Ben Simmons is playing the role as the key recruiter in the hunt to get Matisse Thybulle to play for the Australian Boomers.

Simmons’ Philadelphia 76ers teammate is a dual citizen of the USA and Australia, and is still uncommitted when it comes to international play.

The bonus for the Boomers is that Simmons is a teammate of Thybulle, a rookie already regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, and the team’s head coach is Brett Brown, who was just reappointed as Australia’s head man.

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During his NBA All-Star Game press conference, Simmons was asked about the prospect of Thybulle playing for Australia, and the 2018 Rookie of the Year was confident.

“He’s going to play for Australia,” Simmons told reporters on Sunday (AEDT). “He’s great.”

The Boomers have yet to win a medal in a major international competition, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be seen as their last chance to do so with the current core, which features the likes of Patty Mills, Aron Baynes, and Joe Ingles.

Simmons hasn’t played with that group since joining the NBA and developing into a two-way superstar, but his inclusion would naturally help the Boomers’ chances.

So would Thybulle’s, according to Simmons.

“Defensively, he is much better than what I thought he was going to be,” Simmons said. “He kind of gives us that push also. It’s great to have him on the court.”

Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle. Source: AP

Last week, Thybulle said his decision regarding international play would likely come at the end of the 76ers’ season, but didn’t rule out the possibility of suiting up in the green and gold.

“I mean, it’s all in the back of our minds and I know we are excited to have a conversation once we are able to but right now, we are focused on taking care of this season,” Thybulle, who lived in Sydney between the ages of two and nine.

“I think the opportunity to play in the Olympics itself is an honour. To represent something bigger than yourself, like your country and whatever that country might stand for is something that is a huge opportunity.

“For myself, I can’t say I’ve put too much thought into which one I’d like to go to, which (opportunity) I’d like to take, but I think this season is going to be a good opportunity to showcase myself and figure out what opportunities I have at the end of the season.”

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Olgun Uluc is the Senior Basketball Reporter for Fox Sports Australia. Twitter: @OlgunUluc