a two game series.

The team is: Darren Ng, Oscar Forman, Peter Crawford, Alex Loughton, Rhys Carter, Matt Burston, Greg Vanderjagt, Cameron Tragardh, Matt Knight and Cam Tovey.

The Head Coach is Andrew Gaze and I'm here to assist where necessary.

Tomorrow will be the first time the team will have a practice session together. I can't wait to see Gaze put them through the "Auburn" shuffle offense. It should be quite interesting to see him teach something that he has known all his life, while some of the players would have never played this style of offense.

Right now the buzz or the question being asked is, will Yao Ming play?

He is getting over an injury he sustained during the NBA season but it is tipped that he may play minimal minutes in these two games.

That will be quite an experience for those guys that will match up on him.

I will keep you posted on what happens from day to day on tour. Hopefully some photos will be included.

Now onto the NBL. The sword was dropped on Brisbane Bullets today but the Sydney Kings still are living in hope.

I feel I have expressed my view on this topic enough over recent times, but I had to feel for Greg Vanderjagt today when we touched down in China.

The Big Fella found out via a text message that the Bullets are done. To make matters worse his luggage was lost in transit. China is not the place for a seven footer to try and find some clothes at eleven at night.

I can only hope Vanderjagt has a good tour so it helps his cause in finding a new team somewhere.

Articles From The NBL

Brisbane get the bullet.

Loggins disappointed in Bullets end.

Kings rescue plan.

Is basketball dead?

Dragons Nick Horvath makes Kiwi cut.

Tigers Dave Thomas makes Canadian team.

Breakers Kirk Penney has been working out for the San Antonio Spurs.

NBA News

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DraftExpress.com team by team draft grading.

Can Never Have Too Much Bill Walton