Official Eurobasket 2013 Thread

[SportsGuy8]

Oh and just to stop these ridiculous debates about Spain losing games on purpose, let me copy something I just wrote about it elsewhere:

By far the most likely scenario is that the Spanish team isn't really losing on purpose in the group stages, they're just so confident (and/or arrogant) that they don't really care about results in the group stages. That's all there is to it. Their only goal is to win it all, so in their eyes, it really makes no real difference against which teams they have to play, so they're treating group matches as preparation matches.

The only realistic exception is them trying to avoid team USA at the Olympics. But that's a totally different situation, because their goal changes with one team being objectively much better, so reaching the final (and thus at least 2nd place) is basically their primary goal (as opposed to Eurobasket, where 2nd place is almost as big of a failure to them as 5th place). Then their 2nd goal is to try shocking the world.

Now please just stop with this. It's hard enough to have to listen to this everywhere I go these days (and upcoming also).

[JV4MVP]

Oh and just to stop these ridiculous debates about Spain losing games on purpose

With all due respect, it was mentioned once on the previous page (and around noon), and sparsely on the ones before that... so now you're the one bringing it up again.

Regarding tomorrow's games I think Croatia will win handily but Lithuania/Italy should be close. Slight edge to LTU because of their size and deep roster.

[aporel18]

Great defense by Spain + unexperienced Serbian kids lead to Spain's win. Krstic and Bjeliça were very well defended, and Víctor Claver deserves some credit alongside Marc Gasol, Rudy and Sergio Rodríguez. They just executed their game and played 40 minutes.

Sergio, just like Rudy, went to the NBA too soon. They'd better develop their games and their winning experience/leadership in Europe, just like Ginobili did, instead of going there as young pups and getting in Nate McMillan's hands. McMillan just ruined those kids careers, Sergio needed a season and a half in Real Madrid to regain some momentum, and Rudy's first season back in Europe has been disapointing, he's a far better player than what he's shown so far. In the long run, they'll use what they learned in the NBA, but their careers have been mismanaged. Navarro is a totally different animal, he just doesn't defend and you can't afford that in the NBA, even if your offensive talent is better than 90% of the NBA players.

This loss is hard to take for Serbia, but to me they're favorites against Slovenia because Ivkovic sat his starters as punishment/rest and Slovenia's loss to France was probably more devastating, because they were trying until the end. Serbia has a far better roster, too, even if they are a bit too young. I don't get all the flack Maljkovic gets, Slovenia has the Dragic brothers, Begic, a past-his-prime Nachbar and a bunch of decent role players, he's done very well with the roster he's been given. If Erazem Lorbek was playing, they could be considered favorites, but instead they have Domen, who is playing pretty well, but to be honest, isn't a very good player.

France beat Slovenia in the painted area, where they are much stronger, and the French will be an extremely difficult rival for Spain because of it. Ajinça, Petro, Diaw, Pietrus and even Batum can bang inside. Orenga and his assistants will hopefully have a better plan than in Montpellier, where they won just by 1.

Lithuania and Croatia are my favorites to get to semis, but Italy has dynamite from outside, and the Ukrainians are better than what they've shown so far, and Jeter could pull a McCalebb. We'll find out today.

[Rasho Brezec]

The game was completely winnable for Slovenia even with less talent on their roster. Lakovic has been a net negative everytime he stepped on the court in this tournament and Joksimovic is their best perimeter defender. He could at least contain Parker which would have kept the game close.

When you have a less talented roster you can't just turn it on and off like Spaniards or French do, you have to play hard in every game. Maljkovic decided the game against Finland was a preparation match and ruined everyone's confidence, which is why they didn't box out and defend. Not to mention his late timeouts when the lead got into double digits twice. It was funny how Collett called a timeout as soon as Slovenians made two baskets in a row to cut the lead.

[BadNFluenz]

during yesterday's game between France and Slovenia, i started to dislike Goran Dragic a bit.
he complained after every single foul call and while it was nice that he was trying to put the team on his back, it looked like hero-ball sometimes, he took some ill-advised shots during the stretch

[JV4MVP]

Damn I just missed the Slovenia vs. Serbia game. I can't believe they played so soon after both having played yst.

So this means that Slovenia qualified for the WC and Serbia did not? Unfortunate for Serbia. They have a solid young core.

I hope Serbia places a bid for one of the four wildcards. You can def expect Russia, China and Brazil to do so, particularly because of demographics and good finances... will be interesting to see who gets the 4th one.

[Apollo64]

Damn I just missed the Slovenia vs. Serbia game. I can't believe they played so soon after both having played yst.

So this means that Slovenia qualified for the WC and Serbia did not? Unfortunate for Serbia. They have a solid young core.

I hope Serbia places a bid for one of the four wildcards. You can def expect Russia, China and Brazil to do so, particularly because of demographics and good finances... will be interesting to see who gets the 4th one.

Seven teams qualify for the WC, so Serbia has to win the 7th place game which will take place in saturday.

I can't wait for Lithuania vs Italy. Solid team defense vs individual scoring talent. Usually defense wins in these games, but anything can happen. I feel Datome will be key in this game.

[aristippus]

[

So this means that Slovenia qualified for the WC and Serbia did not? Unfortunate for Serbia. They have a solid young core.

With Spain qualified in the top 6 (Spain being the host country in 2014 world championship), this Eurobasket qualifying for the 2014 WC also the seventh team. Serbia will play another game, good for seventh place.

(Hoping for a wild card for eighth team.....if Italy lose three games in a row)

[JV4MVP]

Seven teams qualify for the WC, so Serbia has to win the 7th place game which will take place in saturday.

I can't wait for Lithuania vs Italy. Solid team defense vs individual scoring talent. Usually defense wins in these games, but anything can happen. I feel Datome will be key in this game.

According to wiki it is 6 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIBA_Basketball_World_Cup)

Is it because Spain automatically gets 1 and therefore 6 others can qualify?

Edit: answered

[suckfish]

Ukraine baby!!!

[Chalk1]

Only one remaining team is not getting a bid.

As far as wild cards, that group is already quite large. None of these teams want to be in that situation.

[Chalk1]

Fratello

[suckfish]

Fratello

He's been killing me all week with his timeouts. He just told one of his players to stop shitting the bed vs the press.

[Cro_Ruption]

CROATIA!!!!

[JV4MVP]

Ukraine baby!!!

Not surprised that Croatia is beasting on them but you have to give them props considering they have almost no basketball history, well aside someone like Volkov. They def benefited from being in a very weak Group A but still impressive.

And who is this Simon guy?

[suckfish]

It's all too easy to defend the Jeter pick and roll when Jeter has literally no offensive creativity from his teammates.

[JV4MVP]

Lithuania vs Italy 1 pt difference at the half.

LTU playing great D but Italians making crazy shots.

[mitrandil20]

Belinelli burnt 10kg of fat with that drive-and-dunk

[Rasho Brezec]

Lithuanian defense is pathetic.

[th1]

Jesus **** Christ i wish i could hit someone in the face. All those childish mistakes