BEIJING (Olympics) - Australia coach Brian Goorjian launched a stout defense of under-fire center Andrew Bogut after the Boomers' 106-68 win over Iran.

Bogut has been criticized Down Under for not putting up big numbers in the Australians’ defeats to Croatia and Argentina but Goorjian said no player can carry a team on his own.

"This competition is too good,” Goorjian said.

"Yao Ming cannot carry China on his back. What Bogut does in my environment has been my decision and how Bogut is used and was used today has been my decision.

"If it doesn't go well, I think you should look at the coach because if the country is not happy with the way Andrew Bogut is playing, I've gone along the same game plan since I've had the team.

"I've said that our success is based on how Brad Newley, (David) Barlow, how Patty Mills, how Joe Ingles, how those guys play.

"I don't think you can have a guy with you for a week and play two games and come into a tournament and have the whole country go 'hey this boy is suppose to carry it'."

Goorjian praised Bogut, who joined the Boomers late in the preparation and appeared in just three preparation games at the FIBA Diamond Ball in Nanjing before sitting out in the final warm-up game against Team USA in Shangai because of injury.

"He is a 23-year-old guy, he is growing with the team and I think he has gotten better in each game," Goorjian said.

"I think the attitude of the NBA players is really, really important to the team. This kid, if I play him 10 minutes or if I play him 12 minutes, or we have a shoot around, or we get beat by 20, he stays with the team and he accepts the role that I give him and he doesn't complain."

While Bogut has averaged just 17 minutes per game in Beijing, Goorjian says the Milwaukee Bucks big man represents the future of Australian basketball.

"Again he is an important factor to this," said Goorjian."He is the future of our program, he is the cornerstone, he is something to build upon.

"But these other guys have to come up, carry their bag and play big as they did today for us to win in this tournament."

Australia, who are 1-2, take on European champions Russia on Saturday and finish the group stages against Lithuania.

FIBA