Josh Giddey comments on his World Cup debut, waits for Paris Olympics / News - Basketnews.com

Josh Giddey revealed he's already looking forward to return to the Boomers training camp for the 2024 Paris Olympics, adding that FIBA basketball was like he expected, and it took him a couple of games to get used to it.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Australia finished its FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 campaign with a convincing win over Georgia, but it was not the final game the Boomers expected to play.

Player of the Game EFF 17 Dante Exum Points 18 Accuracy 6-12 Rebounds 1 Assists 4

After a loss against Slovenia, Australia was eliminated from the World Cup title contention, and Saturday's contest was just a game for pride. With a 3-2 record, the Boomers finished in 3rd place in Group K.

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 debutant Josh Giddey expressed similar feelings.

"As you said, not the way we wanted it [tournament] to go at all. We had gold medal aspirations," Giddey told BasketNews after the game. "In FIBA, one bad game could cost you a tournament. We lost to Germany, and it put us on the brink of an elimination against a great team like Slovenia. We lost it, and it's the end of our campaign."

Despite the lack of success in Okinawa, Japan, the Boomers got a consolation prize in a direct ticket to the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

And it is precisely what the 20-year-old Giddey has already set his eyes on.

"Things could end quickly, and that's why you can't afford these slow starts, with which we struggled in this tournament," Giddey said. "The good news is that Paris is not far away – only 10 months away. We play the NBA season, come back to this group, and we are all looking forward to it."

"When we have the ground running in the training camp with this team, it will be exciting. I already want to go now. This is not the way we wanted to end, but the Olympics are not far away, and we'll be ready," continued the Oklahoma City Thunder guard.

On a personal note, it was a successful debut for Giddey, as the 20-year-old averaged 19.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 19.0 EFF per game in 5 appearances, leading the Boomers in scoring and assists.

"The FIBA basketball is different to the NBA," Giddey shared his first FIBA experience with BasketNews. "It took me a little to adjust, but after a while, the more games and practices you have, you get to accustom. For me, it was my first real taste of men's senior basketball on the international stage."

"It was everything I expected. It was tough, physical, the refs allowed a lot of stuff to do, which is the way a lot of us Aussies like to play. I think we'll continue to get better as a group, and we'll get the ground running in the training camp, we'll come up together and get ready for Paris. It's exciting," Giddey concluded.

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