ESPN DigitalSep 15, 2023, 08:00 ETReading: 7 min.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup ended with the coronation of Germany. Now a new debate has begun. Who are the favorites for basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup ended last Sunday with a somewhat surprising victory for Germany over Serbia in the final match. As soon as the final whistle blew, a new debate began. Who are now the favorites for basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
It is clear that Team USA did not take its best team to the World Cup tournament based in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Other countries, like Serbia, France. Greece and Canada also suffered considerable losses. One day after the tournament ended, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry announced their intention to be in Paris and figures such as Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo would be available. Germany, on the other hand, was the one that played the best basketball throughout the tournament and still has a lot of room to improve with a team of rising values led by veteran Dennis Schroder.
How will the order change with full teams? With the help of the experts at ESPN Deportes, we give you a guide with these premature Power Rankings of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Use: The organization is based on the 8 teams that are already classified and the four that we understand can get the pass after the playoff dispute.
12- South Sudan
Classification: First from Africa in the FIBA World Cup
Luol Deng’s heroic project is headed towards an improbable classification to Paris as the first in Africa. They came close to beating Puerto Rico in the first round and secured the historic Olympic berth with an open victory over Angola. We will see a lot of athleticism and future talent like the youngster Khaman Maluach, who turned heads due to his height (7’1” / 2.16 meters) and ability in the few minutes he had at 16 years old. – Hiram Martinez
11- Japan
Classification: First from Asia in the FIBA World Cup
Of all the automatic qualifiers for Paris 2024, Japan had the lowest ranking in the FIBA World Cup, with a nineteenth place finish. For the World Cup, they had Yuta Watanabe, a forward for the Phoenix Suns, but their best man was Joshua Hawkinson, who averaged 21 points and was the second best rebounder in the tournament with 10.2 per game. The addition of Rui Hachimura gives them NBA experience and improves their distance offense (they shot 31.8 from the arc), but it won’t propel the Asians to a second round. – Hiram Martinez
10- Australia
Classification: Oceania’s first in the FIBA World Cup
Although in the World Cup he put together a squad combining experience with youth, he was unable to get into the Top5 of the final classification. And although this experience can serve to improve, the truth is that they ended up losing both matches against powerful players like Germany and Slovenia. Although he has room to improve, it will be difficult for him to get into the top 8 in Paris. – Marcelo Bousquet
9- Greece
Classification: Olympic repechage pending
The mere presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo can change the face of the Hellenes, who were left out in the second round after their defeats against Lithuania and Montenegro. – Hiram Martinez
8- Spain
Classification: Olympic repechage pending
Spain failed to defend its world title due to a marked decline in the level of play (it greatly missed Ricky Rubio and Lorenzo Brown). With the addition of some of his renowned guards he would once again become an unwanted rival for anyone. – Pablo Cormick
7- Slovenia
Classification: Olympic repechage pending
With the stellar Luka Doncic, Slovenia fell short in its attempt to reach the semifinals of the World Cup, but once again offered a level in line with what was expected. Its players are committed to the project and have the necessary material to compete in the Olympic Games for the second time. – Pablo Cormick
6- Lithuania
Classification: Olympic repechage pending
Capped by a huge win against the United States, Lithuania crumbled in the tournament’s pivotal match against Serbia. However, there is no doubt that it has players, with Jonas Valanciunas as leader, and collective work to return to the Olympic event. – Pablo Cormick
5- France
Classification: Host country
What happened with France in the 2023 World Cup was a sporting catastrophe. Yes, it is true, they had casualties, but not getting past the first round was a resounding failure for a team that came to the competition with important NBA and Euroleague players on its roster, and being Olympic runner-up. “It’s a nightmare for us,” admitted head coach Vincent Collet. And it is perfectly understandable because, first, the 95-65 defeat against Canada was embarrassing, and second, losing against Latvia after having a lead of 13 in the last quarter – with a Rudy Gobert to forget – was impossible to anticipate a priori .
At the 2024 Olympics they will be local and will have an excellent opportunity to reverse this pale image. To do so, they will have to go all out. What does that mean? Add to this team the number 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama and Joel Embiid, who recently acquired French nationality. In any case, names will not be enough: they have to play better, defend harder and become aware of the power they have. That said, there is no tomorrow for the bleus. – Bruno Altieri
4- Canada
Classification: First for America in the FIBA World Cup
After many failed attempts, Canada achieved the best performance in its history in a World Cup with third place. Over the course of the tournament, due to names and style of play, aspirations were even higher. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the big star of Jordi Fernández’s team: she showed her enormous ability to score and to take charge of the ball in decisive situations of the matches. Dillon Brooks, with great defensive qualities, stepped up when the team needed him most. RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk and Luguentz Dort fulfilled their roles and completed a solid quintet on both sides of the court that set the tone for most of the World Cup matches.
Both Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins would be two fundamental pieces to expand the variants of a squad that showed great commitment to representing its country and that can continue its rise to the top of world basketball. – Pablo Cormick
3- Germany
Classification: First in Europe, world champion
The brand new world champion has a player base that has been sharing a squad for a considerable time and crowned that process in the 2023 World Cup. The German team showed variations that confirmed it as a fearsome team: it played with energy from the first to the last game of the tournament, he knew how to find the pace of play that best suited him, he had enormous scoring capacity, he took advantage of counterattack opportunities and in a stationary attack he offered a wide range of variations and defended with intensity in all positions.
Although Dennis Schröder was the greatest reference and chosen MVP of the World Cup, the team led by Gordon Herbert had high-level names that complemented each other perfectly with the great leader and even came to rescue him when he had a very poor performance. against Latvia. The brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner, Daniel Theis, Johannes Voigtmann, Andreas Obst and Isaac Bonga had fundamental moments on the road to consecration in an undefeated manner.
Expectations for Paris 2024 will be very high. The incorporation of Maxi Kleber, if it does not generate turbulence in the group, would make this team even more powerful that will go in search of an Olympic medal for basketball in a country that is constantly growing. – Pablo Cormick
2- Serbia
Classification: Second in Europe in the Fiba World Cup; world runner-up
They were finalists of the 2023 World Cup with a solid, serious team game, which corresponds to the usual guidelines of the Balkan school that has always been an example of this discipline. The leadership of the experienced Svetislav Pešić was fundamental to generate a game idea that had its star player in Bojan Bogdanovic, but always well supported by the young Nikola Jović, Nikola Milutinov, Aleksa Avramović and many others.
The very serious injury to Borisa Simanic, who lost a kidney after an elbow received by Nuni Omot in the match against South Sudan, was a factor, but the team never gave up and united behind a cause. He was not enough to be a world champion, but facing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the prognosis is encouraging: Can you imagine adding Nikola Jokic and Aleksej Pokusevski to this structure? If this is achieved, we will be in the presence of one of the great candidates to keep everything. – Bruno Altieri
1- United States
Classification: Second for America in the FIBA World Cup
After failing to win a medal in the World Cup, is it possible to think that the USA will not change the composition of its squad? He will surely look for a greater defensive identity and more talent to claim gold in Paris and recover the prestige that is in doubt today. I don’t see the USA underestimating the tournament but looking to put together a powerful squad. If you put him together with 12 of a base of 15 players like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Draymon Green, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Donovan Mitchel Bradley Beal and Jarrett Allen or Deandre Ayton himself, can anyone dare not give him as a favorite? – Marcelo Bousquet
2023-09-14 02:36:49
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