Australia's final group match saw them taking on Venezuela, hoping to go through the group stage with only one loss. The Boomers decided to rest their key players, with Patty Mills not getting a single minute on court. So, it was time for the young players to stand up and that's just what they did.
Australia looked dominant from the opening tip, limiting Venezuela to just six points in the opening period as the Boomers took a 10 point lead into the opening break. The second quarter saw a fight back from Venezuela as a 19-16 run brought the half time margin to just seven points. Australia got those three points back in the third period, as Venezuela trailed by ten points at the final break. The boomers weren't going to let Venezuela hang around for long, as an explosive last quarter saw lead blow out to 25 points at the final buzzer.
Again, Australia decided to rest their superstars. So, is this a chance for some of the younger players to creep up on the leaderboard? Let's find out.
5) Damian Martin
Damian Martin was given extra minutes today and he sure made the most of them. He played over 20 minutes of game time, but wasn't able to score. However, he only committed one turnover. He took the role as a playmaker, trying to set up plays. He grabbed four rebounds and dished off four dimes. Damian needs to be more aggressive offensively and try to set up himself for some points.
4) Brock Motum
Brock is having a fantastic Olympic campaign for his standards and continued his form today. However, he must improve on his shooting as he only hit 25% of his field goals and 75% of his free throws. He hit five points, and was crashing the glass at both ends as he picked up an offensive rebound as well as three defensive rebounds. Brock recorded just the one assist but had fast feet defensively as he also managed to record a steal. He took care of the ball as he only turned the ball over once.
3) Aron Baynes
Aron started the Olympics at a very high standard before dying down in his last couple of games. However, he was back to his best today, proving why he belongs in the boomers starting line up. He hit four field goals at 50% to get them eight points. Baynes didn't attempt a three pointer and didn't find his way to the free throw line. His strength was his rebounding, as he pulled down seven boards and dished off two assists. Fouling wasn't an issue for Baynes, only giving away the one foul. However turnovers were an issue for Aron as he turned the ball over a very costly four times.
2) Ryan Broekhof
Ryan is another up and comer who is shining in these Olympics, putting on a clinic for the Boomers against Venezuela. He hit double figures in the score column, making four of ten shots to get him 10 points. Ryan hit two triples from beyond the arc, going at 50%. He assumed the role of a rebounder, pulling in eight rebounds with a massive four of those offensive. Broekhof set up his teammates twice, while a steal capped off a great game for Ryan Broekhof.
1) Chris Goulding
Goulding hasn't had a real go so far at the Olympics, but when he was given 25 minutes of game time he showed why he is such a dominant force in the NBL. Chris took on Patrick Mills's role of a scorer as he made it rain from beyond the arc. He drained four three pointers from his seven attempts while he also hit two shots from inside the arc. He earned his other points from the charity strike, making 75% of his eight attempted free throws. As well as his 22 points, Chris also pulled down two offensive rebounds as well as a defensive rebound. He gave off two assists, although he did commit a turnover. His well rounded performance was capped off by a steal, as well.
With a minimum of one game remaining and a maximum of three, depending on finals, votes start to become important. Here is how the votes stand after the group matches.
1- Mathew Dellevedova, 13 votes
2- Patrick Mills, Aaron Baynes, 11 votes
3- Andrew Bogut, 9 votes
4- David Anderson, Cameron Bairstow, Chris Goulding, Brock Motum, Ryan Broekhof, 5 votes
5- Joe Ingles, 3 votes
6- Damien Martin, 1 vote
Has anyone worked out who the Olympian is that I have interviewed? Here is another clue.
She represented Australia in three Olympics, and has exceptional hand-eye coordination and power.
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