Teams:
Croatia (FIBA-Europe 6th place)
Brazil (FIBA-Americas 1st place)
Tunisia (FIBA-Africa 3rd place)
Slovenia (FIBA-Europe 4th place)
Iran (FIBA-Asia 1st place)
USA (2008 Olympic Champion)
This group I feel will have some great games to watch with some unknown teams. The USA is the most talented, athletic squad but also one of the most inexperienced. Though the US will blow out most squads in this group and finish first, their inexperience might affect them in the knockout stages. Brazil, defending FIBA-Americas champions, has the potential to be one of the best Brazilian teams since the Oscar Schmidt led teams of the 1980s-early 1990s. With NBA vets Leandro Barbosa ,Anderson Varejao, and Nene, they have the potential to be one of the most explosive teams here. But they have been inconsistent in recent years. They haven't made an Olympic Tournament since 1996, came 17th in the 2006 FIBA WC, and losing to a German team in the Olympic qualifying (though Brazil had no NBA players that year), it's hard to predict them. Slovenia played well last year in the Euro qualifying, finishing 4th, and in this years Stankovic Cup, winning it all. They might have one of the best guards in the tournament in Goran Dragic (who I believe posted a triple double in the final of the Stankovic Cup). Croatia has plenty of talent and played decently at the '08 Olympics with a great defense and shooting well. But a disappointing 6th place in qualifying? Iran could be the sleeper in the group with NBAer Hamed Haddadi (led '08 Olympics in rebounding, only player to average a double-double) and perhaps the best player left in Asia, Mohammed Samad Nikkah Bahrami. Tunisia is the weakest team in the group and could see some blowouts. Amine Rzig averaged 16 points last year in the FIBA-Africa qualifying. They weren't in the top 5 in PPG socring or top 5 defensivive points allowed, but they found ways to win all tournament long like Cameroon twice, Mali, and Morocco. So don't count out this squad keeping a game or two close.
Predictions:
USA 5-0
Brazil 4-1
Slovenia 3-2
Croatia 2-3
Iran 1-4
Tunisia 0-5
I am really on the fence about Croatia and Iran.
more to come...
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