Giddey was a class above and completely controlled the game. Providing a passing option the Boomers hadn’t seen in action before, he escaped double teams with ease and attacked the rim in transition.

Giddey’s inclusion was the biggest difference since we saw the Boomers in the last Olympics, and he seems to have completely changed the team’s offensive structure.

Will have to tighten up things as a playmaker, finishing the game with six turnovers – which may be overhyped due to the fact he has the ball in his hands for much of the time he is out there.

Giddey is getting on their nerves! ????

????️ Boomers vs The World | August 14-20, FREE, on 9Gem and 9Now.#9WWOS #Basketball #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/SCKNYsEwA3

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) August 14, 2023

Patty did as Patty does. Key takeaways, however, was how much the team is no longer forced to rely on him from a ball handling and scoring perspective.

His defence was impressive, setting the tone early, getting a hand to a Venezuelan triple, forcing a backcourt turnover and was super active in the passing lanes.

Shot 1 of 6 from three but this won’t happen in back-to-back games.

Thybulle appears to have played his way into the team’s main line-up since the Olympics, starting the game at the three. He played suffocating defence all night, picking pockets and causing deflections. He only recorded two steals but would have notched up double figures in deflections and fingertips on opponent’s passes.

As well as causing several turnovers, he showed he wasn’t afraid to take a three, knocking down one from the corner during the first quarter.

Potentially fumbled the ball a little on multiple plays, but no doubt this will diminish as the team play more games together.

Who would have picked Reath to be the Boomers’ leading scorer on a team that may have to cut NBA players from its roster?

Super impressive performance. Worked in tandem with Giddey on numerous pick-and-roll options, including back-to-back dunks at one point. Cut hard to the rim every time Venezuela double-teamed Giddey, getting to the dunkers spot all night, and did all the big man basics to perfection.

Hit a deep three and paired with young Dyson Daniels in the dying moments of the fourth, just as well as he did with Giddey.

You have to wonder, could he stir up some NBA interest at the World Cup, not unlike Jock Landale did two years ago?

Continued his role as the team’s starting power forward and delivered a typical workmanlike effort, screening hard, rolling to the basket and boxing out.

Kay’s activity created numerous scoring options for the Boomers, including a four-point play from Mills and a lay-up from Cooks… both only happening through his screens.

He wowed the fans with some impressive ball handling, taking the ball full court after a rebound and going coast to coast for a dunk.

Anyone listing his Kay as a potential last-man cut is sorely mistaken.

The first sub off the bench, replacing Nick Kay at the 6-minute mark.

Ingles showed a willingness to drive to the basket more than he’s shown during NBA play, really looking to create.

His ability to knock down a triple has not waned, despite being a couple of months away from his 36th birthday. He added nine points, all from beyond the arc.

Another to have committed a few turnovers by attempting some risky passes through or over the zone, but again something that will disappear as the team logs a few more games prior to the tournament.

White entered the game and was an immediate impact on defence, forcing a missed shot on his first defensive play.

White’s value was clear in this game, showcasing his ability to switch back and forth from guards to forwards, bringing true positionless basketball to the lineup.

Defensively, he couldn’t be faulted and playing alongside Xavier Cooks in the first half, which would have surprised many with media reporting these players are competing for the same position on the team.

His impressive rebounding ability was on display, grabbing eight boards and making it a hard case to see him cut from the team.

Cooks’ stifling defence was on display from the get-go, notching three blocks in the first half.

As mentioned above, pairing for White in the front court, a spot they are rumoured to be in contention for, was interesting… especially when it was a huge part of the Boomers’ first-half shutdown of the Venezuelan offence. Goorjian tested out a small ball lineup at one point with with Cooks being the biggest player on the floor, playing alongside Mills, Giddey, Ingles and White.

He had some rough turnovers early on and appeared to fumble a few catches in different spots, but he showed his ability to guard the 4 with some big boards and solid work down low.

Goulding’s first shot was a triple that hit the side of the backboard, and he failed to score at all. His tenacity on defence was a stark difference to the effort he brings to an NBL game, with a Goulding, Reath, Cooks, White and Exum unit responsible for the Boomers’ best defensive run of the game.

Despite going scoreless, he still has the green light on offence and his poor showing may, in fact, be a result of tweaking his ankle early in the fourth quarter. It’s thought he may not suit up for the team’s game against Brazil.

A sore ankle and this performance would suggest he is still teetering on team selection.

Came into the game as the first guard off the bench, taking ball-handling duties from Giddey.

Exum was efficient from the field, slashing his way to the basket, and his length caused many disruptions in defence, creating several deflections.

Playing in a game 24 hours after his father’s funeral (Cecil Exum), he looked more than comfortable in the point guard spot and no doubt made his Dad proud as he watched his green and gold performance from above.

Surprisingly Daniels didn’t see the court til the sixth minute of the third quarter. Unsure if this was due to precautionary measures, or has his name reached the top of the list for players expected to be left off the team?

Bar an air-balled three throw, Daniels didn’t put a step wrong during his time on the court and looked comfortable in transition. Daniels filled the passing lanes well, hitting a corner three right after the missed free throw as well as setting up Reath for a deep three at the game’s end.

Liam is a C Grade basketball player with an A Grade love for the game.