Group C consists of Brazil, Lithuania, Turkey, Greece, Australia and Qatar, and is headlined by a slew of promising young NBA players including Leandro Barbosa, Andrew Bogut and Anderson Varejao.
Games will be conducted in Hamamatsu, Japan from August 19th to 24th.
Read more about the 2006 FIBA World Championship tournament at the informative official website Fiba2006.com
Australia
The Star:
Andrew Bogut, 7-0, Center, Milwaukee Bucks, 21 years old
Jonathan Givony
Last years #1 overall pick, Andrew Bogut is coming off a solid, yet unspectacular rookie season in which he flashed great potential at times and showed off his youth and inexperience in others.
Playing out of position at times at the Power Forward spot last year and not always being a big focal point of Milwaukees offense, Bogut will be faced with the exact opposite situation with the Australian national team this summer. Despite being only 21 years old, Bogut will be asked to carry his team on his back with his post scoring and outstanding basketball instincts while manning the 5-spot exclusively for the Boomers. How well he handles that will play a huge role in just how far Australia can advance in this highly competitive group and tournament, where just finishing amongst the top 4 in their initial group and making the 2nd round will be considered an accomplishment.
Bogut is exactly the type of outstanding back to the basket scorer that has become increasingly rare in the NBA over the past few years. He has great size, good length, fantastic hands and more than enough agility and coordination to be a major factor in any teams offense. Bogut is very much comfortable operating with his back to the basket thanks to his solid frame and nimble feet, and is intelligent enough to go to work and create a good shot for himself and finish with superb touch around the hoop. He makes good strong cuts to the basket and is an outstanding target due to his incredibly soft hands and fantastic reflexes to make tough catches and convert in awkward situations.
When double teamed, he has the composure and smarts to find the open man with ease as he is an incredibly gifted passer who uses his court vision and huge hands to make spectacular assists from the mid-low post, often using a crafty bounce pass to a slashing cutter. As a rebounder, Bogut can be dominant on either end at this level thanks to his size, strength, length, smarts and especially his fantastic hands.
Bogut has all-star potential as an NBA center, but is still nowhere near his peak as a basketball player. Conditioning problems, an occasional lack of focus and a certain lack of savvy veteran polish still plague the 21 year old at times and make his presence as Australias unquestioned go-to guy a bit of an iffy proposition at this stage.
Bogut isnt the most experienced player in the world and there are question marks revolving around how well his back to the basket game will translate to the FIBA game that discourages this style of play to a certain extent. Had his face-up game been a bit more advanced than he would be in better shape, but he still isnt comfortable or experienced enough in the high post to be relied on exclusively here either. Teams will give him 16-18 foot mid-range jumpers and it will be up to him to prove that he can knock them down consistently, something he wasnt always capable of doing in the NBA.
He will need plenty of help from his fairly unproven supporting cast to will Australia into the 2nd round.
Playing out of position at times at the Power Forward spot last year and not always being a big focal point of Milwaukees offense, Bogut will be faced with the exact opposite situation with the Australian national team this summer. Despite being only 21 years old, Bogut will be asked to carry his team on his back with his post scoring and outstanding basketball instincts while manning the 5-spot exclusively for the Boomers. How well he handles that will play a huge role in just how far Australia can advance in this highly competitive group and tournament, where just finishing amongst the top 4 in their initial group and making the 2nd round will be considered an accomplishment.
Bogut is exactly the type of outstanding back to the basket scorer that has become increasingly rare in the NBA over the past few years. He has great size, good length, fantastic hands and more than enough agility and coordination to be a major factor in any teams offense. Bogut is very much comfortable operating with his back to the basket thanks to his solid frame and nimble feet, and is intelligent enough to go to work and create a good shot for himself and finish with superb touch around the hoop. He makes good strong cuts to the basket and is an outstanding target due to his incredibly soft hands and fantastic reflexes to make tough catches and convert in awkward situations.
When double teamed, he has the composure and smarts to find the open man with ease as he is an incredibly gifted passer who uses his court vision and huge hands to make spectacular assists from the mid-low post, often using a crafty bounce pass to a slashing cutter. As a rebounder, Bogut can be dominant on either end at this level thanks to his size, strength, length, smarts and especially his fantastic hands.
Bogut has all-star potential as an NBA center, but is still nowhere near his peak as a basketball player. Conditioning problems, an occasional lack of focus and a certain lack of savvy veteran polish still plague the 21 year old at times and make his presence as Australias unquestioned go-to guy a bit of an iffy proposition at this stage.
