The reporters did not see Australia on the floor at all on the eve of the World Cup and before the match against Finland. Australia canceled their morning practice at the practice hall. In the evening, on the other hand, journalists were only allowed to enter the hall when the rehearsals were over.
According to the rules of the international basketball federation FIBA, the last five minutes should be available to the media for, among other things, photo opportunities. In general, the players of the teams no longer hone patterns for matches, but instead do, for example, throwing exercises in front of the media.
Australia’s head coach Brian Goorjan beamed at the press conference after the training that the group containing Finland, Germany and Japan is the toughest of the entire World Cup.
– Finland plays wonderful basketball. They played tight against Lithuania. Lauri Markkanen is one of the best players in the NBA, Goorja said.
Goorjan emphasized several times how they have a lot of respect for their first opponent, Finland, and the other teams in the group.
Goorjan admitted that Finland will cause problems for Australia with the combination of Markkanen and accurate three-point shooters.
Goorjan brought up an interesting point about the preparation for the Finland match, at least from between the lines, emphasizing that they have had two days to prepare for the Finland match. The World Cup is played every other day, so there is only one day to prepare against Germany and Japan.
–. We have to respect Finnish throwers. We have had the opportunity to practice this balance with Markkanen and others for two days now. It’s not just about taking Markkanen and forgetting the others. We have been working on this balance for two days, Goorjan said.