Boomers have a podium problem only Simmons solves

• Ben Simmons starts at power forward in my 12-man Boomers 2027 World Cup team
• Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Landale, Caporn and Jason Cadee have all backed Ben's return
• Patty Mills and Joe Ingles miss out for WC27 and LA28

Opinion: Ben Simmons will not only play for the Australian Boomers at the 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles – he will be the X-Factor starter who will put the men’s national team on the podium at both tournaments.

To any critic, hot-take TV analyst, detractor, or armchair expert who doesn’t think Simmons, 30, deserves a shot: You. Are. Wrong.

The Melbourne-born son of NBL star Dave Simmons was on track for the Naismith Hall of Fame career – even without a jumper – before his All-Star career derailed.

Simmons, who signed with the Sacramento Kings for the league minimum USD $3.5M for the 2026-27 season, flew himself to the player-led Boomers mini-camp in Melbourne last month after sitting out the entire 2025-26 NBA season.

So, who do we believe?

Josh Giddey: "He looks really good as a player. I haven't seen him play in probably a year, so to see him come back and look like he hadn't missed a beat was really impressive. I hope he's a big part of what we're doing moving forward with the green and gold."

Dyson Daniels: "I mean, he’s so good. He’s so talented, he has so much more left in him to give. He was really good in the Boomers camp. He looked like himself, and I’m happy for him. Just his versatility. He allows us to have so many different line-ups out there. He can play the one; he can play the five. You can put him anywhere. Obviously, an elite playmaker with the ball in his hands can push the pace. There are just so many different ways you can play him and use him that he’ll be really helpful for us."

Jock Landale: “I would've loved to have had him along many times. He could've helped us a lot at times. It would've been cool to come home with a few more medals with his help. But that's reality. We're not going to beg. We've got this thing where if you want to be a part of it, you're there. It's just that simple. The invite's there. The invite's always there.”

Adam Caporn: "I'm not going to rule anyone out. I think my role is to help people flourish in their professional careers. Ben's working to get healthy, and we'll see what the future holds. But we're here to support him as a person first and, if there's a time when it works out, you'll wear the green and gold, we'd be ecstatic."

Jason Cadee: “First of all, for him, the fact is he had to choose to fly out to Australia for this; this wasn't an 'oh you've been chosen we fly everyone from wherever they are in'. He had to actually physically say, 'No, I'm coming'. So for him to do that, I think, shows (he wants to play). I said it six months ago, or whenever I first said that, and I think now is more likely than ever that he'll play for the Boomers."

That’s three leaders of the Boomers, the coach and a 400-game NBL veteran vs The Internet.

Three-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member, 2018 Rookie of the Year, 2020 NBA Steals Leader Ben Simmons is on my team.

Build yours below or here.

A lot has been made of who was at the Boomers mini-camp, especially Simmons, and how it paved the way to the capital of California days later.

Not a lot has been made of who wasn’t: Olympic bronze medallists Patty Mills and Joe Ingles.

Read into that what you will, but Mills (was invited) will be a month from being 40 and Ingles three months from 41 at the start of LA28.

To be fair, Mills was in Europe while Ingles was settling into his new digs in Melbourne. But two Australian Boomers legends not at a player-led mini camp. Has the tribe spoken?

The final selection decision rests with Caporn but, perhaps, his emerging leadership group – Giddey, 23, Daniels, 23 and Landale, 30 – have already signalled it’s time for the next generation to take the reins.

"I think the talent is as good as it's ever been in Australia, and I think especially with a guy like that (Simmons) coming back into the program, and we've got guys with a bit more experience from the Olympics in Paris a couple of years back now ... I think we're going to be as good as we've ever been,” Giddey said.

"We're getting to a point now where NBA guys are starting to miss out on the team, which is a great problem to have. I'm super-excited for where the country and where the program is going."

What does it mean for the 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup?

Eight of this 12-man squad are in the NBA; one is an NBA champion now in the NBL, one is a six-time NBL MVP, and two are NBL stars who play two very different roles.

Now that Bryce Cotton is an Australian, has made his debut for the Boomers, and is a walking bucket, he is the bona fide scorer the Boomers need, and with the case already made for Simmons, the bench is where there’s some “'splain’ to do”.

William “Davo” Hickey can guard one through three and is a spark off the bench; he can play the point and off the ball. He’s a multi-skilled plug-and-play guy not afraid of the big shot.

