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FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 8.9.10

2010-09-08T15:19:44Z

More photos » Kevin C. Cox - Getty Images

Primoz Brezec will be attempting to block his teammate, Ersan Ilyasova, when his Slovenian team takes on Turkey this afternoon. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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For the full bracket, click here. For the full schedule and previous results, click here.

1. Serbia (Group B) vs. 3. Spain (Group D)

Time: 10:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: Serbia has the better track record, but no one will be surprised if this one seed goes down. Nenad Krstic is a soft center who likes to stretch the opposing team's defense by popping out for a quick shot, while Marc Gasol is a tough inside bruiser who likes to score. In my opinion, the latter works better, especially against European-style offenses. At other positions, Spain has mostly superior talent, with Navarro and Rubio trumping Lakovic, Fernandez trumping Rasic, and Jorge Garbajosa trumping Kosta Perovic. While I'll be cheering on Serbia in this game, I think Spain will win by about 10.

1. Turkey (Group C) vs. 2. Slovenia (Group B)

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: Turkey has looked sky high in the tournament so far, but Slovenia may be the team to bring them down. They have excellent inside defense, and if they are able to control the pace, I think they'll have a chance. Unfortunately, Turkey just has too many scorers to contend with, something that wasn't a problem in all prior victories save Brazil, who has it's main scorers on the inside. So I think Turkey will win here by about 7. It won't go down to the wire, but it will be close at time.

If you're watching the games, feel free to post your reaction to them in the comments section here!

Poll

Who do you feel most strongly is going to win today?

FIBA World Championships 2010: Round of 16 Recap, Quarter-Finals Preview

2010-09-08T15:12:05Z

More photos » Garrett Ellwood - NBAE/Getty Images

Team USA destroyed Angola in their Round of 16 Game. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

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And so, the Round of 16 is over with, and we're finally down to the 8 best teams in the world. At this stage, games stop becoming so easy to predict. Nothing is taken for granted, and every team has the tools it takes to win the whole enchilada. Of course, it's a lot easier for some than it is for others, but Russia or Lithuania has a much better chance of winning it than Angola or China.

So, needless to say, if there was a time to start watching the FIBA World Championships, it would be now. I know I've said that before, but now is really the time to start watching. Think of it this way: We're only 7 games away from crowning a champion, so you've got to jump on a bandwagon as soon as you can! Joining a team in the Semi-Finals is not fun.

And, if that weren't reason enough, know that all 8 Quarter-Finals teams are guaranteed to play 3 more games. So even if your favorite team gets knocked out in the Quarter-Finals, you can still watch them half-heartedly battle through the Classification round and the 5th or 7th Place game. Fun, eh?

But, before we get to previewing all of the Quarter-Finals games, let's take a look back at all of the Round of 16 Matchups.

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Saturday, September 4th

Serbia defeats Croatia, 73-72

Croatia started off the game very well, playing a high energy game involving quick feet in the post and excellent threes. But some horrible news came late in the 1st when Nenad Krstic got hurt after falling on his rear end after a Croatian player charged into him on a drive. But Croatia's high pace and offensive rebound payed off in the end, as they led 27-19. They didn't have superior bigs, but their ability to swarm in the post, despite being shorter, got them a good amount of rebounds.

Luckily for Thunder fans, Krstic came back into the game late in the 2nd quarter, and he appeared to be fine. And Serbia was doing much better. They continued to be double-teamed in the post, so it was difficult to score there, but they continued to find ways to do so, and they were successful in slowing down the pace of the game, limiting Croatia's scoring. Unfortunately, they were still behind, 34 to 36. Krstic led all scorers with 10 Points, and Perovic had 8.

The Third Quarter was more of a back-and forth affair, with Croatia continuing to hit shots from beyond the arc and Serbia continuing to dump it inside and either score ort get fouled. Via a couple missed shots by Croatia at the ned of the quarter, Serbia has gained a 4 point lead going into the fourth.

In the fourth, Croatia had to do all it could to stay in the game. Serbia was consistently getting into the paint and getting fouled, while Croatia was ferociously throwing up threes and trying to get something going down low.

Towards the end, Serbia was up by 4 when Croatia got a desperation layup, bringing the game within reach. Croatia was able to climb back in via a turnover and a couple of missed freethrows by Serbia. Serbia drove to the other end of the floor, and Krstic was fouled when driving to the basket. He split the freethrows. Popovic traded an eye for an eye on the other end, drawing a foul on Krstic. He made them both, putting Croatia behind by 1 with 21.5 seconds to go. Teodosic inbounded to Rasic, who was immediately fouled. He made both, putting Croatia down by 3. Then, Popovic was fouled. He made both freethrows, putting the seesaw back to three. But then, Croatia stole the ball on the inbounds, and Popovic was fouled. He split the freethrows (making the second), tieing it at 70. Then Serbia broke away from the midcourt defense and made an easy layup on the inbound, putting the deficit back to 2. Croatia inbounded it quickly to Popovic, who was fouled with 5.9 seconds to go. He made both. Serbia threw it down the court to Rasic, who was fouled on a layup attempt with one second to go. He split the freethrows and missed the second. Croatia threw a desperation cross-court shot, but it was short. Serbia had won by a measly point. Krstic led all Serbian scorers with 16, and had 3 Rebounds.

Spain defeats Greece, 80-72

This was a game where Greece consistently was playing from behind. They would always seem to get within a point or two of Spain before falling back by about 6 or 7 and having to climb back out of that hole. But, more interestingly, Greece made no three pointers, seemingly abandoning the strategy they used in earlier games, which consisted of living and dieing on the three. Even stranger was that the leading scorer for Greece was Nikos Zisis, who has been relatively quiet in the tournament so far. And therein was Greece's problem. They were hitting about the same amount of shots that Spain was, but they weren't attempting enough threes.

Greece's highest moment came early in the third when they took a 38-37 lead off of a Antonis Fotsis three, which was their first three of the game. They also led 44-43 on yet another Fotsis three, and got extremely hot from the outside, extending theit lead to 6. But Spain went on a late-quarter run when Greece went cold, and Greece would never lead again. Spain just had the better tools inside, and showed a better ability to get to the line.

Sunday, September 5th

Slovenia Defeats Australia, 87 to 58

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Australia just didn't have the talent this year, especially inside, to compete against a team like Slovenia. This was evidenced by the game starting 12 to nothing in Slovenia's favor. Slovenia never really looked back, either dumping it off to Brezec in the paint or relying on Jaka Lakovic to do his thing.

Turkey Defeats France, 95 to 77

Since France upset Spain, I haven't been very impressed with what they've done. They rely two much on two guards for scoring, and their offense can get really stagnant at times. And that's exactly what happened here. France never led, and Turkey's superior talent allowed them to cruise to an easy victory.

Monday, September 6th

Team USA Defeats Angola, 121-66

The score says it all. The game was never a contest, Angola kept getting blocked and missing threes, and Team USA ran up the score.

Russia Defeats New Zealand, 78-56

Started off on a big New Zealand run (9-2), but Russia caught up quickly. New Zealand mostly got to the line, while Russia was hitting nearly all of their points at the line.

But the third quarter was where things started to get really interesting. Early on, Kirk Penney was called for his fourth foul, sending New Zealand's leading scorer to the bench. Then, Vukona was also called for his fourth foul, sending New Zealand's next best scorer to the bench. This handicapped New Zealand offensively, as their shorter team would often throw up a bad layup, while Russia was continuing to score easy buckets on the other end of the floor. Russia got their lead up to 16 before Penney came back into the game and cut it to 11 by the half. That made it clear how essential Penney was to the team, not only in ways of scoring, but because of his great court vision as well.

Early in the 4th, New Zealand had chipped Russia's lead down to 8, but that is as close as they would get. The game remained relatively even for the rest of the quarter, but the deficit had really killed New Zealand's chances. By the end of the game, New Zealand's guards had run out of gas, and the Russians just gave them too much to deal with inside.

Tuesday, September 7th

Lithuania defeats China, 78-67

China actually led early on in this one, thanks to some energetic play in the post. And China was threatening to get back into contention all game. But Lithuania is the much more talented team, and by the end of the 4th, they cruised to an easy victory.

Argentina Defeats Brazil, 93-89

What I expected to be a intense center on center battle had instead turned into a very well-balanced game. Splitter had been relatively ineffective so far, while Scola had scored well, but this deficiency was made up for on Brazil's side by Marcelo Huertas. Both teams were playing very similar games during the first half, with the stats for both teams virtually mirroring each other.

The Third quarter started off much more inside-oriented, with guards scoring well via intense drives. At one point, Brazil was up by 7, but Argentina came charging back with some well placed threes, and the game continued to stay close, with Brazil keeping a slight advantage. By the end of the quarter, the score was tied. The fourth quarter was a lot of back and forth scoring, with very little defense being played. It seemed that the winner of this game would be the team that managed to be on top of the scoring boon at the right time. And that team was Argentina.

With Luis Scola going absolutely insane, how could they not win? Soon, Brazil had fallen behind, and they were never able to recover. Brazil had the ball when they were three points down with about 45 seconds to go, but Barbosa got the ball stolen, Scola made a deep 2, and the rest was academic. One could say that Brazil lost just because they were unlucky, but they would have been the better team had they been able to get production out of Tiago Splitter or Anderson Varejao, who combined for only 17 Points, while Scola had 37. Getting outscored by 20 in the post seriously doesn't help your winning cause. Huertas and Barbosa certainly did all they could and had great games, but Brazil is usually much more than those two players.

And so, the four quarterfinals matchups are:

Wednesday:

1. Serbia (Group B) vs. 3. Spain (Group D)

1. Turkey (Group C) vs. 2. Slovenia (Group B)

Thursday:

1. Team USA (Group B) vs. 2. Russia (Group C)

1. Lithuania (Group D) vs. 2. Argentina (Group B)

Previews to come!

Poll

Who do you see as the frontrunners for the championship at this point?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 7.9.10

2010-09-07T12:41:36Z

More photos » Michael Dwyer - AP

Luis Scola will do all he can against former teammate Tiago Splitter to ensure that Argentina, the #1 ranked team in the world, won't go down in Round 1 to Brazil. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Since there's only one day of Round of 16 action left, I figured I'd withhold my recaps until tomorrow and post a "Round 1 Recap". Makes life easier on all of us, methinks. But be sure to watch Argentina-Brazil, as the winner of that matchup could be a serious threat to Team USA in the Semi-Finals.

For the full bracket, click here. For the full schedule and previous results, click here.

1. Lithuania (Group D) vs. 4. China (Group C)

Time: 10:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

2. Argentina (Group A) vs. 3. Brazil (Group B)

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

If you're watching the games, feel free to post your reaction to them in the comments section here!

Poll

Who do you feel most strongly is going to win today?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 6.9.10

2010-09-06T12:10:26Z

More photos » Garrett Ellwood - NBAE/Getty Images

Look! It's a new picture of Kevin Durant! Apparently he was playing Tunisia, but this photo could be recycled from a couple of weeks ago. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Unfortunately, I still haven't had time to watch and write up all of the games that have happened so far, but I guarantee you there will be a recap of all of the labour day weekend action tomorrow. Regardless, Team USA is in action against Angola today, and it will be competitive for about 10 minutes, so you should take a look.

For the full bracket, click here. For the full schedule and previous results, click here.

1. Team USA (Group B) vs. 4. Angola (Group A)

Time: 10:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 2

2. Russia (Group C) vs. 3. New Zealand (Group D)

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

If you're watching the games, feel free to post your reaction to them in the comments section here!

Poll

Who do you feel most strongly is going to win today?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 5.9.10

2010-09-05T11:39:09Z

More photos » David J. Phillip - AP

Houston Rockets' David Andersen (13), of Australia, keeps the ball from Milwaukee Bucks' Ersan Ilyasova, of Turkey, during the first quarter of a preseason NBA basketball game Monday, Oct. 12, 2009, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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I'll have full recaps of all of the weekend's games tomorrow, but I haven't had time to fully write them out yet. But, in short, Serbia and Spain won.

For the full bracket, click here. For the full schedule and previous results, click here.

2. Slovenia (Group B) vs. 3. Australia (Group A)

Time: 10:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

1. Turkey (Group C) vs. 4. France (Group D)

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

If you're watching the games, feel free to post your reaction to them in the comments section here!

Poll

Who do you feel most strongly is going to win today?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 2.9.10

2010-09-04T15:01:12Z

More photos » Darren Calabrese - AP

Nenad Krstic will be in action today, but not against Canada. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Darren Calabrese)

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It's the opening day of the Round of 16! Since I just did the full tournament preview and the first game is about to start, I'll just give you the time of the games and the network to watch them on. Nenad Krstic is in action, so be sure to watch!

For the full bracket, click here. For the full schedule and previous results, click here.

1. Serbia (Group A) vs. 4. Croatia (Group B)

Time: 10:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

2. Spain (Group D) vs. 3. Greece (Group C)

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

If you're watching the games, feel free to post your reaction to them in the comments section here!

Poll

Who do you feel most strongly will win today?

FIBA World Championships 2010: Tournament Stage Preview

2010-09-04T14:42:43Z

Marc Lecureuil - Getty Images for Nike

3 out of these 4 players will be in the Tournament. Can you name which? (Photo by Marc Lecureuil/Getty Images for Nike)

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For about a week now, we've watched Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Nenad Krstic, and Tibor Pleiss play for their respective home countries, and so far, little has been accomplished. 24 Teams have been whittled down to a whopping 16, and no real contenders have been knocked out. When can we start to see the real action? When the real NBA and International stars are fighting to stay alive, rather than simply falling down a place in the standings? It all starts now, my friend.

