FIBA 2010 World Championships Preview: Group C
By Jon Pastuszek
Tue, 08/24/2010 - 2:12am
Greece:
At the top of Group C are the Greeks, an experienced and crafty team that consistently performs well at international competitions. The Hellas won silver at the 2006 World Championship in Japan, coming back from a 13-point second-half deficit against the United States in the quarter finals. At last year’s EuroBasket, the team took home bronze, a huge achievement considering they were without several key players.
As evidenced by last year’s remarkable bronze medal run, Greece is a team that can never be counted out. Their chemistry is just too strong. Practically every player on the roster plays club ball in Greece, including seven players who play together on the same club, Pathaniakos, and two others play together on Olympiacos. Practically all of the usual suspects are still here: Vassilis Spanoulis, Atonis Fotsis, Nikos Zisis, Dimitris Diamantidis, Sofoklis Schortsanitis and Ioannis Bourousis are all on the roster. There’s some new blood, too. Nick Calethes, who played his college ball with the Florida Gators, obtained Greek citizenship and will likely back up both guard positions.
The most notable absence from this year’s team will be Theo Papaloukas, a crowd pleasing gunner who also flashes fancy passes from out of nowhere. They were without him in last year’s EuroBasket, so it shouldn’t be a huge problem.
However, the consequences of last week’s brawl between Serbia and Greece could be a huge problem. The fight started when Greece’s Antonis Fotsis got into Serbia guard Milos Teodosic’s face over a hard foul under the hoop, and escalated into a team vs. team brawl that climaxed with Serbian and Oklahoma City Thunder center, Nenad Krstic, throwing a chair into a crowd of players, hitting Greek center Yannis Bouroussis’s head. Practically every player was involved in the fracas, most notably Fotsis, who started it all, and Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who threw wild punches at a fallen Serbian player before running after Krstic in a rage. If FIBA hands down multiple suspensions, it will definitely have an impact on Greece’s preliminary round position.
Turkey:
Omer Asik
As the host nation at this year’s World Championship, Turkey will have the all important home-court advantage in every game they play. Throughout the history of the tournament, that hasn’t mattered much – the host nation hasn’t medaled since 1970 when Yugoslaiva took home gold in front of their own fans.
Turkey is not expected to break the trend, but with four NBA players gracing its roster, the Turks have a solid roster and a real opportunity to get out of the group and into the elimination round. Phoenix Suns’ Hedo Turkoglu has a distinctly unorthodox and versatile European game that will blend naturally in the international arena. Ersan Ilyasova had a surprisingly good campain last year for the Milwaukee Bucks after a one year NBA hiatus; his shooting and rebounding will be a valuable asset to the team. Turkey’s two big, young centers, Semir Erden and Omer Asik, both signed contracts this summer with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls respectively.
Turkey’s Achilles heel is its guards, who tend to lose their composure against tougher opponents. Turkey finished eighth at last year’s EuroBasket, mainly due to the lack of focus that was displayed by its guards. Though Turkey’s NBA-ers are an important element of the team, Turkey’s hopes for a long tournament will be contingent on their guards ability to run the team.
Russia:
Russia’s international ambitions took a major hit when Utah Jazz forward, Andrei Kirilenko, pulled out from the team due to injury concerns. He missed 15 of the Jazz’s last 17 games with a multitude of nagging pains, and entering a contract year, he is using the summer as an opportunity to heal properly. NBA failures Viktor Khryapa, Sergey Monya and Sasha Kaun will do their best to compensate for AK’s absence. J.R. Holden, Russia's naturalized American point-guard is also not playing. Even at age 34, Holden, who hit a last second shot in the 2007 EuroBasket Finals to beat Spain, is one of the team's best players and provides steadiness at the position. Adding further insult to injury, Victor Khryapa will also miss the team's first two games to due injuries. Timofey Mozgov, the mysterious seven-footer whom the Knicks signed this summer, will be worth watching. He'll be flanked by former Kansas big-man, Sasha Kaun. Sans its two best players and placed in a very tough group, Russia is no longer the lock they were in years past. Games against host nation Turkey and Puerto Rico will critical in determining their post-group stage fate.
