Australian national team coach Brian Goorjian would like to have Ben Simmons on his roster for the 2024 Olympics, but he told Olgun Uluc of ESPN that the Boomers will be fine whether the Nets guard plays or not.
“This is very important,” Goorjian said. “In my dealings with Ben, it’s always been: I’m not recruiting you. It’s important for the country (to know), we’re not going, ‘Please, Ben, please, we don’t have anything if you don’t play’. We’re not like that at all.”
Basketball Australia announced in late June that Simmons would miss this year’s World Cup so he could continue to rehabilitate his back in preparation for the upcoming NBA season. Recent reports indicate that Simmons is fully healthy and will be ready when Brooklyn’s training camp begins.
Uluc points out that Simmons hasn’t played for Australia since a FIBA Oceania Championship game in 2013. He wasn’t selected for the Boomers’ World Cup squad in 2014, which Goorjian believes led to resentment. Simmons committed to taking part in the 2016 Olympics, the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics, but he never actually joined the team.
Australia has become a perennial contender in international competitions and it’s not as easy to earn a roster spot as it used to be, even for a former star like Simmons, Uluc adds. His expected role as primary ball-handler now belongs to Josh Giddey, although Simmons is versatile enough to help the Boomers in other ways if he’s healthy and fully committed to playing.
That’s a decision Simmons will have to make by next summer, and Goorjian is adamant that the Australians will be competitive with or without him.
“You have a game plan, and it’s like plan B,” Goorjian said. “You’ve got this sitting in here, and you just go, ‘I’d love to pull this out of my pocket; bring this out for a World Cup or bring this out for an Olympics.’ In the same breath, what is phenomenal about Australian basketball right now is, if he doesn’t play, and if it doesn’t work, we’re still on the same path. We’re still going for that gold, and we have the ability, long term, to get that done.”
“Simmons committed to taking part in the 2016 Olympics, the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics, but he never actually joined the team.” Says everything you need to know about him. He’s soft. And at the tender age of 27, he’s already washed. A ton of talent, wasted.
Thought this mean for an Australian leauge. This guy will be out of the NBA by 2026
Only bec he refused to take that one shot and everybody remembered that ruined him as a player.
He refused to make way more than one shot
Ben is 27 yrs old. He’s at his peak in playing yrs. Healthy of course. His feelings and ego might be hurt. But he can redefine his game in NYC. It’s really all up to him. I don’t know him personally. But if it was me !!!!!!!
I’d take over Bklyn as a 4-3. I would improve my shooting, at least try. But I don’t need to shoot well to go 20 n 10 n 7ast. Just shoot 75% FT.
He’s 6’ 10” n 240 LBs. With as good a handle as guards. He can redefine the SF and PF position. And Bklyn would love to witness that. See a shrink and get over yourself.
Does Australia still even acknowledge him?