But, before we get to the tournament, analysis of the potential matchups, and predictions of what is to come, lets take a final look back at the countries that just couldn't make it.

Group A:

6th Place: Jordan

Record: 0-5.

Memorial: They came out with a bang, pushing international basketball contender Australia to the final seconds, only to come up short. Unfortunately for them, things only got worse from there. They lost to Angola by 14, and every game after that was a blowout. Rasheim Wright and Zaid Abbas had respectable tournaments, scoring roughly 15 PPG each.

5th Place: Germany

Record: 2-3 (Wins Against Jordan, Serbia)

Memorial: This team didn't have high hopes entering the tournament, as Dirk Nowitski elected not to play, and, as a result of that, Chris Kaman also elected not to play. But, they did exceed expectations. They pushed Argentina to the final minutes of the 4th, defeated Krstic and Teodosicless Serbia in double overtime, and defeated Jordan. But if you want to look at one reason for Germany failing to reach the tournament, then look no further than their loss to Angola. A team of stiffs just can't cut it against a team that can run circles around you. Nevertheless, the future looks bright, as the country looks able to stand on their own two feet without Dirk, and looks to join the ranks of traditional European basketball powers. And who knows? Tibor Pleiss could very well be the next Dirk. He had the third most points on the team, and he shot over 90% from the line. And he's only 20!

Below: More Memorials to the Eliminated, Previews of the Upcoming Games.

Group B:

6th Place: Tunisia

Record: 0-5

Memorial: Possibly the weakest team in the tournament. They got 3rd in FIBA Africa, and never was a threat to any team. I'm sure the players had the time of their lives though, and they were beating Team USA 4-0 at one point!

5th Place: Iran

Record: 1-4 (Win against Tunisia)

Memorial: when you're put in a group against Team USA, the best team from South America (Brazil), and two traditional European Basketball Powerhouses (Slovenia and Croatia), no one will give you much of a chance. And, admittedly, they never really had a chance. They did do a good job of pushing Slovenia to the wire, even though it was a meaningless game. They'll have a good chance to win in the future though, as Hamed Haddadi develops his game and basketball becomes more prevalent in Iran.

Group C:

6th Place: Cote d'Ivoire

Record: 1-4 (Win against Puerto Rico)

Memorial: This team could have advanced, had they produced a better goal average. And considering the route they took to get here, which involved a remarkable FIBA Africa run after years of mediocrity....in Africa, this should be considered a huge accomplishment for the team. They were never a threat against some of the powerhouses, but they played competitive games against China and Russia, and defeated perennial choker Puerto Rico. I doubt we'll see the Ivory Coast in the FIBA Worlds again any time soon, but this time should be cherished by them nonetheless.

5th Place: Puerto Rico

Record: 1-4 (Win against China)

Memorial: Never have I seen a more undeserving elimination. Puerto Rico was right with the other team in the fourth quarter in every single game they played. They were a shot away from defeating Turkey and Greece, and they were a few shots away from defeating Russia and Cote d'Ivoire. But at the end of the day, they always seemed to come up short. Why? Well, there's a variety of reasons I could give. They had no go to guy on offense. They committed too many turnovers. They couldn't hit threes consistently. Their big men fouled out too much. Their bench wasn't deep enough. But, in the end, it boils down to one reason: They were chokers. And chokers never win. Nevertheless, I'll definitely miss watching this team play, and Lithuania is very lucky that they will be playing China instead of this team.

Group D:

6th Place: Canada

Record: 0-5

Memorial: Now, you might be thinking, "Canada was in this tournament?". It's true. "Then where's Steve Nash?" Chilling at his house, probably. Same thing for Samuel Dalembert. Canada got in via the United States automatically qualifying via their 2008 Olympic Gold Medal. And, while not a pushover, they don't have a lot of high profile players. Most of them are average Euroleague stars, and they could never quite decide who they wanted to play, giving everyone minutes. But, aside from these quirks, Canada had an alright tournament. They challenged Lithuania and France, but when it came down to it, they couldn't beat the lesser teams that would have helped them to advance (Lebanon and New Zealand). As a result, they'll sit out of the tournament, and probably out of future FIBA World Tournaments.

5th Place: Lebanon

Record: 1-4 (Win Against Canada)

I don't know a lot about this team. But aside from their day one win against Canada, they spent most of their time getting points poured on them by superior teams. When Jackson Vroman (A former OKC Hornet, no less) is your best player, you can't expect much, though. The veteran Fadi El Khatib had a good tournament too though, which is surprising considering that he plays domestically in Lebanon. In the end, they beat Canada, so at least they have something to write home about.

But, it's all said and done for those teams. Lets go on and preview the actual matchups that we will start seeing later today. I'll start at the top of the bracket, and end at the bottom. For a full bracket, click here. For a full schedule, click here.

For more detailed profiles of teams, see my previews of Group A, Group B, and Group C. I made no preview of Group D, but I'll do my best to describe those teams here.

Round of 16:

Match #1:

1. Serbia (Group A) vs. 4. Croatia (Group B)

Serbia Defeated Angola, Jordan, Australia, and Argentina, Lost to Germany.

Croatia Defeated Tunisia and Iran, Lost to Team USA, Slovenia, and Brazil.

Analysis: Croatia may not have an impressive record, but they're a tough team to draw at 4. They are usually very competitive in European competition, and they have an impressive array of guards, including two former NBA players (Planinic and Ukic). But when you really get down to it, this team has no big men who can score, while Serbia has Dusko Savanovic, Kosta Perovic, and Nenad Krstic. They also have a lot of other names ending in C. And on the perimeter, Milos Teodosic should be able to keep up with the madness of Roko Ukic. So, while this game will be competitive for a while, I can easily see Serbia pulling ahead at the half.

Winner: Serbia.

Match #2:

2. Spain (Group D) vs. 3. Greece (Group C)

Spain defeated New Zealand, Lebanon, and Canada, lost to France and Lithuania.

Greece defeated China, Puerto Rico, and Cote d'Ivoire, lost to Turkey and Russia.

Analysis: Some people had this matchup as a Final. And now, it's going to happen in the Round of 16. I guess that's why we play the game of basketball, eh? This will probably be the best matchup in the Round of 16, and the winner could go on to the final. But, if you look at what's gone on recently, both of these teams have been disappointments. Spain could have been a 4 seed had their goal differential been different, and they lost to teams that most consider vastly inferior. Meanwhile, Greece had a tough time in it's wins against China and Puerto Rico (due to the suspensions of Schortsanitis and Fotsis), and then, after the suspensions were over, dropped the ball against Turkey and Russia. So, while these teams are both very dangerous, it's hard to estimate whether either of them will be able to go the distance and win the Championship. In my opinion, though, Spain is the superior team, both now and traditionally. They have a better presence inside, so they don't live and die on the three like Greece has to sometimes. They also lost their games to France and Lithuania at the last minute, due to bad game management. Meanwhile, Greece lost their games to Turkey and Russia before then, usually due to a fatal flaw. And if Spain is able to catch Greece during one of their shooting droughts, it could mean a win for them. So I'm going with Spain for the win here, though this really is anyone's game.

Winner: Spain.

Match #3:

1. Turkey (Group C) vs. 4. France (Group D)

Turkey Defeated Cote d'Ivoire, Russia, Greece, Puerto Rico, and China. No losses.

France Defeated Spain, Lebanon, and Canada, Lost to Lithuania and New Zealand.

Analysis: If Croatia is a tough team to draw as a 4 seed, then France is an even tougher draw. Though they've been less than impressive in some matchups, they had an impressive win against Spain. But this French team will live and die by whether players like Mickael Gelabale and Nicholas Batum can get their offensive game going. If not, expect lots of dribbling around and hardly any open shots. Meanwhile, Turkey has looked absolutely dominant so far, winning each game convincingly except for the one against Puerto Rico. And Puerto Rico is no longer in this tournament. With the home crowd and everything else going for them, including veteran players who know how to play under pressure, there's no doubt in my mind that Turkey will win this game.

Winner: Turkey.

Match #4:

2. Slovenia (Group B) vs. 3. Australia (Group A)

Slovenia defeated Tunisia, Croatia, Brazil, and Iran, lost to Team USA.

Australia defeated Jordan, Germany, and Angola, lost to Argentina and Serbia.

Analysis: Australia surprised some with their third place finish, especially after this was considered to be a down year after the withdrawal of Andrew Bogut and Nathan Jawai from the team. But Patty Mills of the Trail Blazers has done a good job of leading the team, while Joe Ingles and Alexander Maric of the Euroleague have done a good job getting rebounds, and scoring. David Andersen has held down the paint. But this team will be facing Slovenia, who have Slokar and Brezec, both of whom defend well for Slovenia in the post, and they have Lakovic and Dragic, both of whom are equal to Patty Mills in scoring capabilities. But it's hard to predict a victor here, since both teams are very similar in style and type of players. But I just have to go with Slovenia here. Australia has come up short every time they've face legitimate big men, as they were pounded by Serbia, could only compete with Argentina when they shut down Luis Scola, and almost lost to Jordan who has Zaid Abbas. And since Serbia has a good rotation of players who play well in the paint, they should win this game. It will be competitive, though.

Winner: Slovenia.

Match #5:

1. Team USA (Group B) vs. 4. Angola (Group A)

Team USA defeated Croatia, Slovenia, Brazil, Iran, and Tunisia. No losses.

Angola Defeated Jordan and Germany, lost to Serbia, Argentina, and Australia.

Analysis: Angola should be proud to be the only team from the Continent of Africa to be in the Knockout Stage for the 2nd Time, especially with only players from their domestic league. In fact, no other country in the tournament can say they got to where they are with only players from their domestic league, besides the United States. But, unfortunately, they drew the toughest possible matchup after their final loss to Australia....the giant that is known as Team USA. Now, I'm a bit of an Angola fan, so I'd be lying to you if I said that there wasn't some part of me that thinks that Angola can move the mountain and upset Team USA. But, in reality, it's no contest. Team USA just has too much talent, and everybody on Angola is 6'8" or shorter, which will mean lots of dunkfests from the taller team USA players. Not to mention that Angola can't get a rebound to save their life. However this game turns out, I'll be happy.....but I think that the coach of Angola's pep talk to his team before they faced Team USA in the 2008 Olympics says it all. "I want you guys to lose by less than 40 points."

Match #6:

2. Russia (Group C) vs. 3. New Zealand (Group D)

Russia Defeated Puerto Rico, Cote d'Ivoire, China, and Greece, lost to Turkey.

New Zealand Defeated Lebanon, Canada, and France, lost to Lithuania and Spain.

Analysis: For me, this match is the tournament's biggest enigma. Russia has had an unexpected run, defeating Puerto Rico and Greece in the final seconds. Meanwhile, New Zealand, who I had declared pretty much dead after day 2, won three straight games against somewhat legitimate opponents. All of this despite having no players that play outside of Australia or New Zealand. But, statistically, their success can be contributed to Kirk Penney. He has averaged an amazing 25.4 PPG, on a team that only averages 85 PPG. He was a part of the Tall Blacks 2002 Run to the Semi-Finals. Russia's team, meanwhile, has a much more diverse scoring base, with Sasha Kaun, Timofey Mozgov, and Sergey Monya all averaging roughly 14 PPG. My guess as to Russia's success would be their their diverse scoring, something that none of the teams that they defeated have been able to accomplish. And while it would be nice to think New Zealand has a run in them, history will tell you otherwise. They got absolutely crushed when facing Lithuania and Spain, both teams with more diverse scoring attacks. And since that's exactly what Russia has, I see Russia comfortably advancing out of this game.

Winner: Russia.

Match #7:

1. Lithuania (Group D) vs. 4. China (Group C)

Lithuania Defeated New Zealand, Canada, Spain, France, and Lebanon. No losses.

China Defeated Cote d'Ivoire, lost to Greece, Puerto Rico, Russia, and Turkey.

Analysis: If Puerto Rico was the most undeserving loser of this tournament, then China has to be the most undeserving winner. Their point differential was significantly worse than Puerto Rico's, and they played their last game without Yi Jianlian, which lead to an embarrassing walloping by Turkey. But, because of the "goal differential" that FIBA now uses, China advanced courtesy of a buzzer-beating three by Puerto Rico. Had Puerto Rico not hit that three, the Ivory Coast would have advanced. Regardless, if China doesn't have Yi Jianlian, they don't stand a chance. Without him they have the slow-footed Wang Zhi Zhi, a solid guard in Sun Yue, and a bunch of players who miss a lot of shots. With him, they'll stand a chance, because Lithuania is lucky to be where they are. They got in to the tournament courtesy of a wild card berth because they finished last in Group F in the 2009 FIBA European Championship, and they got to the top of this group because of the severe stumbling of Spain and the general weakness of the group. It goes without saying that they're the weakest 1 seed in the bracket. But they should be able to beat China, because of the great play of Linas Kleiza (who leads the team in points and rebounds), combined with the fact that 8 other players on the Lithuanian team have averaged more than 5 PPG and played in every game. Now that's what I call a deep team. China is much thinner, relying on 4 players to do most of the work. With or without Jianlian, it will be a comfortable win for Lithuania, though China has had a solid run with Yi.