Puerto Rico:
Never conventional, always entertaining and occasionally successful, Puerto Rico enters this year’s World Championships as the group’s consensus sleeper pick. With their explosive NBA backcourt combo of Jose Juan Barea, currently of the Dallas Mavericks, and the Miami Heat’s Carlos Arroyo, the Puertoriquenos are capable of putting up lots of points in a hurry. On the world stage, there is simply no player like Arroyo, whose majestic ball handling and creative finishes around the hoop make for some truly jaw dropping sequences. For those who are only familiar with Arroyo through the NBA and its constrictive coaching style that seeks to put a leash on his imaginative style, a session with the wide-open Puerto Rican team is a must.
The team is also bolstered by the addition of Denver Nuggets’ energetic forward, Renaldo Balkman. His attention and ability on defense is a healthy addition for a team that struggles to guard opposing offenses. At center is a combo of two limited, but hefty seven footers – John Peter Ramos and Daniel Santiago, who is second to none in flossing the goggles, – but they’re the exception, not the rule up front. 6-11 Ricardo Sanchez gives the team added size, but plays more from the perimeter and Angel D. Vasallo, Carmelo Lee and Nathan Peavy can all bomb threes, a necessity on this team because of Barea and Arroyo’s penetration.
Yet, while the freedom given to its guards makes for some awesome basketball, it also leads to turnovers and prolonged spells of offensive chaos. For a team that depends on so much on the improvisation of Barea and Arroyo, it’s paramount that they play in control against stronger opponents if they’re to make a run into the tournament’s deeper stages. The team is also trying to overcome a last-second roster change. Back-up guard Daniel Ayuso and Christian Dalmau refused to travel with the team to Europe because of an irreconcilable problem over playing time with the coaching staff. They’ll be replaced by Guillermo Diaz and David Huertas.
As long as Arroyo and Barea take care of the offense, this is a team that will get out of the group and maybe get into the quarter-finals.
China:
Yi Jianlian
The Chinese are going through a period of transition, and so far the process has not been a smooth one. Without Yao Ming, who is still recovering from a foot injury that kept him out of the entire 2009-10 NBA campaign, Team China is searching for its identity after losing all four of its tune-up games in America last week. Particularly troubling has been the team’s inability to score on the offensive end – China scored 16 points in the first half against Canada and 34 in the first three quarters against the U.S. Newly appointed American head coach, Bob Donewald Jr., who has coaching experience both in the NBA and the Chinese Basketball Association, has preached patience with this young team, as they adjust to life without their All-NBA center.
For better or for worse, Washington Wizards’ forward, Yi Jianlian, is the team’s first look on offense, usually operating out of the high post. He has struggled so far with the added defensive attention and whether he is mentally ready for that responsibility still remains to be seen. As always, China’s biggest vulnerability is their guards, whose inability to advance the ball against pressure consistently costs them games. This year, Former Laker, Sun Yue and national team stalwart, Liu Wei, comprise the starting backcourt. Both are players who will look to get their own offense, often at the expense of everyone else, which is very problematic in Donewald’s motion offense.
They say you can’t teach size, though, and China still has plenty of that. Against most opponents, they are bigger and taller at almost every position. Yet, if China’s offensive struggles continue in Turkey, their win total will come up as one of the shortest in the tournament. Fifth place and an early ticket back to Beijing is the most likely result for this young and relatively inexperienced team.
Cote d’Ivoire:
After a disappointing World Cup in South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire is looking to rebound in international athletics in this summer’s World Championships. “Les Elephants” reserved their ticket to Turkey thanks to a surprising second place finish in Afrobasket 2009 in Libya. Led by sharp-shooting point-guard Pape-Phillipe Amagou, who has played at the top club levels in Greece and France, the “Elephants” will be looking to continue the momentum from a very positive end result in Libya.
Unfortunately, just like in soccer earlier this summer, they’ve been handed another “Group of Death” in Group C. Lacking in talent and experience (this is just their third appearance overall and first since 1986), Cote d’Ivoire is widely expected to finish at the bottom of the group.
