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NOW the dust has settled on the FIBA World Cup, it’s fair to say Australia delivered a small ‘F’ fail in Okinawa and Manila. You cannot fly out spouting “gold vibes only,” then not make it to the quarter-final round after promising a podium finish. Sorry. That’s a fail. It just isn’t a crisis.

Let’s be blunt. The second we knew Jock Landale would be an eleventh hour withdrawal, all serious thoughts of gold evaporated. There was still enough talent there to, fingers crossed, make it to the semis.

But an intragroup loss to a Franz Wagner-less Germany, followed by the Tokyo Bronze Medal revenge game Slovenia was itching for, left us where a few wiser heads feared we could end.

There were only three players we could not afford to lose if we were to genuinely grab a medal – and Landale was one of them.

Josh Giddey showed his bona fides as not only the Boomers’ youngest tournament leading scorer of all time, but also the World Cup’s inaugural Rising Star. Big tick.

There just weren’t too many others. Dante Exum? Big tick. Josh Green? Same.

But how different was it for anyone else?

The big winners at this tournament were Germany, Canada, Latvia and South Sudan.

Serbia missed its big chance but was right there and the USA improved three spots on its previous World Cup result, but may even send LeBron to Paris next year in the Kobe “redeem role”.

The biggest losers were France, Spain, Australia and Lithuania, all expected to be somewhere in the medal calculations.

If you want to call a campaign a disaster, look no further than France. But then the French have the benefit of automatic qualification as the host nation for the Paris Olympics. So, as they would say … “Eh.”

Those painting this Australian performance as a disaster are over-reacting and maybe not weighing up all the facts.

For example, that German team the Aussies lost to? They are now the World Champions. It’s kind of worth noting.

But then, OK, we cannot also hide from the fact the Boomers had every chance to beat Germany and blew it. Veteran Joe Ingles, a knock-down shooter in his day, took a grand total of three shots in 18:09 on the floor.

The always reliable Nick Kay had five points and three boards in 25:35 of action and was routinely embarrassed by Dennis Schroder as Germany exploited him on the pick-and-roll. Repeatedly.

Australia’s adjustments were minimal, our GOAT coach Brian Goorjian never losing faith with the men who were so stellar in Tokyo two years ago.

But two years is a long time in the playing career of men on the wrong side of 30, and sadly it showed.

Duop Reath, since signed by the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, was seriously under-played until the tournament’s final match against Georgia. Against Germany, he was a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor for eight points in a third quarter spree. But he played just 12:40 in the game and we never saw him in the fourth.

Down by a point at 82-83 and with just enough time left to pinch it, Goorj again deferred to assistant coach Adam Caporn to draw up the Boomers’ last play. Not sure if the play broke down and that’s what caused Patty Mills to drive into traffic and turn the ball over for the second time in those dying stages.

But any time you are down by one, have the final possession and you don’t get off a shot – that’s a capital ‘F’ Fail.

Who wants to watch the Boomers’ games over again, but from memory, it’s tough to recall a single play Caporn drew up that was executed effectively in the entire tournament. Time to hand that clipboard back to the boss.

This Australian team was good enough to perform better but anyone who did not recognise it is a team-in-transition was not paying attention. The chemistry at times was questionable.

For Tokyo, that Boomers team was a team on a mission – to win gold or at worst, a medal of another hue. Their focus, camaraderie and spirit never wavered and they rallied around each other like brothers.

How good was Matisse Thybulle for instance at Tokyo? He was totally wasted at the World Cup and by the end of the series, looked lost and lacking in confidence or knowing his role.

Yet he still caught a wild high pass from Ingles against Georgia and threw it in somehow. He was so under-utilised it was practically criminal, as if he and Josh Green duplicated the same role.

Playing Green at #2 and Thybulle at #3 wasn’t an option? Guess not.

Xavier Cooks had one giant game and some not so brilliant but he, Reath and Exum all had memorable moments with blocks at one end followed up by big dunks at the other. A joy to watch.

Chris Goulding also was wasted. If he was taken as a “knock down shooter” – a term we heard repeatedly during the Worlds – then it was a waste of time taking him because he was never used in that capacity.

Japan even obliged by playing zone for a big portion of its loss but even when the Aussie offence broke down due to too much dribbling and not enough passing, Goulding was not called upon.

Reminded me of Peter Crawford being taken to the London Olympics as a “knock down shooter” but never once was required to remove his tracksuit.

All the white noise about Australia needing shooters … the Boomers’ averaged 93.8 points per game, the most by any Australian men’s team at a World Cup or Olympics. Ever.

Sorry but offence wasn’t the problem. Being unable to stop anyone of significance and a lack of team chemistry at key times were the issues.

As a great coach once said, you can’t guard the stable if the barn gates are open. Yes, it is almost criminal to in any way criticise Mills or Giddey, as it once was Gaze and Heal.

Mills will take a huge charge, Giddey will make a spectacular steal. But playing hard-nosed straight up relentless defence? Didn’t consistently see it at all. 

Giddey is a generational talent and, barring injury or perspective loss, can develop into our greatest player. But those already touting him as captain for Paris should settle down and remember he is just 20.

Give him a chance to find himself fully before dumping extra leadership roles onto him.

Can this squad bounce back and medal in Paris? The short answer is yes but bear in mind there were six European teams in the 8-team quarter-finals and several of them had key players absent.

Would Kristaps Porzingis help Latvia do you think? Would Nikola Jokic help Serbia? The USA also will send a better outfit. How much better will Franz Wagner be as a player by then too?

So it is no lay down misere the Boomers can cap their performance of Tokyo. This series was a fail but not the end of the Worlds.

TOMORROW: How to go forward for Paris

THE World Cup coverage had its ups and downs. This is how I saw it.

LOVED Trevor Gleeson the analyst. Sharp, accurate and informed. A great find and a future Boomers coach, surely?

HATED every match starting with a ceiling-looking-down-on-the-court shot of the centre jump. These days we only get one centre jump or jumpball a game. To shoot it from the roof offers no perspective of how high anyone is jumping. Some director who doesn’t understand basketball’s stupid idea.

LOVED Gleeson and John Casey together, then the addition of Andrew Gaze. It worked a treat. Not sure every game was a “see-sawing affair” a la John’s regular observation but this was a quality calling team.

HATED all the fuss over Goorj’s time-out where he dropped two F bombs to shake up a couple of his Rip Van Winkles. It was invaluable insight and did the trick, Patty Mills scoring 13 straight points. Coaching isn’t just drawing up a play.

LOVED Bec Allen. That is all.

(OK, maybe it isn’t. But if the Olympic Opal and WNBA starter doesn’t have a career in media post-playing days, I’d be very surprised. She was a minor sensation. Look out Mel McLaughlin.)

LOVED the European style of basketball. It’s what we used to play here, or a hybrid of it brought out by the World War II migrants and meshed with what the Americans gave us. Andrej Lemanis said it a decade ago – the Boomers need to play more Euro teams ahead of tournaments.

HATED the European flopping, faking injuries, falling over at the slightest touch. Honestly, I thought it only happened to this extent in soccer. Afraid not.

LOVED the two guys who called the other matches. Called it straight the whole time and were accurate, entertaining and very honest.

HATED a lot of the officiating. Is this the best our game has now?