Winner: Lithuania.

Match #8:

2. Argentina (Group A) vs. 3. Brazil (Group B)

Argentina Defeated Germany, Australia, Angola, and Jordan, lost to Serbia.

Brazil Defeated Iran, Tunisia, and Croatia, lost to Team USA and Slovenia.

Argentina is a lot weaker than people think they are. If Luis Scola and Carlos Delfino aren't scoring, then their offense is completely stagnant, especially inside. They also barely beat Germany and Austalia, and Fabricio Oberto has only played one game. They also certainly could use Manu Ginobili, who elected not to play with the team. Brazil is another story entirely. While they did lose to Team USA and Slovenia, they lost both by 2 and 3 Points, respectively and had no trouble with their other opponents. The main reason they lost both of those games was the dominance of the other teams in the paint. But if Tiago Splitter can get his way in the paint, then Brazil should be able to win the game. And I've always considered Splitter to be better than Scola, as evidenced by them both playing for Tau Ceramica and Splitter being the featured player there.

Winner: Brazil.

Now, just for fun, I'll predict the rest of the bracket. I won't go too in-depth, since it's gratifying myself more than anything, but I'll give a reason for each prediction.

Quarter-Finals Game 1:

Serbia vs. Spain- Serbia wins. I'd tend to think that Marc Gasol would dominate Serbia in the paint, but Serbia defeated Spain in FIBA Europe last year, and Serbia's ability to draw opposing centers out of the paint should come in handy here. The game is really a tossup though.

Quarter-Finals Game 2:

Turkey vs. Slovenia- Turkey wins. Any game between these two teams is going to be intense, especially with Ilyasova vs. Kleiza being the main feature. But you've got to go with the home crowd support here, along with the presence of Hedo Turkoglu.

Quarter-Finals Game 3:

Team USA vs. Russia- USA wins. In this cold war battle, Russia's slow centers can't keep up with Team USA's fast pace.

Quarter-Finals Game 4:

Lithuania vs. Brazil- Brazil wins. Brazil has the more talented team, and they have go-to guys in the clutch. It will be close, but I just don't see Lithuania being to keep up inside or outside, with Splitter in the paint and Brazils excellent perimeter shooting.

Classification Round (For losers of the Quarter-Finals):

Spain vs. Slovenia- Spain should win this one, even though it's only for 5th place. I mean, they only come up short when it matters, right?

Russia vs. Lithuania- Russia Wins, because they're more diverse scorers and defend the paint well.

5th Place Game:

Spain vs. Russia- Spain wins, due to superior talent.

7th Place Game:

Lithuania vs. Slovenia- Lithuania wins, due to all of their players being able to score.]

Semi-Finals:

Serbia vs. Turkey- Serbia wins. This is due to their better point guard play and their big men being able to shoot.

USA vs. Brazil- Brazil wins. The first game came down to the wire, and I just have a hunch that Team USA won't be able to win a FIBA World Championship this year.

3rd Place Game:

USA vs. Turkey- Turkey wins. They have the home crowd advantage and the ability to play the fast break well.

Final:

Serbia vs. Brazil- Brazil wins. Brazil just has too many weapons offensively for Serbia to compete with, and Tiago Splitter should have not trouble with Krstic inside.

What are your predictions for the tournament? Am I off of my rocker? Let us know by voting in the poll and posting a comment!

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 2.9.10

2010-09-04T08:20:25Z

More photos » David Zalubowski - AP

Aleksandar Rasic was the hero for Serbia today, hitting 4 clutch freethrows to seal the Group A Championship. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Sorry this took so long, everybody. Internet troubles again. I hit publish, went to sleep, and it decided not to publish. Argh.

And the group stage is finally over! Yesterday, the final slots were decided for the upcoming Round of 16 Knockout Tournament, which is to start on Saturday. Without further ado, feel free to have a look at the recaps below. And keep an eye out for a preview of the Tournament stage of the competition, which should be out later today or tomorrow.

For Full Standings and a Complete Bracket, go here. For all of the tournaments results, box scores, other statistics, and a schedule of upcoming games, go here.

Team Thunder Recaps:

Team USA defeats Tunisia, 92-57

I watched the first few minutes of this game, and that was good enough for me. Tunisia led 4-0, but things quickly spiraled out of control after that.

Serbia defeats Argentina, 84-82

Argentina charged out of the gate like a bull, and they ran over Serbia with ease. They found ways to make baskets, whether it be through an open three that exploited Serbia's zone defense or an amazing shot hit while falling down by Luis Scola. Serbia was hapless on the offensive end, unable to establish anything in the post and missing jumpshots. But, after falling behind 20-7, Serbia put in Nenad Krstic for Kosta Perovic, and this opened things up for them offensively, allowing them to get easier shots on the outside due to the perceived threat of Krstic on the outside.

In the second, Argentina got out to a 8 Point Lead on the back of Luis Scola, who had 14 of Argentina's first 30 Points. But, again, Serbia charged back through the use of threes, and eventually gained the lead, at 31-30. The rest of the quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with the see-saw ending on Serbia's side.

The third quarter was more of the same, as both teams frequently traded the lead. Near the end of the quarter, Serbia gained a 5 point lead via a Velijkovic three, and that lead had settled down to 4 by the end of the quarter. Argentina was living at the line for most of the quarter, utilizing their ability to get fouled in the paint.

The fourth quarter was the same old story. Serbia got out to an early lead, while Argentina's offense went completely stagnant, as Serbia kept a constant lock on anyone trying to shoot on the perimeter and double teamed Luis Scola in the paint. But, about halfway through, Argentina hit a deep three and Luis Scola made an And 1 play, so they were right back in it.

Below: The Final Moments, Pleiss' Last Game of the Tournament, 4 Games You Might Have Missed!

Eventually, with about a minute and a half to go, Argentina tied the game at 75 with a Paulo Quinteras three. But after two wasted possessions, Krstic took it down into the paint and gently laid one in, putting Serbia back on top. (What, you were expecting an aggressive slam?) At the other end of the floor, Luis Scola said "Touche!" and drew a foul on Nenad Krstic. He made both freethrows, and the game was tied again with 38.4 seconds to go. After about 6 passes, in which the ball went all across the court, the ball finally ended up in the hands of Savankovic, who hit a deep, straight on three to put Serbia on top. Argentina looked for a three, but Ivan Paunic placed a very good foul on Gutierrez, forcing Gutierrez to shoot for only 2. Gutierrez split the freethrows and made the second, giving Serbia the ball and a 2 point lead with 11.9 seconds to go. Serbia's rasic was fouled within 4 tenths of a second on the inbounds, and he made both shots. Argentina lobbed the ball down the court to Quinteras, who was fouled while shooting a three by Teodosic. He drained all three, leaving Serbia up by only one with 7.7 seconds to go.

Rasic was fouled with 4.6 seconds to go, sending him to the line. He drained both shots, leaving one last chance for Argentina to tie the game with a three. Scola inbounded it to Rigioni, who baseball passed it to Quinteras down the court. Quinteras was immediately fouled by Teodosic, but this time only for two points. He made the first, but deliberately missed the second. Luis Scola made a valiant effort at rebounding it, but Velijkovic of Serbia grabbed the rebound and elbowed Scola off. Time expired, and Serbia had won, putting them at the top of Group A.

Germany Defeats Jordan, 91-73

And so, Germany has been eliminated even though they have 2 wins. I suppose it serves them right for not defeating Angola, but still, you can't help but feel for them. But, this result was expected, so there's not much reason to go into detail. Tibor Pleiss had a team high 23 Points and also had 9 Rebounds.

4 Games You Might Have Missed:

Cote d'Ivoire defeats Puerto Rico, 88-79

I didn't have time to watch this game, but somehow, after being in the running for winning every signle game they played, Puerto Rico has managed to not qualify for the Round of 16. Huge failure for them, and a big win for Cote d'Ivoire, even if neither teams are advancing.

Russia Defeats Greece, 73-69

Greece seems to be a team with two faces. There's the team that is able to bully the other team inside, get consistently open shots, and play excellent perimeter defense. Then, there's the one that is only able to shoot a bunch of bad threes. That team showed up today, as Greece only shot 27.3% from the 3 Point Line. With that bad of a percentage, there's no way you can win an international game, much less against Russia.

New Zealand defeats France, 82-70

New Zealand was having an unusually good game against France. Both teams had really spead out scoring, but Penney and Mukolo had a good game for New Zealand. Up to 14 Point lead in the third. New Zealand hit threes on a consistent basis. Maintained their lead through the fourth. This upset win got New Zealand 3rd in the group, thanks to a higher goal average than France.

Australia defeats Angola, 76-55

Angola had the advantage for most of the quarter. But surprisingly, they weren't doing it with an uptempo style. Rather, they were using their superior three point shooting and quickness to the basket in half-court sets. On defense, they were all over Australia on the perimeter, causing them to go 0-7. Of course, Australia could still exploit them on the inside, which explains why they finished the quarter within three of Angola.

Australia went on a huge run in the second quarter, though. Surprisingly, it was they who pushed up the pace and took the Angolans out of their game. They were able to use their height to get easy layups on the break, and, obviously, get more rebounds. This eventually ballooned into a 10 Point lead at the half. Scoring was well distributed among the teams, but Nielsen led Australia in Points (7), Rebounds (6), Assists (3), and Blocks (1). Ingles had an amazing 4 Steals for Australia, which highlights the difficulty Australia was having with turnovers.

Sometimes, the Australians would simply go up and tip the ball to a teammate should they not be able to rebound it. The third quarter was mostly an even game, marked by good defense from both teams. At certain points, the game was completely disorganized, with players on both sides of the floor. Angola continued to guard on the perimeter, and Australia did a good job of keeeping everybody on man-to-man defense. Eventually, Australia started hitting their threes, and their lead had extended to 22 by the end of the quarter, on the heels of a 12-0 Run. The lead was kept and increased in the 4th, all but ending the game.

Did you watch the games? What did you think? Vote in the Poll, Post a Comment!

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FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 2.9.10

2010-09-02T10:36:48Z

More photos » Sue Ogrocki - AP

Carlos Delfino and Nenad Krstic will go at it today for the Group A Championship. Is this picture relevant or what? (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Hey! Check out a rewind of Yesterday's Action below!

Feel free to post your thoughts about the games in the comments section.

We're in the final day of FIBA Group play (finally), and some groups are decided, but some groups still have things to sort out. Notably, Group A will have a championship game of sorts between Serbia and Argentina, while 2nd place needs to be decided between Greece and Russia in Group C, 3rd Place needs to be decided between Australia and Angola in Group A, and Group C has 3 teams that could potentially take the 4th spot. If this all seems confusing, check out the full schedule of events here and/or the standings here.

Note: This is a general guide to the games of today, and shouldn't necessarily be taken as a command to watch every single game on the list. Rather, think of it as a friendly introduction to international basketball, allowing you to more easily select a game to watch that suits your viewing style from the best games available. Also, the previews below are just meant to be short blurbs of why you should watch the game. Don't take it as in-depth analysis. For that, go to my previews of the respective groups.

Team Thunder:

Team USA (Durant, Westbrook) vs. Tunisia

Time: 8:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 2

Analysis/Prediction: If Iran was a walkover game, then this is a stompover game. This will be absolutely no contest at all. Unless you're a hardcore fan of USA Basketball, I wouldn't wake up early for this one.

Serbia (Krstic) vs. Argentina

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: This is a battle for the title of Group B, and it should be an exciting one. Serbia proved they're a force to be reckoned with when they have Nenad Krstic against Australia, and Argentina has struggled a bit but managed to remain undefeated. Even though I predicted Argentina to win the division, I'll predict a narrow Serbia win here, because Argentina has looked really weak so far.

Germany (Pleiss) vs. Jordan

Time: 1:30 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Both teams are eliminated from Group A, so this will merely be a 5th place showdown. Germany is the better team, and should win by 10. Hopefully, you'll get a good look at Pleiss here, as Jordan doesn't have some sort of dominant defense in the paint like some other teams.

Below: 4 Other Games You Should Watch!

4 Other Games You Should Watch:

4. Puerto Rico vs. Cote d' Ivoire

Time: 8:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: It would be a gigantic shame if Puerto Rico didn't qualify for the Round of 16, especially with all of the close calls they've had. But if they manage to lose here, it's a distinct possibility. Puerto Rico should win by a large margin, but don't count Cote d'Ivoire out just yet. After all, this is Puerto Rico we're talking about. The chokers of the tournament.

3. China vs. Turkey

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: If China pulls off a win here, they could end up advancing. It's very unlikely that they'll win against the home crowd and Group C champions, but it's something to watch out for. 3 and 4 are included here as one, basically just as a watch as to who advances out of Group C.

2. Greece vs. Russia

Time: 10:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: This is a battle for 2nd place in Group C. Greece should end up winning this one, but Russia has shown it's valor in the past. But, Greece just has too many weapons on the outside, so if Russia wins this one, it definitely won't be via superior talent.

1. Angola vs. Australia

Time: 8:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: This will be a very entertaining game, as both of these guard-oriented teams go at it for 3rd Place in Group A. Expect lots of scoring and lots of outside shots. I originally predicted Angola in 3rd and I'm sticking with my prediction, but there's no doubt that this will be a tight game.

