The Melo Backpedal

Now that two more teams (Russia and Lithuania) have qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games by way of Eurobasket 2007, nine of the twelve spots in The Olympic Games have been filled. Let’s once again take a look at the Olympic field so far, and discuss which teams will be fighting it out for the final three Olympic spots at next summers World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Teams Already Qualified for the 2008 Olympics:

China: Led by a combination of Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Wang Zhizhi, and Sun Yue — all NBA players — China probably has as much size and depth in the frontcourt as anyone in the world. The backcourt, however, is very shaky, with little to no depth. They automatically qualify since they are the “host nation”, but it’s seriously doubtful that they are one of the twelve best teams in the world.

Spain: The Spaniards qualified by winning the FIBA World Championship last summer in Japan, and there’s little doubt that they’re one of the top teams in the world. Led by Paul Gasol and a slew of other NBA players including Jose Calderon, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jorge Garbajosa, Rudy Fernandez, and Marc Gasol, they should be one of the favorites. With their combination of depth, athleticism, speed, and experience, they’re probably one of the few teams, if any, that could go toe-to-toe with the United States. They lost in the Eurobasket 2007 Final to Russia, which should only be added motivation when next summer rolls around.

Angola: I don’t know much about Angola’s team — who qualified by winning the 2007 FIBA Africa Championship last month — but one thing I do know is that they are far and away the best team in Africa, and have been for the past decade. In the 2006 World Basketball Championships, they finished ahead of Serbia and Montenegro and China, and have a very experienced roster with several players who’ve thrived on the international stage.

Iran: When you think of basketball in Asia, you probably don’t think of world dominance. Neither do I, but surprisingly enough, Iran, by winning the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship for the first time, has put together a team worth watching for the first time ever. Making their first Olympic appearance since 1948 — where they finished 14th — the Iranian national team is incredibly young, and could be a spoiler if anybody decides to look past them. However, finishing better than they did in ’48 could be a large stretch.

United States: As I stated in a previous post, the current United States team is likely the best team USA Basketball has assembled since the original Dream Team. After they took the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship by storm, most people are quickly starting to agree, and that means they should be the favorites once again to take home the Gold. “This team for the USA is one of the best USA teams,” Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez said. “Of course nobody forgets the first Dream Team, but I like this USA team so much.”

Argentina: Argentina, who also qualified by making it to the final of the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, took home the Gold in the 2004 Olympics and has the players to make a strong push again in 2008. Without Manu Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto, Andres Nocioni and Walter Herrmann (all NBA players), the defending Olympic champions still made it to the Finals of the FIBA Americas Championship and lost only twice, both times to the United States. That’s a very impressive feat.

Australia: Led by NBAer Andrew Bogut, Australia is a regular at the Olympic Games, and should have the talent to do fairly well in 2008. They took home the 2007 FIBA Oceania Championship, against what most would call “watered down” competition, but they have a ton of depth and a bunch of players that have either played in the NBA or eventually will. One of them is a versatile wing player named Brad Newley who was drafted by the NBA’s Houston Rockets this summer. Another is Sam Mackinnon, a star veteran wing player in Australia’s National Basketball League.

Russia: The Russians shocked everybody with their play at Eurobasket 2007, when they took home the Gold after beating France, Lithuania, and Spain in a span of three days. Led by tournament MVP Andrei Kirilenko and point guard JR Holden, who hit the game winning basket against Spain in the Final, Russia is certainly a team to be taken seriously next summer. Victor Khryapa and Sergey Monya are also key players that some NBA fans might be familiar with. Look for them to come in with alot of confidence next summer.

Lithuania: Led by NBAers such as Sarunas Jasikevicius, Linas Kleiza, and Darius Songaila, Lithuania qualified by finishing in third place at Eurobasket 2007 behind Jasikevicius’ tournament-leading 5.9 assists per game. Spain, who finished second, had already qualified so the Lithuanians snagged their qualifying spot. Ramunas Siskauskas, who plays for CSKA Moscow, is the teams leading scorer and has big-time range from beyond the three point line. The team isn’t incredibly deep up front, but they play a great “team game” and can really light it up from the outside.