Pool Play Prediction:
1. Greece
2. Turkey
3. Russia
4. Puerto Rico
5. China
6. Cote D’Ivoire
At the top of Group C are the Greeks, an experienced and crafty team that consistently performs well at international competitions. The Hellas won silver at the 2006 World Championship in Japan, coming back from a 13-point second-half deficit against the United States in the quarter finals. At last year’s EuroBasket, the team took home bronze, a huge achievement considering they were without several key players.
As evidenced by last year’s remarkable bronze medal run, Greece is a team that can never be counted out. Their chemistry is just too strong. Practically every player on the roster plays club ball in Greece, including seven players who play together on the same club, Pathaniakos, and two others play together on Olympiacos. Practically all of the usual suspects are still here: Vassilis Spanoulis, Atonis Fotsis, Nikos Zisis, Dimitris Diamantidis, Sofoklis Schortsanitis and Ioannis Bourousis are all on the roster. There’s some new blood, too. Nick Calethes, who played his college ball with the Florida Gators, obtained Greek citizenship and will likely back up both guard positions.
The most notable absence from this year’s team will be Theo Papaloukas, a crowd pleasing gunner who also flashes fancy passes from out of nowhere. They were without him in last year’s EuroBasket, so it shouldn’t be a huge problem.
However, the consequences of last week’s brawl between Serbia and Greece could be a huge problem. The fight started when Greece’s Antonis Fotsis got into Serbia guard Milos Teodosic’s face over a hard foul under the hoop, and escalated into a team vs. team brawl that climaxed with Serbian and Oklahoma City Thunder center, Nenad Krstic, throwing a chair into a crowd of players, hitting Greek center Yannis Bouroussis’s head. Practically every player was involved in the fracas, most notably Fotsis, who started it all, and Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who threw wild punches at a fallen Serbian player before running after Krstic in a rage. If FIBA hands down multiple suspensions, it will definitely have an impact on Greece’s preliminary round position.
Turkey:
Omer AsikAs the host nation at this year’s World Championship, Turkey will have the all important home-court advantage in every game they play. Throughout the history of the tournament, that hasn’t mattered much – the host nation hasn’t medaled since 1970 when Yugoslaiva took home gold in front of their own fans.
Turkey is not expected to break the trend, but with four NBA players gracing its roster, the Turks have a solid roster and a real opportunity to get out of the group and into the elimination round. Phoenix Suns’ Hedo Turkoglu has a distinctly unorthodox and versatile European game that will blend naturally in the international arena. Ersan Ilyasova had a surprisingly good campain last year for the Milwaukee Bucks after a one year NBA hiatus; his shooting and rebounding will be a valuable asset to the team. Turkey’s two big, young centers, Semir Erden and Omer Asik, both signed contracts this summer with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls respectively.
Turkey’s Achilles heel is its guards, who tend to lose their composure against tougher opponents. Turkey finished eighth at last year’s EuroBasket, mainly due to the lack of focus that was displayed by its guards. Though Turkey’s NBA-ers are an important element of the team, Turkey’s hopes for a long tournament will be contingent on their guards ability to run the team.
Russia:
Russia’s international ambitions took a major hit when Utah Jazz forward, Andrei Kirilenko, pulled out from the team due to injury concerns. He missed 15 of the Jazz’s last 17 games with a multitude of nagging pains, and entering a contract year, he is using the summer as an opportunity to heal properly. NBA failures Viktor Khryapa, Sergey Monya and Sasha Kaun will do their best to compensate for AK’s absence. J.R. Holden, Russia's naturalized American point-guard is also not playing. Even at age 34, Holden, who hit a last second shot in the 2007 EuroBasket Finals to beat Spain, is one of the team's best players and provides steadiness at the position. Adding further insult to injury, Victor Khryapa will also miss the team's first two games to due injuries. Timofey Mozgov, the mysterious seven-footer whom the Knicks signed this summer, will be worth watching. He'll be flanked by former Kansas big-man, Sasha Kaun. Sans its two best players and placed in a very tough group, Russia is no longer the lock they were in years past. Games against host nation Turkey and Puerto Rico will critical in determining their post-group stage fate.