Bogut isnt the most experienced player in the world and there are question marks revolving around how well his back to the basket game will translate to the FIBA game that discourages this style of play to a certain extent. Had his face-up game been a bit more advanced than he would be in better shape, but he still isnt comfortable or experienced enough in the high post to be relied on exclusively here either. Teams will give him 16-18 foot mid-range jumpers and it will be up to him to prove that he can knock them down consistently, something he wasnt always capable of doing in the NBA.
He will need plenty of help from his fairly unproven supporting cast to will Australia into the 2nd round.
The Upside:
Brad Newley, 6-6, Shooting Guard, Townsville Crocodiles (NBL), 21 years old
Dimitris Ritsonis
An offensive-minded player, with a great feel for the game, Newley has a chance to really make a name for himself in his world-wide debut on the International basketball scene. The upcoming World Championships will be the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his skills, as he is a unique prospect who also happens to be very entertaining to watch. He is coming off a fairly solid showing at the NBA pre-draft camp this past June in Orlando, where he elevated his stock, but probably not quite high enough to secure himself as a first round pick.
Newley will probably be coming off the bench to spark the offense with his shooting touch and shot-creating skills. He is athletic enough to compete with most off-guards in that tournament, can get out and ignite the fast break, and despite his size, is lanky and smooth enough to insert himself as a factor against almost any type of opposing defense.
He is a steady and constant scorer and usually has a lot of confidence against one-on-one defenses. He has very good size for the 2-guard position, with very good ball-handling skills, particularly with his left hand. This allows him to beat his opponent off the dribble thanks to his smarts, and be both an interesting slasher and an effective finisher with either hand. Another notably strong part of his game is his off the ball movement, moving constantly and speeding between opponents in order to free himself from his man. He is a pretty smart case of a player and could be very creative and a useful tool for any offensive system.
Despite being a star from an early age in both his local league and the junior National teams, Newley has shown to be a cooperative teammate, with the ability to score but also create for teammates, thanks to his very good court vision, above average passing skills and notable unselfishness, up to the point of even passing up good shots in favor of a pass sometimes. This doesn't mean that his shot selection isn't good, but that he should trust himself even more often, particularly when he has the defense beat.
One downside to his game is that hes a bit too thin to defend right now against stronger and more experienced wing players. Although he is fluid and crafty and will surprise you at times with his willingness to sacrifice his body, he lacks the proper defensive fundamentals and lateral quickness to consistently stay in front of his man.
Moreover, although he is an above average athlete overall, it is still obvious that this is enough to make him stand out at the next level, particularly the NBA where his explosiveness would be considered average at best. His potential is lessened somewhat due to that.
Overall, Newley, whose always-high morale and offensive minded game should boost the Boomers for sparks, is a very interesting young player, certainly a mainstay for years to come on the Australian perimeter, and potentially the successor of Shane Heal and Andrew Gaze and the necessary complimentary piece for Andrew Bogut.
Newley will probably be coming off the bench to spark the offense with his shooting touch and shot-creating skills. He is athletic enough to compete with most off-guards in that tournament, can get out and ignite the fast break, and despite his size, is lanky and smooth enough to insert himself as a factor against almost any type of opposing defense.
He is a steady and constant scorer and usually has a lot of confidence against one-on-one defenses. He has very good size for the 2-guard position, with very good ball-handling skills, particularly with his left hand. This allows him to beat his opponent off the dribble thanks to his smarts, and be both an interesting slasher and an effective finisher with either hand. Another notably strong part of his game is his off the ball movement, moving constantly and speeding between opponents in order to free himself from his man. He is a pretty smart case of a player and could be very creative and a useful tool for any offensive system.
Despite being a star from an early age in both his local league and the junior National teams, Newley has shown to be a cooperative teammate, with the ability to score but also create for teammates, thanks to his very good court vision, above average passing skills and notable unselfishness, up to the point of even passing up good shots in favor of a pass sometimes. This doesn't mean that his shot selection isn't good, but that he should trust himself even more often, particularly when he has the defense beat.
One downside to his game is that hes a bit too thin to defend right now against stronger and more experienced wing players. Although he is fluid and crafty and will surprise you at times with his willingness to sacrifice his body, he lacks the proper defensive fundamentals and lateral quickness to consistently stay in front of his man.
Moreover, although he is an above average athlete overall, it is still obvious that this is enough to make him stand out at the next level, particularly the NBA where his explosiveness would be considered average at best. His potential is lessened somewhat due to that.
Overall, Newley, whose always-high morale and offensive minded game should boost the Boomers for sparks, is a very interesting young player, certainly a mainstay for years to come on the Australian perimeter, and potentially the successor of Shane Heal and Andrew Gaze and the necessary complimentary piece for Andrew Bogut.