Poll

If you could only watch one game today, which would it be?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 1.9.10

2010-09-02T09:58:46Z

More photos » Mary Altaffer - AP

Anderson Varejao had a very lackluster first half when playing against Slovenia, but picked it up in the fourth quarter. He was coming off of a minor ankle injury, and played his first game of the tournament. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

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In the second to last day of group action, several fates were decided. In Group A, Germany and Jordan were eliminated, in Group B, Iran and Tunisia were eliminated, and in Group D, Lebanon and Canada were eliminated. Meanwhile, Team USA clinched Group B, Turkey clinched Group C, and Lithuania clinched Group D. For the full current group standings, go here.

Team Thunder Recaps:

Team USA Defeats Iran, 88-51

I could go back, watch this game, and tell you how it broke down. But, who really cares? This game was over the moment it started, and Westbrook and Durant had limited minutes. I know, this is a Thunder blog, and we should focus on Thunder players. But I think that words (and my limited time in watching games) are better spent at this point previewing potential opponents. Team USA clinches Group B, Iran is eliminated from the playoffs.

Serbia destroys Australia, 94-79

In Krstic's first game back from the chair throwing incident, he turned out to be just the X-Factor Serbia needed in order to be among the elite of Group A. He had 14 Points and 10 Rebounds. Meanwhile, Teodosic did a good job of sealing the game for Serbia late in the fourth quarter,and Australia used a very balanced scoring attack. Serbia moves to 3-1 and will play Argentina tomorrow, while Australia will play Angola tomorrow for third place.

Angola defeats Germany, 92-88

A game that I truly regret missing. Tibor Pleiss had a horrible game, with only 2 Points and 4 Rebounds on 1 of 4 Shooting, but, as I predicted, the quick game of Angola proved to be the ultimate downfall of the German team of stiffs. Unfortunately for Thunder fans, due to this loss, Germany will not advance to the knockout stage of the tournament, but you still have one chance to see him tomorrow against Jordan.

Below: 3 Games You Might Have Missed!

Games you might have missed:

3. Russia Defeats China, 89-80

Rather unsurprisingly, Russia secured it's place in the Round of 16. They had to make a minor 2nd half comeback in order to do it, as Wang Zhi Zhi, Sun Yue, and Yi Jianlian made a solid first half effort. But, in the end, a late 4th quarter run by Russia (including two threes by Sergey Monya) was too much for China.

2. Turkey Defeats Puerto Rico, 79-77

Puerto Rico made a valiant effort to win in the end. In the last minute, down by 9, they nailed back-to-back threes, while Ilyasova missed a wide open three that he had too much time to think about. Turkey had the ball with 40 seconds or so to go. They winded down the clock, and missed a three. Puerto Rico opted for a quick two, putting them down by 1 with 7 seconds left. They fouled Kerem Tunceri with 6 seconds to go. He made the first free throw, but missed the second. Puerto Rico did all they could to get it down the floor, but the game ended, rather disappointingly, with a wild desperation three that went way short.

1. Slovenia Defeats Brazil, 80-77

The first quarter was a tight affair. How many more ways can I put it? The game was unbelievably tight, and unbelievably fluid. Defense was played reasonably well, but the offenses just kept finding holes. The score never deviated more than 4 points towards either side, and Brezec got two early fouls.

But the second quarter showed a totally different game. Anderson Varejao came in for Brazil, and while I'm hesitant to say that he was entirely responsible for the 14 Pointrun that the Slovenians went on, I'm also hesitant to say that he didn't have a large part in it. The lane was wide open, and Brazil was unable to do anything offensively but badly miss threes. The Brazilians tried to make a comeback run in the waning minutes of the quarter, but it was thwarted by good ball control and a huge three by Lakovic. Lithuania led, 44-30.

But, Brazil went on an 8-0 run of their own after another Lakovic three, through a couple of threes of their own and a nice steal by Tiago Splitter. Nevertheless, Slovenia had the advantage for most of the quarter, and went into the 4th with a 16 Point Lead.

And as we've seen in this tournament, it seems no lead is ever safe. Brazil started a furious comeback, in which they played zone defense in order to get easy steals on the perimeter and avoid giving Slovenia any open threes. On offense, they used a lot of isolation in order to let their three point shooters shine. After a 15 Point run, Brazil was down only by 2 Points with 4 Minutes to go. Marcelo Machado was the real hero, hitting 3 shots from beyond the arc for Brazil in this run. But Slovenia finally responded with a highly contested Lakovic three. After some pandering, he hit another highly contested three. After more pandering, Bostjan Nachbar made a three, putting his team up 79-71. Brazil did make an attempt to come back, with Machado hitting a three, Slovenia splitting some free throws, and Brazil making three free throws off of a Nachbar foul. But, it was too little, too late, as there was only one second on the clock after the free throws, and Slovenia inbounded it without incident.

Did you watch the games? What did you think? Vote in the Poll, Post a Comment!

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Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 1.9.10

2010-09-01T13:10:19Z

More photos » Bill Kostroun - AP

Nicholas Batum will be looking to lead France to victory in today's game against Lithuania, which will determine who wins Group D. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Hey! Check out a rewind of Yesterday's Action below!

Feel free to post your thoughts about the games in the comments section.

This will be an intense day of action, as some teams battle for positioning and other teams fight to avoid elimination. If there was any time to start watching the FIBA World Championship, it would be now. There are games not listed here though that have the potential to be huge upsets and where smaller-time teams are fighting for that 4th spot, so feel free to look here for the full schedule of today's games. (Subtract 8 hours to get the time in CST.) Also check here for up to date group standings.

Team Thunder:

Team USA (Durant, Westbrook) vs. Iran

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN

Analysis/Prediction: It will be interesting to see how Hamed Haddadi matches up against Team USA's bigs, and to see if he can give them fits like Tiago Splitter did. But, he can't do it alone, and this should be a easy win for Team USA. They'll win by about 25.

Serbia (Krstic) vs. Australia

Time: 8:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Australia has been a bit of an enigma in the tournament so far, crushing Germany, almost beating group Favourite Argentina, and then almost losing to group punching bag Jordan. But I think with Krstic coming back off of his suspension, Serbia should be able to handle Australia quite well. I expect them to win by about 10.

Germany (Pleiss) vs. Angola

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Germany was stomped by quick guards on Australia's part, so, by my calculations, they should get creamed by Angola here. I know it's probably not the most likely thing to happen, but this is the type of team Angola was designed to defeat. Realistically, I think Angola will win by about 10. But I could be totally wrong.

Below: 3 Other Games to Watch, What's on TV!

3 Other Games to Watch:

3. China vs. Russia

Time: 8:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: China will be fighting to advance, while Russia will be fighting to get the 2nd spot in Group C. I could see either team winning this one, with both teams having large, plodding big men. But I'll go with Russia here, as I think they can score better on the inside.

2. Turkey vs. Puerto Rico

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Here, Turkey faces a legitimate threat to an undefeated campaign in Group C. Puerto Rico is only 1-2, but they played extremely close games with Greece and Russia, only to collapse at the end. Here, I expect history to repeat itself, and for the home crowd to propel Turkey to a 7 point win.

1. France vs. Lithuania

Time: 1:30 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: This will determine who will win Group D, and it should be an exciting one. Both teams have gotten to where they are on questionable terms, so it should be interesting to see who actually comes out on top. I'll predict France by about 5.

What's on TV:

Brazil vs. Slovenia

Time: 10:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: This is the 2nd Place game for Group B, and an important one for whomever wants an easier matchup in the Round of 16. One only needs to look at how both teams performed against the US in order to predict who will win this one, though. Brazil by about 10.

Poll

If you could only watch one game today, which would it be?

FIBA Worlds Recap 31.8.10

2010-09-01T12:34:45Z

More photos » J Pat Carter - AP

Joel Anthony (the shot blocker) was a force in the paint today for his home country of Canada. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

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All of the Thunder players were out of action today, so here's a quick rundown of what happened in Groups C and D yesterday.

France defeats Canada, 68-63

It was a strange first quarter, as France got off to a really bad start, missing layups and threes alike. This led to an early lead for Canada, but France started charging right back by utilizing Batum and Gelabale's athleticism inside. France would have led at the end of the quarter, but Canada found ways to score, whether it be hitting a tough three or nailing an insane teardrop layup.

The second quarter stayed was a see-saw affair, abut it's amazing that Canada managed to stay in the game. Most of their players (aside from Jermaine Anderson) were unremarkable on offense, but all of them managed to make at least one play that helped them keep pace with France. And on defense, Joel Anthony was the reason that France was unable to run up the score. On every play, whether the French scored was entirely dependent on him. If he was drawn out of the paint, the French made an easy layup. If he stayed in the paint, the French were usually stopped with ease. Again, the teams were deadlocked at the half.

The third quarter was one of some fluctuation, but in general, the see-saw affair continued. About halfway through the quarter, Joel Anthony came out of the game, and it opened up the lane for both teams' guards to come in and wreak havoc. Both teams scored both inside and outside while Anthony was out, but when Anthony came back in the game turned back into a half-court, defensive grind.

Below: The Fourth Quarter, Turkey Goes 3-0, Spain Falls Again, Other Games.

As the game entered the fourth quarter and began to wind down, Canada continued to stay in the game. But you never really got the sense that this was an underdog team, struggling to do everything it could to keep up with the superior French. You could see that the French thought they should be doing better, but by all intents and purposes, the Canadians were playing them as equals. How was this accomplished? Well, they managed to slow down France's main scorer in Gelabale, who couldn't get any penetration or open shots. This gave the peripheral French players opportunities to score, but it limited their offensive explosiveness, and always kept them within reach.

Eventually, it came down to about a minute and 20 seconds to go, with the Canadians down by 3 after a pair of Mickael Gelabale freethrows. Anderson proceeded to shoot the ball twice from the perimeter, missing both attempts, but keeping the ball in Canadian possession. Canada then called a time out. Out of the time out, Canada regrouped and gave the attempt to Kendall, who shot it wide open and straight on, courtesy of a pick. It bounced off of the front of the rim, but Odik rebounded it. They passed it back out to Kendall, who had a second shot, and missed that. France finally then got a rebound, and called a timeout.

France proceeded to waste time dribbling it around, and a wild three by Gelabale was missed. Anderson got the rebound, and he was immediately fouled by Nando de Colo with 19 seconds to go. This gave de Colo 5 fouls, and was sent off the floor. Anderson easily made the first free throw, making it a 2 point game. He decided to make the next one as well, making it a 1 point game. With the shot clock turned off, Canada quickly fouled Gelabale on the inbounds. Gelabale made them both, putting the game back at a 3 Point deficit. Denham Brown quickly brought the ball up the floor. Joel Anthony gave him a screen, and he flew into the paint. He attempted what looked like an easy layup, but it was blocked by Alain Koffi. Batum secured the rebound, got fouled, made his free throws, and that was the end of the game.

All in all, France slithered by with a win here. They gave the Canadians 5 attempts to ship away at their three point lead, and, with the exception of the last play, none of them were very well defended. The Canadians deserved to lose, obviously; they couldn't hit an open three. But I don't think this game bodes well for France's future, even though they lead the group at 3-0. Canada is now at 0-3, and will need to sweep in order to avoid elimination.

Turkey defeats Greece, 76-65

I was in class during this game, so I didn't get to see much. But here's a few notes.... Ilyasova was hot early, had 17 of Turkey's first 32 Points. Turkey had always had the advantage, but it ballooned towards the end of the third, with Greece hitting open threes and using their superior foot speed inside. Schortsanitis and Fotsis were not very effective. Fotsis had only 7 Points, and Schortsanitis fouled out with about 8 minutes to go in the 4th. Greece then utilized their strengths in guard play, after Schortsanitis fouled out but it was too little, too late by that point.

With the win, Turkey takes a commanding 3-0 lead of Group C. Greece drops to 2-1, tied with Russia for 2nd place in the division.

Lithuania Defeats Spain, 76-73

I haven't had time to watch the whole thing, but this was a game marked by great offensive play. Almost half of Spain's shots were from 3 Point Land, whereas Lithuania shot about a third of their shots from there. Both teams shot well, but Lithuania won out due to their superior rebounding.

Spain had a commanding 11 Point lead going into the fourth. But then, Spain started clanking three after three. Most of them were going short, so it must have been fatigue or something. Meanwhile, Lithuania was owning Spain on the inside, driving for easy layups. Then, Spain started committing some bad turnovers, and Lithuania was taking advantage of them. After a 10 Point run to begin the quarter, Spain finally scored on a Marc Gasol free throw. Lithuania immediately responded with a three, and what looked to be an easy win for Spain was suddenly an even game with 5 minutes to go, and Lithuania had all of the momentum. Eventually, Spain had a 71 to 68 lead courtesy of some bad Lithuanian turnovers. Then, things fell apart. Kalnietis hit a wide open three. Linas Kleiza hit a layup among 4 Spanish defenders. And Lithuania had the lead, 73-71. Gasol got to the line again, but he missed both free throws. Lithuania got the rebound, and went 1 of 1 at the line. Then they both traded free throws, and it came down to Spain having the ball, down by 3, with 6 seconds to go. They couldn't even get down the floor without getting it stolen. And that was the ballgame.

Now, the issue here isn't that Spain lost. Lithuania, despite being lackluster in recent years, is a respectable basketball team. The issue here is that Lithuania didn't have to do anything to get this win. They played some nice defense, but the points were virtually given to them. Spain might as well have stood out of the way and let Lithuania shoot open shots, because their defense was so poor. It was just a complete and total collapse by Spain. If was the Spanish coach, I'd try resting my starters as much as possible during the upcoming walkovers against Lebanon and Canada, because if they do this in the Knockout stage, Spain will be gone from the tournament very quickly.

