By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
You have seen the stars, the rookies, the absences, the rosters of Group A and B, and those of Group C and D, the format, and the schedule, plus we have a guide for those who are not really familiar with the Eurobasket but want to get into it (yes, casual NBA fan, we mean you).
So what’s left? A preview for each group and of course, the predictions for those making it to the Round of 16 and more.
With the top four teams of each group qualifying for Berlin, the first phase it’s not only about the teams making it to the knockout games, but will also decide who will face who until the title game.
So what happens in the first game may come to haunt you later down the road.
Spain, Bulgaria, Turkey, Montenegro, Belgium, Georgia
Things here seem to be quite clear. Spain, despite having only Rudy Fernandez available from the old guard that dominated FIBA basketball for almost 20 years, together with the young and ambitious version of Turkey are ahead of the competition and the rest of the four teams will fight for one ticket.
Here’s where things are going to get tricky. If Georgia had Toko Shengelia, playing at their home might have been enough for them to make it to the next round without a lot of pressure. Now Belgium, Bulgaria, and Montenegro have at least a fighting chance. Traditionally the home factor plays a huge role in Eurobasket results, Georgia has a lot of issues to solve on their backcourt but they can still make it. On the other hand, first and foremost Bulgaria has the chance to shine.
Why Bulgaria? The duo of naturalized point guard Dee Bost and All-EuroLeague forward Sasha Vezenkov might be enough to make things happen compared to the solid rosters of Montenegro and Belgium. After all, Bulgaria without Vezenkov pushed Latvia – without Porzingis of course – out of the Eurobasket with a road win.
Prediction: Spain (1), Turkey (2), Georgia (3), Bulgaria (4)