Former NBA All-Defense player left off Australian Olympics team

Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle may be healthy but he won’t be playing for the Australian Boomers at the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris.

ESPN basketball insider Olgun Uluc reports that Thybulle was a surprise omission from the 12-player Australian roster. The team will instead go with first-timers Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay, as well as NBA talent including Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Danté Exum, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills, and Joe Ingles.

The Boomers’ roster will be rounded out with Matthew Dellavedova and Nick Kay, who picked up bronze metals with Australia during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (played in 2021).

The decision to cut Thybulle, who is widely considered one of the best defenders in the world, is a curious one for the Boomers, who are in the same Olympic group as Canada. They will now have to defend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray without the luxury Thybulle has provided them over the previous two Olympic cycles.

After word of Thybulle’s cut spread, Ingles expressed sympathy for Australian head coach Brian Goorjian, who ultimately chose to go with Daniels instead.

“It’s the job he chose but it is a f—–g s–t job,” Ingles told ESPN. “It sucks.”

Goorjian also realized fans were not going to be thrilled with his omission of Thybulle.

“Whatever comes out of this, there’s gonna be a lot of people that wanna put a bullet in my head,” Goorjian said. “There’s a no win here. I’ve got a great staff. I feel really good that we’re gonna make the right decisions and put the best on the floor.”

Thybulle wasn’t just considered a lock to make Australia’s roster, he was viewed as a potential starter and invaluable piece. Now, instead of playing, he’ll be forced to watch the Olympic Games from home.