Lithuania goes to 3-0 to tie for the lead of Group D, but they still have to face France and Lebanon. Spain goes to 1-2, and will need to get one more win in order to advance.

Russia defeats Cote d'Ivoire, 72-66

Nothing surprising here, except that the game was a bit closer than it should have been. Russia has secured advancement, while the Ivory Coast will need to sweep the rest of their games in order to advance.

New Zealand defeats Lebanon, 108-76

This is a rather surprising result, especially after Lebanon defeated Canada. Both teams now sit at 1-2, needing a win in order to advance.

Puerto Rico defeats China, 84-76

Puerto Rico held their lead for most of the game, and for once, did not choke late in the fourth quarter. Both teams now need one more win in order to advance.

Did you watch the games? What did you think? Vote in the Poll, Post a Comment!

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Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 31.8.10

2010-08-31T10:42:01Z

More photos » Eric Gay - AP

Ioannis Bourousis will be especially ready for today's rivalry game between his country of Greece and Turkey. It will most likely determine the winner of Group C. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Hey! Check out a rewind of Yesterday's Action below!

Feel free to post your thoughts about the games in the comments section.

All of the Thunder players and their respective teams will be out of action today, so here's a quick look at what's on TV and some other games to watch.

What's on TV?

France vs. Canada

Time: 10:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: A clash between the team that upset Spain and Canada, who has so far been a huge disappointment, losing to both Lithuania and Lebanon. If Canada wants to advance, this game is a must win, as they'll be able to beat New Zealand on Thursday, but will have huge trouble against Spain on Friday. France will attempt to get to 3-0 and secure the #1 spot for Group A. I'd expect a 10-15 Point win for France though, as Canada is massively under-talented, having only a couple NBA players (Joel Anthony, Andy Rautins) and one former NBA player (Denham Brown), with the rest of the team being a mix of Euroleague role players. France, meanwhile, has the tools and talent to beat anybody.

Spain vs. Lithuania

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: Lithuania is a force to be reckoned with, and they could no doubt cause some problems for Spain here, as they still have the potential to win the group. Expect Lithuania to keep the ball mostly on the perimeter offensively, while Spain will look to utilize the paint. As Lithuanian Centers aren't exactly known for their defensive acumen, I'll give the slight edge to Spain.

Below: Other Games!

Other Games to Watch:

4. Russia vs. Cote d'Ivoire

Time: 8:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: This is just a blowout in the making. Russia will secure their advancement here by a mile.

3. New Zealand vs. Lebanon

Time: 8:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Lebanon would advance with a win, while New Zealand is fighting for just a sliver of hope towards advancement. New Zealand is pretty much crap though, so I see Lebanon winning this one by about 10.

2. Puerto Rico vs. China

Time: 10:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Two very good teams are against the wall here as both will most likely need this win in order to advance. Puerto Rico is a surprising 0-2 after two close losses to Turkey and Greece, and their offensive style that centers around a quick point guard will contrast nicely with China, who prefers to rotate it around the perimeter. China has defeated the Ivory Coast, but lost to Russia.

1. Turkey vs. Greece

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Why this one isn't on TV, I don't know. Here, you'll see a classic rivalry between two very talented clubs, both of which could win gold this year. They're both undefeated, and the winner of this match will most likely take the group. Both teams are stacked at all positions (Greece especially so after getting back their two big men from suspension), so this one will probably come down to the wire, and will probably be the most exciting game of the day. I'll take Greece by a hair though, judging on how well they've played without their big men.

Did you watch the games? What did you think? Vote in the Poll, Post a Comment!

Poll

If you had to pick one game to watch today, what would it be?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 30.8.10

2010-08-31T10:08:39Z

More photos » Garrett Ellwood - NBAE/Getty Images

Kevin Durant had a great first half against Brazil, but unfortunately, this photo is from the Slovenia game. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

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We're in Day 4 of the 2010 FIBA World Championship, and it was a great day of action, especially for Team USA, as they faced their first legitimate opponent of the tournament: Brazil.

Team USA Defeats Brazil, 70-68

The first quarter was one of absolute beauty. It was basketball as it was meant to be played. Two versatile offenses going at it and consistently getting the right shots. Even when there was a miss, the off-ball movement was superb. But, the Team USA's side of things, it was all about Kevin Durant. He scored 9 of Team USA's 22, and he did it from deep, showing that Team USA wasn't afraid to divert from their all fast-break gameplan. And their diversion from this gameplan worked well, until they tried to go back to it late in the quarter. The result was 2 bad turnovers, two threes from Barbosa, an open dunk by Splitter, and a 6 Point Brazil lead going into the second.

In the second quarter, it continued to be a mostly even game, with the US having a slight upper hand near the end as they played good perimeter defense and were able to score in the inside once Tiago Splitter was taken out.

Brazil continued their success into the third quarter, mostly via going to Tiago Splitter in the paint. Coach K decided he had enough of that, though, so he brought out his secret weapon- Tyson Chandler. Chandler proceeded to provide a complete lockdown of Splitter in the paint, forcing Brazil to eventually go back to Marchado and Barbosa for scoring. For a while in the third, it really looked like KD was languishing out there though. He had played all game, and was committing stupid mistakes and missing easy shots. He made a couple towards the end, but you have to question whether he should have gotten a few minutes of rest. Nevertheless, Team USA emerged from the third quarter with the lead, 61 to 59.

If you separated the highlights from the lowlights in the fourth quarter and combined them into two separate reels, after watching both of them you'd have a hard time believing that they came from the same quarter of basketball. Both teams were playing superb defense, and nobody was getting open shots. Thus, you had lots of opportunities for players to create imaginative ways to put the ball in the hoop, but few of those opportunities actually went in.

Below: Thrilling Finish Magnificently Portrayed in Words, Today's Other Action!

But, as you can expect, the game did come down to a thrilling finish. With about a minute to go in the 4th (it's hard to tell, as ESPN's time ticker didn't work for the entire second half, and they are far too arrogant to use the Global Feed scoring bug), Brazil was down by four when Kevin Durant came up through the rim to tip a Brazilian layup, resulting in basket interference. After a timeout, Chauncey Billups quickly responded with a driving layup, putting the score at 66 to 70. Barbosa immediately responded with a driving layup of his own, putting the score at 68 to 70. On Team USA's next possession, they dribbled down the clock, as any experienced team would. Billups then had a pick set for him, and he shot a mostly open 3 pointer that went short and bounced high off the rim. Brazil barely prevented the rebound from going out of bounds, and mounted their drive up the court. Huertas drove quickly to the inside, where he got fouled and his shot barely rolled out. This left him in a classic clutch freethrow situation. His first shot from the line bounced on the front of the rim, bounced on the back of the backboard, bounced on the front of the rim again, and then hung there for an unnaturally long time before rolling out. This left Huertas with no option but intentionally missing the next free throw. It bounced off the front of the rim and over two big men, letting Huertas collect it on the wing with only 3 seconds to go. He was immediately trapped, so he dished it to a wide-open Barbosa in the paint. Love came to defend, and Barbosa heaved up the desperate layup. The ball rolled off the glass and the entirity of the rim before falling to the ground, dashing the hopes of Brazil upsetting the US in Group play.

All in all, I'd have to give the game MVP to Kevin Durant. I know Chauncey Billups made a clutch play at the end, but his overall shooting left a lot to be desired. Sure, Kevin Durant made a few stupid plays towards the end and wasn't a huge factor, but Team USA couldn't have gotten that far without him. For Brazil, I'd give the MVP to Tiago Splitter, as he really tore up the paint (except when Chandler was on for 5 minutes). Without him, I doubt Brazil would have gotten close.

Brazil will most likely finish in 2nd or 3rd in Group B as a result of this loss (depending on if they beat Slovenia), and Team USA will almost certainly finish first.

Australia defeats Germany, 78-43

This is a good example of how a team of European Stiffs will get absolutely burned by quick guards, like Patty Mills and Alexander Maric. Joe Ingles even gave them a taste of their own medicine. I shudder to think as to how Germany will fare against speedy Angola, or even Jordan. They are now in danger of elimination, while Australia has secured advancement. Tibor Pleiss shot only 1 of 7 and finished with 2 Points, but also had 7 Rebounds and a Block.

Serbia defeats Jordan, 112-69

They basically beat up on a weak opponent, and Krstic didn't play. Need I say more? Jordan will need to sweep their remaining games (Argentina, Germany) in order to advance, while Serbia has secured advancement. Nenad Krstic will be back in action on Wednesday.

Iran defeats Tunisia, 71-58

Iran has secured 5th place in Group B, yay! Both teams would need a miracle in order to advance.

Slovenia defeats Croatia, 91-84

Slovenia controlled the game from the 3rd Quarter on. Croatia narrowed it to 4 Points late in the 4th, but they could never get over that hump. Croatia just didn't have the production from their big men necessary in order to win.

Argentina defeats Angola, 91-70

An example of what good post play can do against Angola. Scola and Delfino absolutely burned Angola in the post, and allowed Argentina to cruise to an easy victory after going up big early in the 4th.

Did you watch the games? What did you think? Vote in the Poll, Post a Comment!

Poll

Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 30.8.10

2010-08-30T11:19:54Z

More photos » Eric Gay - AP

Tiago Splitter will be looking for victory today against Team USA. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Hey! Check out a rewind of Yesterday's Action and a Preview of Group C below!

Feel free to post your thoughts about the games in the comments section.

We're in the 3rd Day of the FIBA World Championships, and action is going to slow down for the next couple of days, so every team will get a day off. Today, only groups A and B will play, while Groups C and D will play on Tuesday. That means that Team USA, Germany, and Serbia will all play, but there's only 3 other games that will be played. So look below for a complete list of today's action.

Thunder Team Games:

Team USA (Durant, Westbrook) vs. Brazil

Time: 1:30 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN (Replay at 10 PM on ESPN 2)

Analysis/Prediction: Easily the best game of the day. This one will determine who comes out as the champion of Group B, and it's bound to be the most competitive game Team USA will play until next week. Brazil, a team with an excellent post presence and good shooters on the outside, will face team USA, who is extremely fond of driving it inside. It will be interesting to see how well the US breaks through the wall of Brazilian defense. But still, in all likelihood, Team USA will win this one by about 5 or so. Brazil will save its' real bite for later, when it really matters.

Germany (Pleiss) vs. Australia

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: Germany will be looking to secure it's second win in order to advance out of the group here, while Australia will be doing the same. Germany still gets to face Iran though, so Australia is in more of a pinch, as they could very well lose against a stacked Serbian team and the running Angolans. Since I predicted Australia to advance out of the group, I'm sticking with them, even though Germany has had a good run so far.

Below: Serbia, and the Other 3 Games!

Serbia (Still Sans Krstic) vs. Jordan

Time: 8:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: In Serbia's last game without Nenad Krstic, they'll be facing a Jordan team that did better than expected in taking Australia to the wire, but is still widely considered to be an underdog. I don't expect Serbia to have any trouble winning here.

The Other 3 Games Going On Today:

3. Tunisia vs. Iran

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Two underwhelming teams will decide who will get a 5th place finish in Group B. In all likelihood, Iran will win over Tunisia, which is probably the worst team in the tournament.

2. Slovenia vs. Croatia

Time: 8:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: If you ever wanted to see some European basketball madness, this would be the game to tune into. Both teams play a very similar style of play (lots of outside shooting, including from big men, some quick guards), and the game will come down to the wire. Both teams see it as important, as the game will probably determine 2nd place in Group B, a seed which has a much better chance of getting to the Quarter-Finals. I think Slovenia will win because they have better big men, but this is really anyone's game.

1. Angola vs. Argentina

Time: 1:30 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: This game will be crucial in determining whether Argentina has the right stuff to win Group A. If they win, they go to 3-0 and could only be potentially dethroned by Serbia. But if they lose, it leaves the group wide open to whoever wants to take it. If Argentina had a full team, Angola probably wouldn't have the talent to compete with them, but since they're missing a lot of players, I wouldn't be surprised to see it go the other way. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Angola will win, but only barely.

Poll

If you had to pick one game to watch today, what would it be?

Keeping Up with the 2010 FIBA World Championships: Group C

2010-08-30T10:43:57Z

More photos » Ross D. Franklin - AP

Hedo Turkoglu is happy to be representing his home country of Turkey in Turkey during the FIBA World Championships. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Okay, I know that technically we're two days in. But since I don't want a half-written article to go to waste, I'm releasing my preview of Group C. Also included will be how the team has done so far, and how they compare to my prediction. The preview is also a useful tool for getting to know any team that you might not be familiar with. So, without further ado, here's my preview of Group C:

#6. Cote d'Ivoire (The Ivory Coast)

FIBA World Ranking: 40th

Qualified Via: Placing 2nd at the FIBA African Championships

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Did Not Qualify

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Did Not Qualify

Thunder Connection? There are no NBA players from this country, so finding a connection here is near impossible.

NBA Players? None.

The Shakedown: These guys haven't been very successful in FIBA Africa since the 80s, so it was a huge surprise to see them in the silver medal game. They didn't get there by a sudden influx of talent or anything like that. Rather, they got in via good coaching and a solid gameplan, using a fast paced and inside-focused game offensively, and a tough, quick, and hard nosed game defensively. This success can be attributed to Swiss coach Randoald Dessarzin, who started coaching the team last year. Still, their hopes are slim to none when one thinks of their potential success in the FIBA World Championship. They got a tough Group draw, as Group C is probably the most talented from 1 to 5, and their roster consists of college players and players on second-rate European teams. They'll be fun to watch for about 5 minutes, but it would take a true miracle to see this team succeed here.

