With the Olympics starting in a few days, I thought I'd start a thread to discuss basketball. There are a couple of outstanding teams, but beware of the outsiders!
USA:
This is the best team on paper. They are very athletic and know how to combine their speed and their aggressivity. However, can we really call this a team? When having a closer look at their roster, they feature a couple of defensive minded players and the others are all scorers. It doesn't mean that scorers can't defend! What could be a problem is their personnality: can these guys who are used to play and score a lot handle a lesser playing time and give up some shot opportunities?
I also believe this team will struggle against zone defense. They will need to drive to the basket because they have arguably no threat at the post. Driving will not be easy against bigger teams. In addition to that, they seem to rely a lot on their perimeter defense, pressuring the ball handlers. Will this be enough against more experienced teams who features decent playmakers?
Team USA's path to the gold will definitely not be easy!
Key players: James, Bryant, Durant.
Spain:
Spain features a very balanced team with powerful low post players. Everybody is a threat from beyond the arc. They played together for a long time, adding a few younger players to their roster.
They are contenders with no obvious weakness but USA's athleticism could cause them problems.
Key players: Gasol brothers, Navarro.
Brazil :
Brazil had an impressive friendly versus USA. They showed some good basketball. They have a very good inside game and are led by a prolific point guard. Unfortunately, it seems like their outside game is a little weak compared to the other powerhouses.
Key players: Huertas, Barbosa, Nene.
Russia:
Russia has a incredibly tall team. All their players are very long, making it very difficult for their opponents. They are in a great shape. On the other hand, many of their players lack some skill and rely too much on their physical abilities.
They have a deep bench and everyone seem to know their role on the team, wether it is rebounding, defending or scoring. It's a very dynamic team worth watching.
Key players: Kirilenko, Khryapa, Fridzon.
Lithuania: It's a small country where basketball is the main sport. They are not in their golden age but still have something left in the tank. They have good shooters and a strong post game. They miss a true point guard.
I don't think they will have much influence in these olympics but on one game, everything is possible.
Key players: Valanciunas, Kaukenas, Kleiza.
This is just a personnal look, nothing official. My picks are Spain and Russia to bring gold home.
What are your thoughts?