The Boomers are ready for the Paris 2024 Olympics, with some surprising omissions allowing new faces to emerge, even though the core of the golden generation continues to lead the team. The coaching staff, led by Brian Goorjian, informed the players of their inclusion late last Thursday, following two back-to-back friendly victories against China. 

Australia will once again be guided by their NBA talent, with veterans Patty Mills and Joe Ingles leading the charge, alongside a series of young players who have shown great promise, both with the national team and in the world’s best league: Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Danté Exum, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, and Dyson Daniels.

The duo of newcomers will be the main surprise in the roster: Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay, stars of the reigning NBL champions Tasmania JackJumpers, will don the Boomer jersey for their first Olympic Games.

In the remaining two spots, there is another former NBA player, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers champion, 33-year-old point guard Matthew Dellavedova, and the experienced center Nick Kay, also a participant in the Tokyo 2020 bronze medal.

The new faces have convinced the coaching staff during recent friendlies, at the expense of 27-year-old Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Matisse Thybulle, who had been a regular in recent international commitments, delivering outstanding performances.

There is also no trace of the 2018 Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star, Ben Simmons, whose omission is unclear to what extent it is a surprise, given his complicated relationship with the Boomers, having not played for them in a decade and having declined to represent his country at the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and the 2019 World Cup, leading to a controversial journey between the player and the country.

So that, the 12-player Australian contingent will fly to Abu Dhabi next week for a series of exhibitions to continue their preparation before settling in Paris in the formidable group A.

The so-called group of death, where Australia is placed, also includes Canada—bronze medalists of the last World Cup and packed with NBA stars like Gilgeous-Alexander, Barrett, and Brooks—as well as potentially Spain; Antetokounmpo's Greece or Doncic's Slovenia; as winners of the ongoing Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.