[lptitle title=”Start the countdown”]
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By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
What are the power rankings for the teams that are taking part in this year’s EuroBasket? Eurohoops.net presents all the teams based on the goal they’ve set for the tournament and evaluates them based on their dynamics, talent, expectations and cohesion. We start with the teams that would consider advancement to the next stage a success.
The evaluation has been made strictly with basketball criteria based on the roster and the tradition that each team has, on the experience that the players who are going to compete have and the image they showed in the friendly games.
Certainly their presentation does not reflect our predictions for the final rankings, since the formulation of the groups and the intersections in the next stages were not taken into account in the compilation of the list.
So here are the teams that are aiming to get through to the next stage (24-17).
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[lptitle title=”24. Iceland“]
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In their first ever participation in a EuroBasket, Iceland will compete without any real stress and their only goal will be to enjoy their presence in the tournament. The only player that stands out is John Stefansson from Malaga who has a lot of experience from playing at the top level of European basketball. Otherwise, Iceland is characterized by the lack of big bodies and the pressing defense that can discombobulate opponents. However, being in the same group as Spain, Serbia, Turkey, Germany and Italy, it seems like they might easily become… the punching bag for the rest of the teams.
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[lptitle title=”23. Estonia“]
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They qualified for the fifth EuroBasket competition in their history after 14 years of absence. Estonia has only a few high quality players, they clearly lack solutions in the paint and they can stir up a game only if the shooters that they have get into a rhythm. Kangur and Vene lead the game, but it hasn’t been proven that they have solid help on their side. Estonia can make one win in the group, but advancing to the next round will truly be a big leap. Everyone, however, will remember this team since the coach (Tiit Sokk) is the father of two players on the roster (Sten and Tanel Sokk)!
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[lptitle title=”22. Ukraine“]
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The initial host country of this year’s EuroBasket was forced to relinquish holding the tournament, but the losses were not only at the organizational level but also at the level of people. The pleasant surprise of the last EuroBasket that had finished in sixth doesn’t have any special hopes of qualifying in this year’s tournament, since the valuable naturalized Pooh Jeter was replaced by Jerome Randle, while Gladyr, Pecherov, Lishchuk and Kravtsov have been left out as well. Mike Fratello’s departure from the bench and his replacement by Yevgen Murzin is also expected to be felt.
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[lptitle title=”21. Netherlands“]
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The national team of the Netherlands hasn’t appeared in a EuroBasket since 1989! The name, the tradition and the quality of their players do not promise anything better than a decent presence in the tournament. However, the appearances of the Dutch in the friendlies ahead of the tournament showed that, if nothing else, they have some fight in them. Three players stand out (Norel, De Jong and Schaftenaar) and all three of them are tall but they definitely don’t have someone with a lot of experience to lead along the perimeter. This may cost them in close games whose results will be determined by the decisions of the guards.
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[lptitle title=”20. FYROM“]
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After the outbreak in the 2011 EuroBasket, FYROM seem like they’re in a perpetual downfall. And this surely has to be expected in this tournament as well. McCalebb is no longer the leader of the team, while Pero Antic was also left out in order for him to get some rest, and both these players are the cornerstones of the team. The new naturalized player that is going to try to make the difference is Richard Hendrix. However, no matter how well he’s bonded with his teammates in the friendlies, he cannot prove to be very decisive. The old guard of Ilievski, Stojanovski and Samardziski will compete in this tournament as well, but they don’t have the quality to make the big leap.
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[lptitle title=”19. Bosnia“]
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Bosnia is still there, but they haven’t managed to ever surpass themselves after 1993, in their first participation. They have great material, but most of their talented stars will be watching the EuroBasket on television. Teletovic, Nurkic, Djedovic were taken out, while the two rising stars Atic and Karahodzic were not in a position to help either. Dusko Ivanovic will surely have to make some… alchemies in order to cover for the gaps and to bring the talent of players like Kikanovic, Gordic and Renfroe to the fore as they are the ones who are going to lead the way. The fortunate fact for Bosnia is that they are in an easy group without any big favorites except for France and so they can hope to make a surprise.
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[lptitle title=”18. Finland“]
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In the last two EuroBasket competitions Finland finished in ninth place, forming an excellent team. On the same path and with the same formula, Dettmann’s team are trying to make it in this tournament, once again with Petteri Koponen as the main axis for facilitating and executing, and Huff, Lee and Salin as extra help on his side, while the American naturalized Jamar Wilson will have an important role next to Koponen. Finland is in a very fluid group where anything can happen, but certainly the prospect of advancing to the next phase for the third time in a row will be a great success.
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[lptitle title=”17. Latvia“]
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Perhaps the smallest, in terms of population, country with the most solid presence in the EuroBakset. Since 1993 onwards Latvia – of 2.000.000 residents – has been absent from just 2 tournaments (1995 and 1999)! The absence of Davis Bertans, Porzingis, Kuksiks and Silins has weakened the team considerably, but Strelnieks, Berzins and Dairis Bertans can help Bagatskis’s team outdo themselves. They are in a group in which the heavyweights are missing (outside of Lithuania, Latvia can win perhaps all the other teams: the Czech Republic, Belgium, Ukraine and Estonia) and thus can dream of achieving their goal despite their limited rotation.
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