Brian Goorjian on the Boomers’ Olympic Run, the Brutal Realities of Player Selection and why he's proud of their result

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian returns to the podcast to provide an inside look at how he prepared the Australian Boomers for the Paris Olympics.

Despite being in a tough group with Spain, Greece, and Canada, the Boomers managed to reach the quarter-finals. However, they were knocked out after a hard-fought crossover game against Serbia, a team widely regarded as one of the top contenders in the tournament.

Goorjian reflects on re-tooling the roster after the FIBA World Cup, the brutal decisions involved in player selection, and how the team is focused on building toward future Olympic success.

In this episode, Brian discusses:

• How he views the Boomers’ sixth-place finish at the Paris Olympics (2:00)
• Re-tooling the roster after the FIBA World Cup (5:00)
• Why this year’s training camp was the most grueling in Boomers history (11:00)
• Addressing the rumors about Matisse Thybulle being cut for Joe Ingles (18:00)
• Bringing in new faces Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay (25:00)
• Delly’s omission from the World Cup and how he earned his way back on the Boomers for Paris (33:00)
• Did playing against an undermanned Chinese team help or hurt us? (38:30)
• Stories from the Rookie Talent Show and Boomers Culture night held prior to the Olympics (43:00)
• The moment Dyson Daniels became a starter in Brian’s eyes (54:00)
• Were criticisms like “why take Joe Ingles,” “Duop should be playing more,” or “Nick Kay isn’t bringing anything to the team” fair? (57:00)
• The burden of expectations that comes with being the Boomers coach (1:15:00)
• Thoughts on a Boomers team without Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Matthew Dellavedova, and Nick Kay (1:20:00)
• What Brian is most proud of about his second stint as Boomers coach (1:24:00)

Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.

Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring:

• Australian Basketball Legends: Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, Sam MacKinnon, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
• Current NBL Stars: Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Flynn Cameron, Keli Leaupepe, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers, Sam Froling, Jesse Wagstaff, Tanner Krebs
• Our Finest Coaching Minds: Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
• NBA Stars Past & Present: Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
• The NBL's Greatest Imports: Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
• The Men In Control: Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills

And much more.

Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at [email protected]