"Opportunity Knocks": Baynes' Boomers Omission Explained

The names that have been left out of the Boomers 18-man extended World Cup squad are almost as notable as the names that are in, and there are two players not on the list whose names scream out to even the most casual of Australian basketball fans.

Aron Baynes and Mitch Creek.

Baynes, a veteran of almost 600 NBA games – including the 2014 championship with San Antonio – and Creek – a finalist in last season’s NBL MVP race – are both notable omissions from a stacked lineup of Australian bigs.

Head coach Brian Goorjian says Baynes, 36, could struggle to regain his Boomers place due to the influx of young and emerging talent.

Baynes' first senior international tournament with Australia was the 2010 FIBA World Cup in which Australia finished tenth.

“He’s been a great Boomer, and the hard part of this is it works in four-year cycles,” Goorjian said on SEN. “We’ve got some guys we want to bring into the squad and I see this as moving an opportunity for the next one.

“There’s a process coming.

“Young ones coming into it, and I think it’s about the time for Aron.

“He’s been a great Boomer, but opportunity knocks for the next man coming.”

NBL talents Sam Froling, 23, and Keanu Pinder, 27, will now fancy their chances of earning a starting place for the World Cup, as will former Illawarra Hawk Duop Reath.

Creek, on the other hand, has been left out of the squad due to the strength in numbers at the four spot.

“He was considered but, again, a lot of depth in that position,” Goorjian said of the former Brooklyn Net.

“We had to make some hard decisions. He was one of them.”

Five NBL players have been named in the extended squad for the Boomers’ World Cup campaign and 14 of the 18 players have played in the competition at some point in their careers.