Video: FIBA Africa Final vs. Angola, Official FIBA Team Profile

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Mouloukou Diabate, a high-scoring guard who recently has tried to emphasize his passing game. Guy Edi, a shooting guard from Midlands College. Charles Abouo, a high scoring and athletic forward who sparingly plays for Brigham Young. Mohamed Kone, a solid double-double man who plays in Turkey. Pape-Phillipe Amagou, the best scorer on the team who is fond of shooting it from beyond the arc.

Current Record: 0-2

Shakedown Update: The original shakedown was basically correct. While it's nice to think that good coaching and teamwork can get you anywhere, it really can't. This team got totally crushed by Turkey in the opening game, and was handily defeated by China yesterday. With upcoming games against Russia, Greece, and Puerto Rico, thoughts of a win are doubtful, unless Puerto Rico totally collapses between now and their matchup with Cote 'd Ivoire.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: Worst hopes in the entire tournament, I'd say.

Below: The Top 5!

#5. China

FIBA World Ranking: 9th

Qualified Via: Placing 2nd at the FIBA Asian Championships

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Placed 4th in Group D, lost in the Round of 16 to Greece.

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Placed 4th in Group B, lost in the Round of 16 to Lithuania.

Thunder Connection? Wang Zhi Zhi played for the Mavericks while many Oklahomans were fans of them before the Hornets/Thunder came along.

NBA Players? Yi Jianlian, an athletic 7 footer for the New Jersey Nets.

The Shakedown: China is generally known as the land of budding basketball interest, and a land that the NBA is keeping a close eye on, for marketing purposes. But, despite their recent interest and the presence of Yao Ming, China still has a lot of catching up to do on the world stage. Don't get me wrong, they have and have had some talent, and have had success in the past. But their team is still facing the same tragic flaw it's had for the past 4 years. It's full of slow-footed big men, and a bunch of shorter guys who run around and shoot bad threes. This will work against lesser opponents, but when they have to face a team that can utilize their big men on the perimeter, it turns into trouble. And while they usually can rely on Yao Ming to just beast in those types of situations, Yao Ming won't be playing for them in this World Championship. This leaves the team with little chance for advancing. But, admittedly, China does have a strange basketball style that is worth seeing at least once in your life....if only because there's nothing else like it.

Video: Official FIBA Team Profile

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Wang Zhi Zhi, a former Maverick who is slow footed, even for a big man, but has the ability to score both inside and outside. Wang Shipeng, a star player and scorer for the Guangdong Southern Tigers, perennial champions in China's CBA. Sun Yue, a former Laker draft pick who was once deemed the Chinese Kobe but now plays in the modern day ABA. Wei Liu, a capable combo guard who shoots a lot.

Current Record: 1-1

Shakedown Update: They're 1-1, and both games were close, but don't let that record fool you. In the first game, they narrowly (but rightfully) lost to a undermanned Greek team because it was a 3 Point Shooting contest after the Greeks lost Fotsis and Schortanitis to injury. They then proceeded to beat Cote d' Ivoire by about 10, which is no surprise. So, in order to advance, they'll have to defeat host country Turkey, surging Russia, or talented Puerto Rico. I'd like to say that they could, since I'm a bit of a China fan, but I doubt that it's going to happen, as their best chance to win probably came against Greece.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: Probably the most capable team that won't make the Round of 16, but that's not saying much.

#4. Russia

FIBA World Ranking: 17th

Qualified Via: Wild Card

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Did Not Qualify.

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Placed 5th in Group A.

Thunder Connection? Andrei Kirilenko has played some hard-nosed defense against Kevin Durant in his day.

NBA Players? Timofey Mozgov, a Double-Double machine and defensively apt center who recently signed with the Knicks straight out of the Russian Superleague.

The Shakedown: With no Andrei Kirilenko and J.R. Holden, this is a pretty weak European team. But, they're not completely hopeless. This team will rely on solid post play to win, and that's why I think they'll get 4th place over China. China does have it's share of big men, but they're generally soft and outside-oriented, which should mean easy pickings for the Russian big men. But, considering that this team did so badly in the 2009 European Championships and the 2008 Olympics, I find it hard to see them placing above Host Country Turkey, Greece, or Puerto Rico.

Video: Official FIBA Team Profile

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Anton Ponkrashov, a consummate point guard out of Spartak St. Petersburg. Victor Khryapa, a former bulls power forward who is a monster in the paint. Sasha Kaun, a beefy center who can score well inside. Sergey Monya, a versatile forward in the Andrei Kirilenko mold.

Current Record: 1-1

Shakedown Update: This team did much better than I thought in beating Puerto Rico, showing that when all of their pieces fit, they can defeat an elite team. But they lost handily the next day to Turkey, and will now have to defeat Greece if they want to get a 2nd place finish. I could see this team overachieving a bit and getting third place, but if they can't get get their work done inside and are destroyed outside by a more versatile team (like what happened against Turkey), they'll fall pretty quickly in the knockout round.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: They think they could get a gold medal, and it is a slight possibility, but I think that they're just too inexperienced.

#3. Turkey

FIBA World Ranking: 18th

Qualified Via: Being the Host Nation

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Placed 2nd in Group C, Defeated Slovenia in the Round of 16, Lost to Argentina in the Quarter-Finals, Defeated Lithuania in 5th Place Classification Round, Lost to France in 5th Place Game.

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Did Not Qualify.

Thunder Connection? Ersan Ilyasova had a horrible game against the Thunder last season in the Ford Center.

NBA Players? Omer Asik, a double-double machine who was recently signed by the Chicago Bulls. Hedo Turkoglu, one of the NBA's elite swingmen who currently is with the Suns. Ersan Ilyasova, a rising star on the Bucks who is a very versatile scorer for a big man. Semih Erden, an average Center recently signed by the Celtics.

The Shakedown: Just because this team is the host nation doesn't mean that they're slouches. This is no South Africa. Turkey has been a legitimate basketball nation for the last decade, and has a fierce rivalry with Greece, who happens to be in the same group. Turkey utilizes a very traditional style for the NBA. They have a lockdown defender, a distributor, forwards that can score and two big men in their rotation that they can put in the middle. This means that they don't have particular advantages against any one team, but it also means that they can compete with anybody in the tournament. They'll miss Mehmet Okur though, who added a good deal of versatility to their offense.

Video: Official FIBA Team Profile

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Ender Arslan, the general of the team who plays for the prestigious Efes Pilsen. Omer Onan, a lock-down defender at Shooting Guard who can also score well on the fast break.

Current Record: 2-0

Shakedown Update: They've done as expected so far, easily defeating the Ivory Coast and handily defeating Russia. The question now is whether they can compete with Greece and Puerto Rico.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: If there was a year for Turkey to win it, it would be now, with an excellent combination of old and young talent. Still, I don't think that they can compete when it matters, and will probably fall somewhere around the Quarter-Finals due to the inexperience of some players.

#2. Greece

FIBA World Ranking: 4th

Qualified Via: Placing 3rd in the FIBA Europe Championships

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Placed 1st in Group C, Defeated China in the Round of 16, France in the Quarter-Finals, the United States in the Semi-Finals, and Lost to Spain in the Final.

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Placed 3rd in Group B, Defeated Turkey in the Quarter-Finals, Lost to Spain in the Semi-Finals, Defeated Slovenia in the 3rd Place Game.

Thunder Connection? Peja Stojakovic, who played for the Hornets in their second year in Oklahoma City, acquired dual citizenship with Greece in 1993 when he joined the Greek club PAOK B.C.

NBA Players? None.

The Shakedown: This team is considered to be a top contender for the gold medal (perhaps the most so outside of Spain and the United States), but I'm putting them as second in this group after the suspension of Soforkis Schortsanitis and Antonis Fotsis due to the fight with Serbia shortly before the championships. But, even without them, this team is a force to be reckoned with. Even though they have no NBA players on their roster, some of the players could easily play in the NBA if they wanted to (Bourousis, Zisis, Fotsis). Most of their roster comes from the prestigious and successful Panathinaikos, which helps the Greeks develop a teamwork ethic that no team but Angola surpasses. Their style of play is much like that of the Phoenix Suns of the D'Antoni era. Lots of pick and rolls, dishing it around the perimeter, and occasional dump-offs to their big men inside. Defensively, they rely on drawing a lot of fouls and getting easy steals.

Video: Official FIBA Team Profile

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Soforkis Schorsanitis, an excellent inside scoring big man. Antonis Fotsis, a versatile scoring big man. Vassilis Spanoulis, a scoring guard who isn't afraid to mix it up inside. Ioannis Bourousis, who will be holding down the paint without Fotsis and Schortanitis. Nikos Zisis, another scoring guard who can rebound and dish decently well. Dimitris Diamantidis, who is responsible for getting most plays going, which, in Greece's case, is receiving a pick from whatever player happens to be handy.

Current Record: 2-0

Shakedown Update: Greece has exceeded expectations and found a way to survive their suspension unscathed, defeating both China and Puerto Rico. The main challenge remaining for them now will be Turkey on Wednesday, especially because of the rivalry factor. Still, now that they have their complete roster, they're probably going to come out of the group on top.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: High. They're always in the thick of global and regional tournaments, and there's no reason to not think that this year might be the year.

#1. Puerto Rico

FIBA World Ranking: 10th

Qualified Via: Placing 2nd in the FIBA Americas Championship

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Placed 5th in Group D.

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Ineligible to Qualify.

Thunder Connection? Jose Juan Barea has caused problems for the Thunder, and so has Puerto Rican Carmelo Anthony.

NBA Players? Jose Juan Barea, a energetic and inside-oriented guard for the Mavericks. Carlos Arroyo, a poor man's Barea who is currently on the Heat roster. Renaldo Balkman, a little-used forward for the Nuggets.

The Shakedown: Puerto Rico is a team that's based around the talent that they have, rather than a system. Basically, Jose Juan Barea and/or Carlos Arroyo dribble the ball around a lot, sometimes score, and sometimes dish it to someone outside or inside for a wide-open three or a tough layup. This works well when it works, but since the offense runs through Barea and Arroyo, if they happen to be off of their game, the entire offense falls apart. Defensively, they're really good inside, but they'll all too often leave a man open on the perimeter.

Video: Official FIBA Team Profile

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Peter John Ramos, a giant center who gets the tough points and rebounds in the paint. Daniel Santiago, a good backup center who plays very similarly to Ramos. Ricardo Sanchez, a big man who has the range to shoot from 3 point land. Nathan Peavy, a young forward with an awesome beard.

Current Record: 0-2

Shakedown Update: This team has really disappointed in their first two games, losing to what was thought to be a weak Russian team, and losing to a depleted Greek team. They weren't embarrassing losses by any means, but both of them followed the same pattern. Puerto Rico was up for most of the game, and then they dropped the ball at the end because of poor play, foul trouble, and a thin roster. And that's this team's ultimate downfall. They have the talent to play with some of the best in the world, but in the end, they just don't have the depth for it. And that's a real shame, because this team is fun to watch. Puerto Rico will now have to defeat China or Turkey in order to avoid elimination.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: Mediocre, at best. They don't have the depth to deal with talented teams, and don't play well against a European style.

Who do you think will come out of Group B? Vote in the poll, post a comment!

Also, please note that the rankings are as I originally imagined them, not as they are on Day 2.

Poll

Who do you see winning Group B?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 29.8.10

2010-08-30T03:26:54Z

More photos » Paul Connors - AP

Patrick Mills (Center) can't be happy about his team's loss to Argentina today. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

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Day 2 of the FIBA World Championship rolls on, and the groups are finally starting to shake up. Below is a recap of the Thunder and Non-Thunder action.

Team Thunder:

The United States (Durant, Westbrook) Defeats Slovenia, 99-77

I expected better from Slovenia, but this game was never really close. The US jumped out to an early lead (largely courtesy of Kevin Durant, who had a couple nice steals and scored 10 points early). Slovenia made a bunch of sloppy passes, couldn't get open on the perimeter, and would consistently get blocked in the post. Slovenia did bring the game to within 6 in the 2nd, but it was mostly because Team USA kept trying to make the game a track meet by running up and down the floor pointlessly.

Still, Slovenia did play some solid defense in realizing that they had to secure the paint. This forced Team USA to take some shots from the outside and led to stagnation offensively. But, eventually, guys like Westbrook found their way through Slovenia's defense, and the game quickly fell out of hand, especially in the second half.

Kevin Durant was easily the MVP for Team USA, scoring exactly when the team needed it in the first and second, and finishing with 22 Points. Westbrook also had a good game with 11 Points, 4 Rebounds, and 2 Assists, while Rudy Gay had 16 Points and 3 Rebounds. On Slovenia's side of things, Lakovic was completely shut down, as was Brezec. This leaves the MVP to Bostjan Nachbar, who scored 13 and had 4 Rebounds.

Below: Germany-Serbia, and 3 Other Games You Might Have Missed!

