Did he really do that Delly amazed at new Boomers in gold chase

Each Boomers roster is unique but it only took a few sessions for Matthew Dellavedova to see that the Tokyo Olympic side was like no previous national team.

Throughout the years the Boomers have forged close-knit teams who fight until the final buzzer and this team is no different, but what has changed is their athleticism, even without NBA All-Star Ben Simmons on the roster.

Matisse Thybulle has been explosive for the Boomers.Credit:Getty Images

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian put a premium on promoting the side’s young NBA athletes to boost this year’s team and also look to the future when the likes of Dellavedova, Patty Mills, Joe Ingles and Aron Baynes will be at the end of their careers.

Philadelphia 76ers swingman Matisse Thybulle has made the biggest impact with his explosive plays on defence, his outside shooting and his laidback, shoeless ways off the court earning the nickname “Socks” from Ingles.

Those additions, along with the drive and experience of their veterans, could prove the formula to take Australia to its first men’s Olympic medal in basketball.

“A couple of things Matisse does when he is just flying around is amazing,” Dellavedova told The Age and Herald while promoting the new Boomers documentary Green for Gold.

“I think it was the first scrimmage we had in LA, he blocked a shot in the corner, he came out of nowhere and the guys on the bench all looked at each other like, ‘Did he really do that?’

“What he does is world-class at any level.”

Sydney-raised Josh Green, who was a first-round pick by Dallas Mavericks in last year’s NBA draft, and NBA free agent guard Dante Exum have also made a difference as has shot-blocking centre Duop Reath.

The Boomers were undefeated in three exhibition games in the US but face possibly the most explosive side in the Olympics when they face an NBA player-laden Nigeria to open their campaign on Sunday.

“Goorj has unleashed these wings [Thybulle, Green and Exum] to be more aggressive and on the front foot,” Dellavedova said.

“Previously we would sit back a bit more because we had Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes, they’re big bodies that protect the rim but with a more mobile team, sometimes we are smaller and flying around but everyone has bought in and are making the extra rotations defensively.”

The Boomers thrashed Nigeria in a lead-up game in Las Vegas but that result will mean little considering both sides rested players and the Nigerians, coached by NBA veteran Mike Brown, beat Team USA a couple of days earlier.

There are expectations this Boomers team can break through the glass ceiling between fourth place and the medals but the veterans are also trying to make sure the newcomers carry on the team’s culture to future campaigns.

“We’ve been excited to show these guys what this is like and make sure they want to come back every year and feel the same way we do,” Dellavedova said.

“I think they have had an awesome time so far.”

The Boomers will also play Italy and Germany in their group. They need to finish in the top two or be one of the two best third-place finishes to make the knockout quarter-finals.

The Boomers play Nigeria on Sunday at 6.20pm AEST.

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Roy Ward is a Sports writer for The Age.

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