FIBA Olympic Qualifier in Canada: Who will take Victoria? / News - Basketnews.com

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The only FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament not placed on European soil involves completely different teams. In Victoria, British Columbia hosts Canada will expect to face tough competition, despite their stacked roster.

Greece / Schedule

Greece CanadaTue23:05 GMT China GreeceThu23:05 GMT

Turkey, Greece, or even the Czech Republic can cause many problems to the team led by Nick Nurse and NBA stars, like R.J. Barrett. Canada haven't been to the Olympics since 2000, and that should make them more aware of the dangers that lurk in a knock-out tournament.

Fans will be allowed only after the second game day (starting from July 1st), which means that the home-court advantage that the hosts would enjoy against Greece in the opener is immediately thrown out of the window. China and Uruguay seem to be the obvious underdogs, the weakest links that will nevertheless need only one win in the group phase to keep their dream alive.Canada

A total of 8 current NBA players will be at Nick Nurse's disposal, when Canada start their quest for the only ticket that leads to the Tokyo Olympic Games. NY Knicks guard R.J. Barrett and Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins are the names that stand out. Of the final 12-man roster, there are 10 players with NBA experience and 8 active NBA players, while Zach Edey and Andrew Nembhard - who were the last to be left out - are competing in the collegiate ranks Purdue Boilermakers and the Gonzaga Bulldogs, respectively.

Longtime Canadian National Team member Melvin Ejim had to withdraw from consideration to tend to a personal matter. Some notable NBA names that weren't in camp include Dillon Brooks, Oshae Brissett, Brandon Clarke, Kelly Olynyk, Khem Birch and Tristan Thompson.Nick Nurse earned beloved status in Canada by leading the Toronto Raptors to a championship in 2019. Now, his task is to lead the Canadians back to the Olympics, where they haven’t been since 2000.

China

Judging from the Chinese recent past and the fact that they have qualified for every Olympics since 1984, it would be a failure not to repeat such a feat. Alas, the third-longest active streak behind Australia (13) and the United States (10) is in danger, since there are several opponents who can take them down.

In Victoria, competition will be fierce for one of the youngest rosters at the Olympic Qualifier, with an average age of 24. Star center Yi Jianlian, who missed the 2020-21 Chinese CBA season with an Achilles injury, Ailun Guo and Zhelin Wang will be absent.

GreecePlagued by absences and some serious, even career-ending injuries, Greece will embark on this journey with the compass of the Calathes-Sloukas duo. Those two are by far the most influential players on the roster.

The absentees are many: Vassilis Spanoulis quit basketball and was ruled out just two days before the departure to Canada. Kostas Papanikolaou, Giorgos Printezis and Ioannis Papapetrou got injured earlier, while the Antetokoumpo brothers (Giannis and Thanassis) are competing in the NBA Playoffs. However, Kostas Antetokounmpo, who won the NBA ring with the Lakers in 2019, will be available.

Coach Rick Pitino also will have to make do; also consider that the roster provides almost no alternative on a poor shooting night. The Greeks haven’t qualified for the Olympics since 2008 and it will take a series of small miracles for such a streak to end.

TurkeyShane Larkin didn't travel to Canada. Still, Turkey have the outlook of a competent contender, especially since Ilyasova, Korkmaz and Osman are present. Boy-prodigy Alperen Sengun is expected to showcase his talent, before potentially being selected in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Ersan Ilyasova at 34 will have a last shot at the Olympics, where Turkey have been absent since 1952. Cedi Osman finished the 2019 FIBA World Cup with 20.4 points per game, while Furkan Korkmaz is a real 3-point threat for any defense. In addition, Sanli had a breakout season with Anadolu Efes and Mahmutoglu offers another serious perimeter option. Coach Orhun Ene knows that the road to the final game will be open if his squad wins the group.

Czech RepublicAll major weapons are available for coach Ronen Ginzburg. Tomas Satoransky is the undisputed leader, Ondrej Balvin provides post play, Jaromir Bohacik is by far the team's best shooter and Jan Vesely had an excellent season individually with Fenerbahce Istanbul.

If the Czech Republic made history by reaching the FIBA World Cup quarter-finals in 2019, qualifying for the Olympics would sound equally great. The duel with Turkey will be harsh, but then comes the hardest part. Overall, we're talking about a team that lacks quantity in the backcourt but one that can wreak havoc whenever the shots fall.

Uruguay

If Greece is looking for miracles to happen, Uruguay has the slimmest chances of entering the tournament as the 45th team in the FIBA World Rank. Their most experienced player, center Esteban Batista, is 37 years old. Jayson Granger has had plenty of injuries over the last year, but his competitive spirit is always strong when he's healthy.

Beating either Turkey or the Czech Republic would take a lot. Bruno Fitipaldo is the only other well-known name on their roster, which isn't exactly the epitome of talent. Expect Uruguay to fight to their last breath.

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