Germany (Pleiss) Defeats Krsticless Serbia, 82-81

I didn't get to see this game (Thanks ESPN!), but it was a very important one in Group B, as Germany emerges as a contender for 1st Place in the Group. They managed to hold on to their 5 point lead at the end, despite 4 free throws and a layup near the end that threatened to dethrone them. Heiko Schaffartzik continues to score well for Germany, getting 14 points despiute only shooting 1 of 5 from beyond the Arc. Demond Greene also shot well, scoring 15, and Jan Jagle led the club with 22 Points and 9 rebounds in a very Dirk-like performance. Tibor Pleiss had only 2 Points, but grabbed 7 Rebounds and had 2 Blocks. On Serbia's side of things, former Warrior Kosta Perovic scored 20, and Alexandar Rasic was a capable Point Guard, scoring 15 Points and dishing 4 Assists.

3 Games You Might Have Missed:

3. Turkey Defeats Russia, 65-56

After Russia upset Puerto Rico, they've proceeded to get beaten rather handily by Turkey. The game was over by the second quarter, and Russia shot a ghastly 32.1% from the floor. Sasha Kaun was the lone bright spot for them, scoring 13 Points and grabbing 4 rebounds. Meanwhile, 5 players on Turkey scored 9 points or more, with Turkoglu leading all scorers at 14. Greece and Turkey now sit atop Group C with 2 wins each.

2. Argentina Defeats Australia, 74-72

Luis Scola and Leonardo Gutierrez did a good job in the paint for Argentina, getting 31 and 17 Points, respectively. And Pablo Prigioni scored 9 Points and had 7 Assists, doing a good job of organizing the offense. But beyond that, Argentina seems to be strugging. Fbricio Oberto didn't play, and Carlos Delfino shot 27% from the field. Australia had the same problem, with Joe Ingles and Patty Mills both scoring over 20 and Matthew Nielsen getting a double double, but everyone else failing to impress. The game shows it, with both team's fortunes extremely dependent on who had the hot hand at any given moment. Australia had a chance to win, only being down by 2 points with 29 seconds to go, but they allowed Argentina to dribble down the clock, get fouled, and go up by 4. All in all, it's a good effort by Australia, but Argentina is still atop group B, with Germany. This leaves the group wide open as to who will win, as Serbia will be getting it's two best players back, and they only have one loss. Heck, Angola only has one loss, and could still potentially win the group.

1. Greece Defeats Puerto Rico, 83-80

This has to be the best game that was played today, It was massively entertaining, as both games relied on Warriors and Suns-like guard play to lead them to victory. The game was a see saw affair most of the time, but the Puerto Ricans sometimes gained the upper hand. This would be due to their ability to clog the lane with their ridiculously huge bigs (Peter John Ramos, Peter Sanchez, and Daniel Santiago). This prevented Greece from invading the lane, especially since they were themselves out of their two best bigs (Schortanitis and Fotsis) due to suspensions from the fight. As a result, Greece lived and died on the three. This led to some bad draughts and some good runs, depending on how hot the Greek team was at any given moment. Most of the threes they took were open, but due to their style of rotating it along the perimeter, they had to let guys who weren't the best shooters take shots in dire situations. As for Puerto Rico, their offense started and usually ended with Jose Juan Barea. That guy was all over the floor, weaving in and out of traffic and finding his way to a open mid-range shot or a easy layup a lot of the time. If not that, he was dishing it for easy scores to Ramos or Sanchez.

Eventually, the two teams were separated by only one point with only 2:51 to go. Puerto Rico has the ball and the lead when Peter John Ramos, who had scored 16 for Puerto Rico, is called for his 5th foul on a screen play. Then, Daniel Santiago is called for a off-ball foul at the other end, giving Spanoulis (who had scored 22 for Greece) 2 points at the line, and Greece the lead. After three excellent defensive plays by both teams, Puerto Rico's Peezy is called for a off-ball foul (seeing a pattern here?). This sent Baroussis to the line, where he made 1 of 2. At the other end, Peevy drove into the paint and attempted to score, but failed to get a foul called on him after a hard foul by Baroussis. And this was a hard foul. At one point, Baroussis had his arm wrapped around Peevy's neck. Santron (Puerto Rico's coach) is then called for a technical foul, and Spanoulis nailed 2 free throws, putting Greece up by 4 and giving them the ball. Greece missed a close shot, and then Jose Juan Barea went for a easy, uncontested layup and missed it. Spanoulis then bumped into Sanchez, who was trying to set a screen, and Sanchez was called for a blocking foul. Spanoulis hit both free throws, Puerto Rico missed a three, Barea was called for a foul on the rebound, and that was all she wrote.

Am I saying that there was bad officiating here? Yes. Did it decide the game? No. I'd only really argue the foul that should have been called on the guy defending Peevy. Everything else was fair. And Greece, while they played like what Jim Traber would classify as "sissies", they played a very smart game. On defense, they cleared out and forced Puerto Rico to actually make their shots, while on offense they knew the right way to get fouled. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico's physical game was backfiring, as several players were in foul trouble and hard screens weren't getting by the referees anymore. All in all, Greece deserved to win, but it wasn't the most exciting finish.

It's a big win for Greece, as it means they are now tied for top of the group with Turkey, whom they will have the tools to beat with Fotsis and Schortanitis back in the game. For Puerto Rico, it means big trouble if they want to advance, because they'll have to beat Turkey or China in order to do so.

Did you watch the games? What did you think? Vote in the Poll, Post a Comment!

Poll

Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 29.8.10

2010-08-29T08:45:19Z

More photos » Nick Laham - Getty Images

Jose Juan Barea (Mavericks) will be trying to lead Puerto Rico past Greece in today's game of the day. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

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Hey! Check out a rewind of yesterday's action and a preview of Group B below!

Feel free to post your thoughts about the games in the comments section.

The 2010 FIBA World Championships roll on as they begin their second day of full action. This is a general guide to the games of today, and shouldn't necessarily be taken as a command to watch every single game on the list. Rather, think of it as a friendly introduction to international basketball, allowing you to more easily select a game to watch that suits your viewing style from the best games available.

Below are the Scheduled Games for Thunder Players, plus 3 Other Games to Watch and What Else is on TV. If a game is not listed here, that means it isn't on TV, it has no Thunder players, and it wasn't considered important enough to be in the Top 3 other games for today. You can find a full schedule of the games here (subtract 8 from a time to get it in Central Time). If you're wondering why a top team isn't on the watch list for today, it's because they're probably playing a cream puff opponent.

Thunder Team Games:

Team USA (Durant, Westbrook) vs. Slovenia:

Time: 8:30 AM Central Standard Time (Replay at 5 PM on ESPN 2 and 7/10 PM on NBATV)

Network: ESPN 2

Analysis/Prediction: It's a rematch of the game Team USA played against those guys in Charlie Brown shirts. That's right, the game they lost. I have no doubt that Team USA can avenge that loss, and should win this game by 20 or so.

Serbia (Without Krstic) vs. Germany (Pleiss)

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Germany will have a true chance to test their might against a depleted Serbian team without its' two top scorers. Unfortunately, one of those players is Nenad Krstic, so we won't get to fulfill our dream of a Krstic/Pleiss matchup. Still, it will be a good game, as whomever wins will secure themselves a spot in the Knockout Round. Still, the Serbian team is fierce, with top scorers like Alexandar Rasic. Expect this to be a high scoring battle with lots of outside shots in which Serbia narrowly comes out on top.

Below: Other Games to Watch! What else is on TV?

3 Other Games to Watch:

3. Russia vs. Turkey

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Russia turned a few heads by winning against Puerto Rico yesterday, and in order to have a serious chance at winning the group, they'll have to lock it down today against Turkey. Turkey is a very capable team that has an outside shot at winning the group themselves, led by Hedo Turkoglu (Magic), Ersan Ilaysova (Bucks), and Omer Onan (Domestic). Normally, I'd go with Turkey here, but after yesterdays result, I have to go with Russia.

2. Argentina vs. Australia

Time: 1:30 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Both of these teams are coming off of games that were almost losses to inferior teams. Argentina got a scare from Germany, and Australia beat Jordan by only a point. Here, they both have chances to redeem themselves and prove that they're a legitimate team in the group. Argentina will probably win this one by a mile, but after yesterday's game, I have my doubts. Keep your eye on a potential Australian upset here.

1. Greece vs. Puerto Rico

Time: 10:30 AM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: Puerto Rico disappointed in the opening round by losing to a mostly domestic Russian team, after being one of the strongest teams to come out of the Americas. Here, they'll get a chance to prove themselves against a depleted Greek team that will still be missing Antonis Fotsis and Soforkis Schortanitis, two of their big men in the paint. If Greece wins, they could well be on their way to sweeping the Group. If Puerto Rico wins, the Group will still be very much in the air. Expect an intense game with a lot of guard play, and expect Puerto Rico to narrowly come out on top.

What Else is on TV?:

New Zealand vs. Spain

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: Unless you're stuck to TV only or are a huge Spain fan, this game isn't worth your time. Spain is coming off of a demoralizing loss to France, so they'll probably bounce back by overkilling New Zealand, who really doesn't stand much of a chance. I'm sure the game will have some nice highlights though.

Note: The previews above are just meant to be short blurbs of why you should watch the game. Don't take it as in-depth analysis. For that, go to my previews of the respective groups.

Poll

If you had to pick one game to watch today, what would it be?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 29.8.10

2010-08-29T07:49:57Z

More photos » Nathaniel S. Butler - NBAE/Getty Images

I'm running out of Kevin Durant Pictures! What has the world come to? (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

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And it has finally begun! After some clear procrastination on my part, the FIBA World Championship has started, and in the United States, it has started off with a whimper. Instead of being able to watch any of the games live on NBATV or ESPN, all of the games were broadcast exclusively on ESPN 3 while ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, and NBATV all broadcast things like Little League Baseball, NASCAR Nationwide Racing, and NBA Finals re-runs. Two games were eventiually aired late at night, about 10 hours later. Great job, ESPN.

Team USA:

Regardless, Team USA started off with a bang, defeating Croatia 106 to 78.

The first quarter was a bit of a struggle though, and a good example of what Team USA should not do in an international game. There were way too many lazy passes, bad dribbles, and stupid lobs going on. In addition, Team USA played man-to-man, leaving the paint wide-open for Croatian drives and layups. This only stopped after they put in Tyson Chandler and started playing a zone. Fortunately for the US, Croatia's defense was terrible, allowing Team USA to score well in the paint and get to the line.

But in the 2nd Quarter, things started to separate. Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant both contributed to a 16 Point Run by Team USA to start off the 2nd Quarter. Needless to say, it was never much of a game after that, with Croatia only scoring 6 points in the entire quarter.

Everyone got nearly equal playing time on Team USA, but I'd have to give the MVP to Lamar Odom, who put in nearly all of his points and minutes keeping up with the Croatians in the first. But all in all, it was a real team effort. There was no one standout performance, and when the big guns (Durant and Rose) came out in the second, the game was all but over by the second quarter, and everybody left the court well-rested. Mission Accomplished.

Kevin Durant had 14 Points on 5 of 11 Shooting, with 8 Rebounds and 3 Assists. Russell Westbrook had 10 Points on 4 of 4 Shooting, 3 Rebounds, and 4 Assists.

Below: Krstic's Serbia, Pleiss's Germany, and 3 Other Interesting Games!

Serbia:

Nenad Krstic was suspended for today because of his fighting in a warm-up game against Greece, but his team seemed to do perfectly well without him, destroying Angola 94 to 44 without Krstic and Teodosic, their two leading scorers. The question is, was this because Angola sucks, or because Serbia is really that good? The answer is that it's neither. It's simply that Serbia's style of play is pretty much the antidote for Angola's style of play. While Angola has no player over 6'8" and shoots lots of threes, Serbia has some tall stiffs who can shoot. Because Serbia's big men can hang out on the perimeter and shoot, Angola can't create mismatches or try to intercept the ball before it gets to the post. Plus, on the defensive end, they'll get virtually no rebounds. So, in the end, I'd say that this game proves nothing. I'd wait to see how these teams do against others in Group A before I judge them.

Germany:

While Germany did lose to Argentina 78-74, it was a much better than expected result for the ailing Deutcher Basketball Bund. Even though Dirk Nowitski and Chris Kaman elected not to play for the team, they found an excellent replacement in the Thunder's own Tibor Pleiss. Pleiss had 12 Points and 3 Rebounds in the loss. But, even though Germany did have an excellent team effort (7 players had 6 points or more), they just couldn't compete with the star power of Argentina, as Carlos Delfino tore through the German defense with 27 Points and 8 Rebounds, while Luis Scola had 20 Points and 4 Rebounds. It just goes to show that there's no replacement for having a go-to man on offense. Germany's leading scorer was the American Demond Greene, with 20.

3 Other Interesting Results:

3. Greece Defeats China, 89-81 / Russia Defeats Puerto Rico, 85-66

I cheated and put two here because I think they're both important. Greece defeated China, albeit narrowly, despite the suspension of Antonis Fotsis and Soforkis Schortanitis. Meanwhile, Russia made a minor upset of Puerto Rico, whom some considered to be the strongest competitor coming out of the Americas.