Puerto Rico:
Never conventional, always entertaining and occasionally successful, Puerto Rico enters this year’s World Championships as the group’s consensus sleeper pick. With their explosive NBA backcourt combo of Jose Juan Barea, currently of the Dallas Mavericks, and the Miami Heat’s Carlos Arroyo, the Puertoriquenos are capable of putting up lots of points in a hurry. On the world stage, there is simply no player like Arroyo, whose majestic ball handling and creative finishes around the hoop make for some truly jaw dropping sequences. For those who are only familiar with Arroyo through the NBA and its constrictive coaching style that seeks to put a leash on his imaginative style, a session with the wide-open Puerto Rican team is a must.
The team is also bolstered by the addition of Denver Nuggets’ energetic forward, Renaldo Balkman. His attention and ability on defense is a healthy addition for a team that struggles to guard opposing offenses. At center is a combo of two limited, but hefty seven footers – John Peter Ramos and Daniel Santiago, who is second to none in flossing the goggles, – but they’re the exception, not the rule up front. 6-11 Ricardo Sanchez gives the team added size, but plays more from the perimeter and Angel D. Vasallo, Carmelo Lee and Nathan Peavy can all bomb threes, a necessity on this team because of Barea and Arroyo’s penetration.
Yet, while the freedom given to its guards makes for some awesome basketball, it also leads to turnovers and prolonged spells of offensive chaos. For a team that depends on so much on the improvisation of Barea and Arroyo, it’s paramount that they play in control against stronger opponents if they’re to make a run into the tournament’s deeper stages. The team is also trying to overcome a last-second roster change. Back-up guard Daniel Ayuso and Christian Dalmau refused to travel with the team to Europe because of an irreconcilable problem over playing time with the coaching staff. They’ll be replaced by Guillermo Diaz and David Huertas.
As long as Arroyo and Barea take care of the offense, this is a team that will get out of the group and maybe get into the quarter-finals.
China:
Yi JianlianThe Chinese are going through a period of transition, and so far the process has not been a smooth one. Without Yao Ming, who is still recovering from a foot injury that kept him out of the entire 2009-10 NBA campaign, Team China is searching for its identity after losing all four of its tune-up games in America last week. Particularly troubling has been the team’s inability to score on the offensive end – China scored 16 points in the first half against Canada and 34 in the first three quarters against the U.S. Newly appointed American head coach, Bob Donewald Jr., who has coaching experience both in the NBA and the Chinese Basketball Association, has preached patience with this young team, as they adjust to life without their All-NBA center.
For better or for worse, Washington Wizards’ forward, Yi Jianlian, is the team’s first look on offense, usually operating out of the high post. He has struggled so far with the added defensive attention and whether he is mentally ready for that responsibility still remains to be seen. As always, China’s biggest vulnerability is their guards, whose inability to advance the ball against pressure consistently costs them games. This year, Former Laker, Sun Yue and national team stalwart, Liu Wei, comprise the starting backcourt. Both are players who will look to get their own offense, often at the expense of everyone else, which is very problematic in Donewald’s motion offense.
They say you can’t teach size, though, and China still has plenty of that. Against most opponents, they are bigger and taller at almost every position. Yet, if China’s offensive struggles continue in Turkey, their win total will come up as one of the shortest in the tournament. Fifth place and an early ticket back to Beijing is the most likely result for this young and relatively inexperienced team.
Cote d’Ivoire:
After a disappointing World Cup in South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire is looking to rebound in international athletics in this summer’s World Championships. “Les Elephants” reserved their ticket to Turkey thanks to a surprising second place finish in Afrobasket 2009 in Libya. Led by sharp-shooting point-guard Pape-Phillipe Amagou, who has played at the top club levels in Greece and France, the “Elephants” will be looking to continue the momentum from a very positive end result in Libya.
Unfortunately, just like in soccer earlier this summer, they’ve been handed another “Group of Death” in Group C. Lacking in talent and experience (this is just their third appearance overall and first since 1986), Cote d’Ivoire is widely expected to finish at the bottom of the group.
Pool Play Prediction:
1. Greece
2. Turkey
3. Russia
4. Puerto Rico
5. China
6. Cote D’Ivoire
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