Where does Simmons fit in Paris plans?

He’s one of the most talented players Australia has ever produced, but just where does Ben Simmons fit in the national setup? 

The 27-year-old has expressed his desire to play for the Boomers at next year’s Paris Olympics. Now the question is, how does Brian Goorjian shuffle his roster after a disappointing World Cup campaign?

With Josh Giddey’s standout performance as the Boomers’ main point guard in recent weeks, NBL champion Pete Hooley says Simmons will need to earn his place in the squad, and be happy to play a supporting role if needed. 

“I think Andrew Bogut said it well … if he [Simmons] does want to be part of this team, he has to buy in as well,” Hooley said on NBL Today. 

“He has to realise this is Josh Giddey’s team. Josh Giddey is going to have the ball in his hands, and is he [Simmons] comfortable playing a full-time power-forward role, or even slotting down to a centre position and not being a ball-handler? That’s things that they’re going to have to figure out.”

Former Boomer Ryan Broekhoff echoed Hooley’s sentiments. 

“Who knows if that’s something that’ll actually come true [Simmons playing]. If he does come in and is part of that squad, we’ve got quite a few players very similar in skill-set, defensive guys that aren’t great from the outside. Does that throw off the balance of not having enough shooters? ‘Goorj’ has already said ‘we need more shooting’.”

Simmons has been restricted to just 157 games over the past four NBA seasons, but there’s no denying he’d make the Australian team better. He’s a game-changer.

Nine months remain until the Boomers’ Olympic campaign, and despite an underwhelming World Cup performance, Broekhoff doesn’t expect significant changes to the squad.

“Jock’s [Landale] the big one to come in and then find another shooter to come in and play that wing position.

“I largely think that the roster or the team going to Paris is going to be the same as what we saw, because you can’t bring in six new guys and expect a team to go out there and medal. It’s such a short window. 

“Yes we’ve got nine months, but they’ll probably only have six weeks of extra preparation time, once everyone’s season’s finished and everyone comes back to Australia or wherever they have their camp.

“It’s going to be really confined and condensed.

“I think Jock obviously comes in … who the unlucky player is, who knows? Off minutes, you’d think it could be Jack White at this stage, but his growth over the last couple of years has been huge and he’s got a great opportunity at OKC [Oklahoma City Thunder] coming up. If he gets established and improves, he’s a player that can stretch the floor with his shooting, super-athletic, can guard multiple positions … he’s a tough one to leave out.”

One player tipped to keep his spot is Dallas Mavericks star Josh Green, who was one of the Boomers' most consistent performers in Japan. 

He averaged 8.2 points a game and finished the tournament as a key member of the starting five. 

“I think Josh Green moving forward … if we need points, maybe he’s going to be the one that becomes that guy, who steps up and becomes a consistent to 15-to-20 point scorer from Paris and beyond,” Hooley said.  

“He’s got all the tools – he’s strong, he’s athletic and can shoot the ball from outside,” Broekhoff added. 

“You watch him with the Mavs [Dallas Mavericks] and his penetration, and not just scoring, but being able to facilitate as well, is really well rounded. 

“It’s a new role coming into the national team and different expectations of what he is and how he’s going to play, and obviously the injury coming in … you don’t have much time to prepare if you only have a few games and he missed those because of an injury.

“He was sort of learning on the fly and I thought he was a really solid contributor.

“He’s got such a bright future. He could be that extra scoring punch come next year, as long as he continues to develop his shooting and being able to put the ball on the floor.”