Angus Glover has park-and-range, and we’ll need shooting off the bench; Rocco Zikarsky will be a rotational centre in no time, while Johnny Furphy’s athleticism and length (depending on how he’ll come back) add the versatility any back-up three needs.

Lead guard Tyrese Proctor can get his own shot; Delly is the veteran locker room glue guy, and Josh Green brings elite defense behind Daniels.

AUSTRALIAN BOOMERS WORLD CUP 2027

STARTING FIVE

Josh Giddey, PG, Chicago Bulls

• Born October 10, 2002, in Melbourne. Son of Warrick and Kim Giddey, both NBL and WNBL players for the Melbourne Tigers.
• Drafted in 2021, round one, pick 6, by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
• The first NBA Global Academy graduate ever selected in the NBA Draft.
• All-Rookie Second Team, 2021-22.
• Four NBA Rookie of the Month awards. No All-Star or All-NBA selection.
• Youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double at the time: 19 years, 84 days, with 17 points, 14 assists, and 13 rebounds against Dallas on January 2, 2022, breaking LaMelo Ball's mark.
• First player in NBA history with a triple-double on 100 percent shooting in under 25 minutes: 13 points on 5-of-5, 10 rebounds, 12 assists in 23 minutes against Portland, January 11, 2024.
• Second Bulls player ever to average 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in a season, after Michael Jordan.
• First NBA player with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists, and 8 steals in a game.
• 2025-26: 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists.
• NBL Next Star with the Adelaide 36ers; NBL Rookie of the Year, 2021.
• Boomers: debut at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers. FIBA World Cup 2023, Olympics 2024.
• 2023 World Cup: 19.4 points (11th in the tournament), 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 54.2 percent from the field; 26 points and 11 assists against Japan.

Bryce Cotton, SG, Adelaide 36ers

• Six-time NBL MVP: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026. Second only to Andrew Gaze, on seven.
• Won NBL26 MVP by two votes, 96 to Kendric Davis's 94.
• NBL26, his first season at Adelaide: 32 games, 25.7 points and 7.6 assists, both league-leading, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals. Adelaide finished second at 23-10 – also All-NBL First Team, Champion Fans' MVP and Three-Pointer of the Year.
• Voted NBL27 captain by his teammates: ninth scoring title and ninth All-NBL First Team.
• Three NBL championships, all with Perth, across nine seasons and 258 games at the club. Grand Final MVP in 2017 and 2020.
• Australian citizenship confirmed September 5, 2025, making him Boomers-eligible and a non-restricted player at Adelaide.
• Named a Boomers debutant in the 12-man squad for the Perth qualifiers, May 31, 2026.
• Cap one, July 3, 2026 v Guam at RAC Arena: 18 points, 5 assists, 4-of-9 from three in a 124-52 win.
• Cap two, July 6, 2026 v Philippines: 21 points, 5 assists, 2 steals in a 92-49 win. Australia finished 6-0 in Group A.
• Two games short of 300 NBL games.

Dyson Daniels, SF, Atlanta Hawks

• Born March 17, 2003, in Bendigo.
• Drafted in 2022, round one, pick 8, by the New Orleans Pelicans. Traded to Atlanta in July 2024 for Dejounte Murray.
• Kia NBA Most Improved Player, 2024-25.
• Defensive Player of the Year finalist, 2024-25, behind Evan Mobley.
• All-Defensive First Team, 2024-25 (his first) and All-Defensive Second Team, 2025-26.
• Led the NBA in steals in 2024-25 at 3.01 per game, 229 in total, the most in Hawks franchise history. First player since Alvin Robertson in 1990-91 to average three or more. Also led the league with 443 deflections.
• The team announced a four-year, $100 million extension on October 21, 2025.
• 2025-26: 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists.
• Pathway: NBA G League Ignite; Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, 2021.
• Boomers debut at 17, FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers: 23 points on 9-of-18, 4 assists, 6 steals in an 81-52 win over New Zealand.
• FIBA World Cup 2023 and Olympics 2024 squads.

