Aussie NBA great’s Boomers advice for returning Simmons

Australian basketball champion Joe Ingles has some simple advice for Ben Simmons after he expressed interest in playing for the Boomers at the 2028 Olympics, telling him to be all-in or not bother.

Simmons is set to make his NBA return this season with Sacramento after taking a year off to get his physical and mental health in order.

He believes he can get back to his All-Star best and recently took part in a training scrimmage in Melbourne alongside fellow Aussies like Josh Giddey, Jock Landale and Dyson Daniels.

Following those training sessions, Simmons indicated his desire to represent the Boomers for the first time as an adult, after skipping Rio, Tokyo, Paris and World Cup campaigns previously.

Ingles believes the 30-year-old would have a lot to offer at 2027's World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympics the following year, but says Simmons has to commit to the squad fully, which is a multi-year commitment, or not bother at all.

“I want to see the best players that want to play for Australia,” Ingles told nine.com.au.

"A healthy, locked-in, right frame of mind Ben Simmons 100 per cent helps the Boomers.

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“I think for Ben it’s like you either need to commit and be in, and obviously there’s factors like health and all that, but you need to commit and you’re all-in and you do everything you can to make that team.

“If you’re not 100 per cent committed to it, then just don’t waste the time of everybody because everyone that’s been involved in it since I’ve been around the Boomers has been 100 per cent committed and that’s all you want.

"Obviously, we all want to see Ben play for Australia. We all want to see what he can do on that stage … but you obviously want him in the right mindset to be in that program and if he is, he definitely helps that team."

Ingles, 38, made the call to end his NBA career following last season and return to Australia and the NBL, where he is currently playing for Melbourne United.

After multiple seasons playing limited minutes for the Minnesota Timberwolves, he has had to adjust to being properly back in the fold with United.

As for potentially suiting up for the Boomers in 2027's FIBA World Cup in Qatar, Ingles said he was leaving the door open, but understands if new coach Adam Caporn and his squad are looking to the next generation.

"I've had conversations with Caporn, and they had a camp in Melbourne which I couldn't attend at the time with my preparation (for the upcoming NBL season)," Ingles said.

“Obviously for me not playing for a couple of years, my priority today is still to be in the best shape and all that for the NBL season, which at that time when they were here was probably going to interrupt that.

"The Boomers have always been a big part of my life. It's been a part of my life for 20 years now, and I don't think anyone would shut down an opportunity to be a part of it, especially at a major tournament.

"It's what you play for. For us standing up there with a bronze medal in Tokyo was like the pinnacle of my career. It's like that's all I wanted to do was help bring the first medal for men's basketball.

“I would never close the door and lock it, but obviously, I’m also on the flip side of that, very well aware of where I’m at in my career.

“As you get older and my family gets older, my kids get older, my priorities do change in a way. I missed every off-season for 20 years basically, and that includes my twins’ birthdays which were in the off-seasons. So I owe my wife and my kids a lot of time back.

“Like I said, I would never slam the door closed, but it would have to be a real discussion if Caporn came to the decision of wanting me involved in some capacity. If not, I obviously wish the boys all the best and Caporn in chasing that gold medal that we’ve talked about for a while now.”

Caporn takes over from Brian Goorjian in a time of transition for the Boomers. The old guard of Ingles, Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova are still trying to prove they belong, while a core of younger players, built around Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels is emerging.

Then you have the Simmons factor, Bryce Cotton’s sudden eligibility, Matisse Thybulle, whether you pick him or Cotton as the naturalised import, and a growing list of potential role players thriving in the NBL.

Ingles believes Caporn has a tough job ahead of him narrowing it down to just a 12-man squad.

"To give you a simple answer, yes, it will be a very hard squad to pick. There's a lot of players, there's a lot of depth. Do you go young? Do you bring some veterans?" Ingles started.

"On the flip side of that, like no, (Caporn) signed up for this job. You know what comes with the job. He was very well aware, and obviously very capable too, of like it's going to be a tough decision and those decisions lie on you as coach.

“To win the bronze medal, you had to have 12 guys that fit with each other, that play well together. There are some guys that have to be happy not playing at all. It’s so much deeper than people think. You can’t just go and pick the best 12 NBA players we have.”

Part of the headache for Caporn will be the lack of shooting, particularly if the team is moving on from Ingles and Mills.

Daniels, Thybulle, Simmons, Giddey, Landale – all are capable NBA players, but none are lights out three-point shooters or shot creators off the dribble.

“I think that can make it harder to pick the squad (overlapping skill sets) and it goes to that puzzle of who plays together, what line-ups can you put out there? They’re not going to guard Dyson Daniels the same way they guard Patty Mills or whoever, so how are you fitting the puzzle pieces together to make it work?” Ingles added.

"You've got to have obviously certain names that are going to be in the team and are going to play significant roles. Obviously, I'm a massive Matisse Thybulle fan. Defensively, does it get much better than him? We saw what he could do in that bronze medal game.

“I know everyone’s on the Bryce Cotton train at the moment, but they’ll have to ask whether Bryce is the right option. There’s obviously decisions in that. It’s not easy. Like I said, regardless of who they pick, obviously you can only have one of Bryce or Matisse, you can only have a certain amount of point guards, all these different things happen. You are never going to please everyone.

“I don’t envy being Adam Caporn right now because there’s some pretty tough decisions. But also, I mean, it’d be pretty fun, right? Like sitting there playing fantasy basketball in a way with this roster.”