2. Australia Defeats Jordan, 76-75

Jordan, first timers in the FIBA World Championship and the epitome of what an underdog is, almost managed to defeat Australia, a longtime stalwart of International Basketball. Unfortunately, the game wasn't decided by anything as epic as a final shot. Rather, it was decided by poor defense on Jordan's part as they gave up a 75-70 lead with only 1:14 to go. Australia got back via a shot in the paint and 4 free throws, the last two which were hit by David Andersen. Jordan wouldn't manage to score again, as they missed 3 late layups to end the game. Granted, Australia was without Andrew Bogut, but their 8th man should, by all accounts, be just as good as Zaid Abbas or Rasheim Wright, Jordan's two best players. This game just goes to show that Australian basketball is really in the crapper. They still have a chance to redeem themselves, but not if they continue playing like this. Jordan still has virtually no chance of advancing though. They're a fun underdog team to watch, and I have to give them credit for playing Australia well. But there's no way they'll beat Angola and Germany. Or is there?

1. France Defeats Spain, 72-66

After an early Spanish lead in the first and second, France came back from 9 points down in the second to tie the game, sparked by a monster dunk via Nicholas Batum and continued through a couple of deep threes and a nice drive. It was tied at 25 going into the half, but France dug themselves into another 8 point hole midway through the third quarter. But again, they found their way back into the game through forcing some bad Spanish threes and draining one of their own. The fourth quarter was a slow and intense defensive battle, with both teams not scoring for a full two and a half minutes. Late in the 4th, France pulled ahead by 5 on a Batum 3 Pointer, and then were ahead by 9 courtesy of some freethrows, with only 1:43 to go. Eventually, Micakel Gelabale hit a desperation layup, putting France ahead by 11 and putting the game in the books.

Micakel Gelabale led all scorers with 16, and for me, he's easily the MVP of the game. He always hit a shot exactly when France needed it. Batum also scored well with 13. On Spain's side of things, Juan Carlos Navarro and Rudy Fernandez scored well with 17 and 13, respectively.

This was an important and surprising game not only because the reigning FIBA Champions lost to France, but because a fully-stocked Spanish Championship Team lost to a depleted France squad that was missing Tony Parker, Ronny Turiaf, Joakim Noah, and Micakel Pietrus. Essentially, they lost to a couple of developing NBA players (Gelabale and Batum) and Euroleague stars. Boris Diaw hardly played! What was looking like a two team tournament has suddenly been blown wide open. It's now not a question of whether anyone can beat the United States and Spain....it's just a question of whether anyone can beat the United States. Congratulations to Les Bleus!

Did you watch the games? What did you think? Vote in the Poll, Post a Comment!

Poll

Story of the Day?

Gearing Up for the 2010 FIBA World Championships: Group B

2010-08-29T05:06:01Z

More photos » Ethan Miller - Getty Images

Russell Westbrook, his awesome 'do, and Kevin Durant will be playing for Team USA in the FIBA World Championships. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Yes, I know that the FIBA Tournament has already started. But, I also do know that I made these rankings before the tournament began, and neglected to fill in the details. Then, I procrastinated....and here we are. I have no way of proving to you that I made the rankings beforehand, so you'll just have to believe me.

Anyway, here's the group that most of you will be caring about....Group B!

#6. Tunisia

FIBA World Ranking: 42nd

Qualified Via: Placing 3rd at the FIBA African Championships

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Did Not Qualify

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Did Not Qualify

Thunder Connection?

NBA Players? None.

The Shakedown: This team got into the World Championships by the skin of their teeth. And it wasn't by facing top teams in Europe. Instead, it was by facing sub-par competition on Africa. But, like Jordan, I know next to nothing about this team. Their roster consists almost entirely of domestic players (two play in Morocco and Egypt). And they got destroyed by Finland, which is an atrocious European team that has never even appeared in the World championships. Most importantly, this team has no highlights online, other than the official FIBA highlights. I even searched in Arabic, and no dice. If nobody cares about them enough to load one measly highlight video, do you really think they have a shot?

Video: Official FIBA Presentation

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Amine Rzig, considered to be the best forward in Africa by some, who currently plays in Egypt. Marouan Kechrid, a decent playmaking and scoring PG. Radhouane Slimane, another high-scoring forward with questions about his commitment.

Threat to Team USA?: They'll threaten to make good poster material as team USA dunks over them.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: Snowball's chance in hell.

Below: The Top 5!

#5. Iran

FIBA World Ranking: 21st

Qualified Via: Placing 1st at the FIBA Asian Championships

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Did Not Qualify

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Placed 6th (Last) in Group A

Thunder Connection?

NBA Players? Hamed Haddadi, an average center for the Grizzlies.

The Shakedown: This team rolled through FIBA Asia, going undefeated in the tournament and handily defeating a Yaoless China. They are a very inside-oriented team that likes to take advantage of the fact that they actually have some big men and thus are considerably taller than most of their opponents. Their guards like to take it down low as well. But, when they have to face teams with legitimate big men, especially ones who can shoot well, they'll have problems.

Video: FIBA Asia 09: Group E vs. The Philippines (Shoddy Quality), Final vs. China, Official FIBA Presentation

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Oshin Sahakian, a double-double machine who is Haddadi's partner in the post. Hamed Afagh, the sole sharpshooter on the team. Mahdi Kamrani, a PG who likes to take it to the hoop while looking like a complete badass.

Threat to Team USA?: Hamed Haddadi might provide some problems inside, but Team USA's all-around talent is more than enough to make up for that.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: The same hope that the Knicks have of winning a title with just Amare Stoudemire. That is to say: not good.

#4. Croatia

FIBA World Ranking: 21st

Qualified Via: Placing 6th at the FIBA Europe Championships

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Did Not Qualify

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Placed 3rd in Group A, Lost to Spain in Quarter-Finals

Thunder Connection? None really, but Roko Ukic has played in the Ford Center.

NBA Players? None.

The Shakedown: Croatia isn't the perfect image of a European team, but they do resemble one in some respects. They don't have a good big man without the presence of Kosta Perovic, forcing them to rely on their guards for scoring. However, some of their guards are actually quite fond of driving the ball, giving them a diverse offensive attack that can be deadly against some types of teams. But, if you want to know why Croatia is going to lose, all you have to do is look at their defense. Historically, some of Croatias best players to play in the NBA have been Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac, Drazen Petrovic, Dino Radja, and Gordan Giricek. None of those names exactly ring defensive prowess.

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Roko Ukic, a former Raptor and Buck who was a great all-around PG in the NBA. Zoran Planinic, a quick guard and a former Net. Marko Popovic, yet another guard who can pile on the points. Bojan Bogdanovic, a Peja Stojakovic type Small Forward who shoots lots of threes.

Threat to Team USA?: Not at all. This team is almost entirely devoid of useful big men, leaving the paint wide open for Team USA.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: I could see them making a lucky run for a medal, but they'd have to be just that: lucky. There's no way they can contend with the better teams.

#3. Slovenia

FIBA World Ranking: 20th

Qualified Via: Placing 4th at the FIBA Europe Championships

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Placed 3rd in Group D, Lost to Turkey in the Round of 16.

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Did Not Qualify.

Thunder Connection? Bostjan Nachbar played for the Hornets while they were in Oklahoma City.

NBA Players? Goran Dragic, a well-rounded point guard on the Bobcats who was known for craftily backing up Steve Nash on the Suns. Primoz Brezec, a 7'2" NBA Journeyman who is currently with the Bucks and is known for his ability to get double-doubles while not blocking enough shots.

The Shakedown: This team plays a lot like Croatia does, except for the fact that they actually have an inside presence.

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Bostjan Nachbar, a mid-range shooting forward who currently plays with Efes Pilsen. Jaka Lakovic, a high-scoring NBA-Caliber guard who does well in clutch situations. Uros Slokar, a big man who can score but will have trouble rebounding against Primoz Brezec.

Threat to Team USA?: About the same chance the Timberwolves have to beat the Heat. That is to say, this could be a competitive game at some points, and on the right day, an upset could happen. But it's still highly unlikely. And yes, this is the country that wore Charlie Brown shirts while playing the USA in the World Cup.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: They have the talent to get there, but they would have to click on all cylinders for them to win it. An off-night for one guy could spell doom for this team, especially with a thin roster. A fun outside pick at a medal, but I don't see them past the Quarter-Finals.

#2. Brazil

FIBA World Ranking: 14th

Qualified Via: Placing 1st at the FIBA Americas Championships

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Placed 5th in Group C.

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Did Not Qualify.

Thunder Connection? Marcus Vinicius played sparingly for the Hornets in their second season in Oklahoma City.

NBA Players? Anderson Varejao, a high-energy forward for the LeBron-era Cavaliers. Leandro Barbosa, a high scoring guard for the Phoenix Suns. Tiago Splitter, a forward in the Luis Scola mold who is soon to join the Spurs, but was formerly of Spain's Tau Ceramica.

The Shakedown: Here's where we get to the serious medal contenders in this group. Team Brazil is very experienced and talented, two things that seem to be extremely rare to have at the same time in this tournament. This, combined with a tougher non-European style and killer shooting outside makes for a very competitive team. They don't have a very good track record, but they did manage to win the FIBA Americas Championship, so they're coming in hot, and they didn't lose any talent like other teams did.

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Marcus Vinicius, a former Hornet who can shoot and rebound well.Marcelinho Machado, a 34 year old sharpshooter who is a decent rebounder, which is a rare commodity for his type of player. Joao Paulo Batista, who is about as good of a backup center as you'll get in international competition.

Threat to Team USA?: Highly Dangerous. this is a team with a solid rotation and a great presence inside.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: They have a solid shot at a Gold Medal. The best way for them to win this tournament would be by finishing second in their group, forcing Team USA and Spain (who will likely win their groups) to duke it out in the Semi-Finals. They'll still have their share of challenges against Greece, Puerto Rico, and even a depleted Argentina, but they're my favourite pick to make it to the final out of that side of the bracket.

#1. Team USA

FIBA World Ranking: 2nd.

Qualified Via: Winning the 2008 Olympics.

Performance at the 2006 Worlds: Placed 1st in Group D, Defeated Australia in the Round of 16, Germany in the Quarter-Finals, Lost to Greece in the Semi-Finals, and Defeated Argentina in the 3rd Place Game.

Performance at the 2008 Olympics: Placed 1st in Group B, Defeated Australia in the Quarter-Finals, Argentina in the Semi-Finals, and Spain in the Final.

Thunder Connection? Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are arguably the two best players on the team.

NBA Players? Every single player on the team is on an NBA roster.

The Shakedown: It's Team USA, what can I say? You've seen the warm-up games, and you watch these guys every day. Sure, I could break down the roster for you and give you some strengths and weaknesses, but you know all of that already. Suffice to say, this team is really good and really deep.

Non-NBA Players to Watch For: Nobody.

Threat to Team USA?: I know it seems silly to keep this in, but a good question to ask is whether Team USA is a threat to themselves. And the answer is a simple no. This team in 2008 and 2006 was filled with Superstars who had to put their egos aside to pull together and win. Here, you have a couple of young stars like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose, but, let's face it, the rest of the team is made up of good role-players. But, that's a good thing, as it will help Team USA function as a competitive team and not an All-Star Team.

Hopes of a Gold Medal: Excellent. Even though Spain will undoubtedly provide some challenge, Team USA, after their Gold Medal in Beijing, are still the favourites to win it all in Turkey.

Group Overview:

This is a highly talented group....from 1 to 4. They do have two legitimate medal shots, and in my opinion, they're the Group that is the most likely to win a championship as a whole. But, even though this group is talented, they won't be very fun to watch until the tournament. The pecking order here is pretty set, with Team USA being the cream of the crop, Brazil being very good, Slovenia and Croatia being solid, Iran being twangy and Tunisia being worthless. There's not much potential for position jockeying (except between Slovenia and Croatia), making for a very boring Group Stage. So, if I had to pick who to watch in the Group Stage, I'd pass on this group (except for the USA-Spain game) and have more fun watching Group A, C, or D. That being said, keep your eyes on these guys in the Knockout Stage.

Who do you think will come out of Group B? Vote in the poll, post a comment!

Note: Some teams don't have video highlights, and for that, I apologize. I've been having internet issues lately, and I'm having trouble loading videos. If you need to see video of a certain country, just type "Blah country Basketball" on YouTube, and you should find what you're looking for. If that doesn't work, try putting the same thing in the countries native language via Google Translator.

Poll

Welcome to Loud City

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 8.9.10

Who do you feel most strongly is going to win today?

FIBA World Championships 2010: Round of 16 Recap, Quarter-Finals Preview

Who do you see as the frontrunners for the championship at this point?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 7.9.10

Who do you feel most strongly is going to win today?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 6.9.10

Who do you feel most strongly is going to win today?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 5.9.10

Who do you feel most strongly is going to win today?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 2.9.10

Who do you feel most strongly will win today?

FIBA World Championships 2010: Tournament Stage Preview

Out of all of the teams in the Round of 16, who do you think has the best shot at winning it all?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 2.9.10

Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 2.9.10

If you could only watch one game today, which would it be?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 1.9.10

Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 1.9.10

If you could only watch one game today, which would it be?

FIBA Worlds Recap 31.8.10

Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 31.8.10

If you had to pick one game to watch today, what would it be?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 30.8.10

Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 30.8.10

If you had to pick one game to watch today, what would it be?

Keeping Up with the 2010 FIBA World Championships: Group C

Who do you see winning Group B?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 29.8.10

Story of the Day?

FIBA Worlds: Games To Watch/Open Thread 29.8.10

If you had to pick one game to watch today, what would it be?

FIBA Worlds: Team USA/Team Thunder Recap 29.8.10

Story of the Day?

Gearing Up for the 2010 FIBA World Championships: Group B

Who do you see winning Group B?