Ben Simmons, PF, Sacramento Kings

• Born July 20, 1996, in Melbourne. One season at LSU.
• Drafted in 2016, round one, pick 1, by the Philadelphia 76ers.
• NBA Rookie of the Year, 2018, and All-Rookie First Team.
• Three-time NBA All-Star: 2019, 2020, 2021.
• All-NBA Third Team, 2020. All-Defensive First Team, 2020 and 2021.
• Led the NBA in steals in 2019-20 at 2.1 per game.
• Joined Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only players with 4,000 points, 2,000 rebounds, and 2,000 assists in their first four seasons.
• As a rookie, 12 triple-doubles, the second-most ever behind Robertson's 26.
• College: consensus National Freshman of the Year at LSU, 2015-16, on 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists.
• Signed a one-year, 3.5 million dollar deal with Sacramento on September 8, 2026, after medicals, an on-court workout, and meetings with Doug Christie.
• Sat out the whole 2025-26 season. Last NBA appearance: April 29, 2025.

Jock Landale, C, Atlanta Hawks

• Born October 25, 1995, in Melbourne. Geelong Grammar School.
• Undrafted. Not selected in the 2018 draft; played in Australia before joining San Antonio in 2021-22.
• College: Saint Mary's. West Coast Conference Player of the Year as a senior on 21.1 points and 10.2 rebounds; 62.5 percent from the floor for his career.
• NBL championship, 2021, Melbourne United, sweeping Perth 3-0. Grand Final MVP.
• NBL21: 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, All-NBL First Team.
• Re-signed with Atlanta on a one-year deal, July 10, 2026.
• On his Hawks debut, February 5, 2026, he became the fourth player in franchise history to record 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 threes in a game.
• Boomers: debut at the FIBA World Cup 2019 Asia Qualifiers. World Cup 2019, Olympics 2020 and 2024.
• Tokyo 2020 bronze, Australia's first Olympic basketball medal; Landale was Australia's second-leading scorer. Paris 2024: 14.5 points, 8.8 rebounds.

BENCH

Matthew Dellavedova, Sydney Kings

• Born September 8, 1990, in Maryborough, Victoria. Undrafted. Saint Mary's.
• 479 NBA regular-season games, 5.2 points, 3.5 assists, over ten years with Cleveland, Milwaukee and Sacramento; 52 playoff games.
• NBA champion, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2016, the franchise's first in 46 years.
• NBL champion, NBL26, Sydney Kings, his first NBL title in his first season at the club: Sydney beat Adelaide 113-101 in overtime in Game 5 on April 5, 2026, for the club's sixth banner.
• Larry Sengstock Trophy, NBL Championship Series MVP, NBL25 – won with Melbourne United, who lost the series to Illawarra, after which he handed the trophy to Hickey on stage.
• Boomers: debut at the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship. Four Olympics: 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024. Two World Cups: 2014 and 2019.
• Tokyo 2020 bronze, Australia beating Slovenia 107-93.

Rocco Zikarsky, Minnesota Timberwolves

• Drafted 2025, pick 45, Minnesota via Chicago. Born July 11, 2006. 7 ft 3 in, 2.21m.
• On a two-way contract with the Iowa Wolves in the G League.
• Brisbane Bullets Next Star: 45 NBL appearances across two seasons, 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in NBL25.
• Was the youngest player ever signed to the NBL Next Stars program, at 16.
• NBA Global Academy scholarship holder, Canberra.
• MVP of the 2024 Albert Schweitzer Tournament, leading the Centre of Excellence Emus to Australia's second-ever Albert Schweitzer Cup with 20 points and 9 rebounds in a 71-65 final win over Serbia.
• Basketball Queensland Male Player of the Year, 2024.

Tyrese Proctor, Cleveland Cavaliers

• Drafted in 2025, second round, pick 49, Cleveland.
• Born April 1, 2004.
• Rookie season 2025-26: 50 games, 5.4 points, 1.5 assists, 41.3 percent from the field.
• Duke: All-ACC Third Team 2024-25; ACC All-Freshman Team 2022-23; two-time ACC Tournament champion, 2023 and 2025; ACC All-Tournament Second Team 2025. Finished as Duke's 52nd all-time leading scorer with 1,143 points.
• 2024-25: 38 games, 38 starts, 12.4 points, 40.5 percent from three on a team-high 89 makes. Went 7-of-8 from three against Baylor in the NCAA Tournament, the second-best three-point percentage in Duke history on a minimum of six attempts. Duke reached the Final Four.
• Boomers: played all six games of the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup, 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 40.7 percent from three, including the final against Lebanon. Australia won the title.
• Named in the 12-man Boomers squad for the Perth qualifiers, May 2026.
• Pathway: NBA Global Academy Canberra; 2022 Nike Hoop Summit World Team.

