Boomer Giddey thrives in changing of the guard

It’s been a changing of the guard at the Australian Boomers; Josh Giddey handed the keys to lead the team, to have the ball in his hand when it matters most. 

So far, he’s flourishing in the role. 

Giddey starred in the Boomers’ opening win at the Olympics, with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. When the game was in the balance, he had a cool head and either orchestrated or hit the big shots. 

Australian coach Brian Goorjian formed a close bond with Giddey during the NBA season, and says the 21-year-old played exactly as expected against Spain. 

“He was really excited about how he plays on this team,” Goorjian said.

“(The ball) was in his hand. It was orchestrated through him and he’s playing with no matter the circumstance, his mates, and I think you can see that in what’s gone on so far.” 

Giddey was the first player since Drazen Petrovic, 40 years ago, to combine 15+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assists on his Olympic debut. He was made for the moment. 

“He’s (Giddey) awesome to play with,” Jack McVeigh said.

“I played with him back in the NBL for a season with the Adelaide 36ers, but he's one heck of a player. There's a reason he's where he is, we put the ball in his hands and trust him to make plays.”

“He's a guy that can pass the ball, score a ball, great teammate. Just being around him every day, working with him, it's special,” Dyson Daniels added. 

“I grew up playing with Josh, to be here on the biggest stage, playing with him now, it's something I could only dream of as a kid.”

For veteran Joe Ingles, seeing Giddey strut his stuff on the Olympic stage highlights the evolution of the Boomers’ roster.

If Australia wants to replicate its incredible bronze medal in Tokyo and continue to thrive on the international stage, it’s about continuing to unleash new talent.

Of course, Giddey is already a proven star, but Ingles said there could have been a temptation to rely on the more experienced, more proven international-level players to lead the Boomers in Paris. 

“The goal is to transition to younger players. I would hope you don't rely on 35-year-olds and 40-year-olds every year to keep going and keep going," Ingles added. 

“We've got a ton of young guys that are extremely talented and playing at a high level in the NBA, and for every national team it should be a goal to keep developing those young guys. For them to playing at the level they're playing at, that's great for our country."

Giddey continues to evolve as a player too, with his three-point shooting suddenly becoming a weapon.

"Obviously, it's something that I've been working on, spending a lot of time this summer staying in the gym. It was nice to see them go down early," he said.

It’s another challenge on Tuesday night, Australian time, as Giddey and the Boomers take on a star-studded Canada team in their second game of the Olympics.

Win this, and the next round looms, lose, and the pressure is on in the final fixture against Greece.