Top candidates for the final three spots at the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament:

France, who boasts NBA star Tony Parker along with other NBA players Boris Diaw, Ronny Turiaf, Florent Pietrus, and Yakhouba Diawara, was one of the front-runners to win the Eurobasket 2007 Tournament. However, they not only failed to grab one of the two qualifying spots, but failed to place well enough to even qualify for the Qualifying Tournament next summer, despite big play from Tony Parker. While Parker averaged over 20 points per game, no other player averaged in double figures, and the team as a whole vastly underacheived.

Italy — led by young NBAers Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli — also had a very solid team, but proved that they didn’t have enough talent, experience, and depth to make an impact. They should be very good in the future, but failed to qualify for a spot in next summers Qualifying Tournament as well.

Slovenia: Led by point guard Jaka Lakovic — who played incredible at Eurobasket 2007 — Matjaz Smodis, and Rasho Nesterovic, the Slovenians are looking very sharp and should be ready when next summer rolls around. Erazem Lorbek and Uros Slokar are also two very servicable big men who played a big role at Eurobasket 2007 and have spent some time in the NBA.

Croatia: The Croatian team has loads of talent and depth, but not one dominant player, which leads to a smooth team game. Marko Popovic, Zoran Planinic, and Mario Kasun are clearly the top players, but Marko Thomas, Davor Kus, Roko-Leni Ukic, and Marko Banic are all great rotational players who can be the go-to-guy at various times. They’re a team that comes at you from every angle and should be a force next summer.

Greece: This is probably the best team in the world that doesn’t have a single NBA player on their roster. Led by a rangy combination of Theodoros Papaloukas, Dimo Ntikoudis, Dimitrios Diamantidis, and Vasileios Spanoulis, Greece won the Gold at Eurobasket 2005 and the Silver at the 2006 World Championships. They finished fourth at Eurobasket 2007 and have legit depth at nearly every position.

Germany: Led by NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki, Germany should be one of the top five or six teams in the Qualifying Tournament next summer. He simply dominated the competition at Eurobasket 2007, just didn’t win MVP because his team wasn’t one of the best. While Nowitzki is the only NBA player on the German team, players such as Mithat Demirel and Patrick Femerling have made a name for themselves on the international level.

Canada: They haven’t won a medal at the Olympics in nearly a half a decade (1936), but they clearly have the talent and depth to make a legitimate push to qualify next summer. By finishing fifth in the FIBA Americas Tournament this summer, the Canadians secured themselves a spot in the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The team is headlined by NBA big man Samuel Dalembert — who recently suffered another injury (not shockingly) — and several former collegiate standouts such as Carl English, Denham Brown, Levon Kendall, and Juan Mendez. Head coach Leo Rautins has also expressed optimism that Steve Nash, a two-time NBA MVP, and long time national team standout, will rejoin the Canadian squad next year for the tournament and possibly even the Olympics.

Puerto Rico: Led by a few NBA players such as Carlos Arroyo, Jose Juan Barea, and Ricky Sanchez, Puerto Rico finished third at the FIBA Americas Tournament this summer, thus securing a spot in next summer’s World Qualifying Tournament. Will they be able to hold their own against the European teams that they’ll be facing in the tournament? That’s still a big question mark, but other than the 2006 FIBA World Championship, they’ve always played well against European competition, so it should be interesting to see.

Brazil: Both Leandro Barbosa and Nene were recently criticized for their play in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, but they finished fourth, thus securing a spot in next year’s qualifying tournament. After such a disappointing showing, it’s hard to see them not showing up next summer. Tiago Splitter, a Euroleague veteran drafted in the first round by the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, is a player to watch, as he knows the international game well and is an emerging star in Brazilian basketball.

These are just the top teams remaining, but also look for New Zealand, Korea, Cameroon, Lebanon, and Cape Verde at next summers World Qualifying Tournament. The top three finishers will earn the final three spots to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Good Luck to everyone.