Johnny Furphy, Indiana Pacers

• Drafted in 2024, second round, pick 35, San Antonio, immediately traded to Indiana.
• Born December 8, 2004, in Melbourne.
• Tore his right ACL against Toronto on February 8, 2026, and missed the rest of the season. He was averaging 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists with 21 starts.
• Rehabbing and back on the court as of August 26, 2026.
• Kansas: All-Big 12 Honourable Mention and All-Big 12 Freshman. 2023-24: 33 games, 19 starts, 9.0 points, 4.9 rebounds; career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds against Cincinnati.
• Pathway: Basketball Victoria State Development Program, VJBL and Big V; 2023 U20 Victorian state team; Centre of Excellence at the AIS.
• No senior Boomers cap. Extended 22-player Paris 2024 squad only, which is a selection and not a cap.

Angus Glover, South East Melbourne Phoenix

• Born September 9, 1998, in Wollongong. 193cm. Centre of Excellence 2015-16.
• NBL26 Best Sixth Man, the first Phoenix player to win the award.
• Two-time NBL champion, NBL22 and NBL23, Sydney Kings. 90 appearances for the Kings.
• Re-signed with the Phoenix on a two-year deal through the end of NBL28. Eight NBL seasons as at March 2026, with NBL26 a career best for points, rebounds and threes.
• Boomers: senior debut in 2020. Scored 17 in Australia's 84-79 win over New Zealand in Hobart in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
• Named in the 12-man Boomers squad for the July 2026 Perth qualifiers.
• Missed the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup with a shoulder injury sustained at Boomers training.

Josh Green, Utah Jazz

• Born November 16, 2000, in Sydney.
• Drafted in 2020, round one, pick 18, Dallas Mavericks.
• College: one season at Arizona, starting all 30 games on 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals. Five-star recruit out of IMG Academy.
• Traded to Utah on September 2, 2026, with Minnesota sending Green and cash for Cody Williams and John Konchar. He had reached Minnesota days earlier in the LaMelo Ball trade from Charlotte.
• 349 career games, 129 starts. Dallas 2020-24, Charlotte 2024-26. A key contributor to Dallas's 2024 NBA Finals appearance.
• Boomers: debut at the 2020 Olympics. Olympics 2020 and 2024, FIBA World Cup 2023.
• Tokyo 2020 bronze. Paris 2024: played four games; Australia lost the quarter-final to Serbia 95-90 in overtime. https://www.olympics.com.au/olympians/josh-green/

William "Davo" Hickey, Illawarra Hawks

• Contracted to Illawarra through 2026-27. Played the NBL27 Blitz against Adelaide on September 3, 2026: 12 points, 6 rebounds, and a game-leading 7 assists in a 100-99 win.
• Signed with the South Bay Lakers, the LA Lakers' G League affiliate, in March 2026, while remaining contracted to Illawarra.
• NBL25 champion. Illawarra beat Melbourne United 114-104 in Game 5 on March 23, 2025, the club's second title and first since 2001. Hickey had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists on 9-of-14.
• He did not win the Championship Series MVP. Dellavedova won it and handed him the trophy on stage.
• 2025 FIBA Asia Cup gold medallist. In the 90-89 final over China in Jeddah: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks.
• Boomers record per Basketball Australia: FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers (2024), FIBA Asia Cup 2025 (gold), FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers (2025).
• 138 NBL games to the end of NBL26, 113 for Illawarra, 29th on the club's all-time games list. Previously a development player at South East Melbourne and Melbourne United.
• NBL26: 29 games, 12.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists. In Round 8, he posted 19 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, the first triple-double by a Hawk since LaMelo Ball in NBL20.
• A proud First Nations athlete. He, Johny Narkle and Biwali Bayles were the first trio of Indigenous Australians to share the court for one NBL team in the same game.

A lot will happen between now and the 2027 World Cup and 12 months later the Olympics, but as Giddey said, some players with NBA experience may miss out.

With an Olympic Games bronze medal in the kit bag, a podium – at both tournaments – is a minimum now not the benchmark and Simmons is the X-Factor – like it or not.

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