[McDunkin]

Rejoice. Rejoice, for the basketball battle in Lithuania (31/8-18/9) continues to be one of the most talented, replete with antagonists.

With the confirmation of Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Kaman and Andrei Kirilenko’s likely [pending insurance grant] participation, an already prolific compilation of players have stepped up to further add dimension to the tournament, boosted by the additions of superstars and well-known national heroes.

The scope of sheer, pronounced talent will have a direct effect at the gates of Eurobasket 2011, and may be historically unmatched.

Mirroring the combinations of recognizable and highly touted NBA players on one end coupled with numerable Euroleague aces progenies.

Never before has a Eurobasket host had the privilege and glory to announce that it looks to feature such a star-studded cast:

• The recent NBA Finals MVP (Nowitzki) accompanied by a one-time All-star (Kaman)
• A key piece to a Lakers repeat (P. Gasol) playing alongside five other compatriots from the same league and a five time All-Euroleague guard (Navarro)
• Fresh 3rd (Kanter) & 5th (Valančiūnas) picks respectively overall in the NBA draft in a year convergent with the Eurobasket
• A Turkey with four or five active NBA players
• The greatest Great Britain team ever assembled with NBA and Euroleague luster
• A 21.4ppg scorer (Bargnani) hand-in-hand with two other stately NBA scorers (Gallinari and Bellinelli)
• The first Israeli in the NBA (Casspi)
• A renowned French team top to bottom
• A Serbian team competitive enough to justify sporting a NBA-less roster
• F.Y.R. Macedonia having valid reason to vaunt about disposing over one of the most deadly point guards in a basketball constellation (McCalebb)
• * Montenegro fielding two NBA players (Peković, Vučević)
• * A Georgian partial NBA starter (Pachulia)
• * A myriad of European stars and starlets found in traditional national teams

All under just six different roofs-tops. And all taking place within the finite geographical borders of a nation purportedly vivid about all things basketball. A match made in heaven.

Peeking at the infirmary and the void

To think it could’ve been even greater. Several notable absences will be felt, an occurrence that is less and less diverging and almost obligatory come these events. Either way, it is a topic which will intermittently be, and perhaps rightfully so, inter-connected to enduring national selections who fail to achieve desired outcome.

Identifiable are two sets of absentees; injury-related write off-s and ambiguous absences.

At this date and stage, the first category of notable exclusions will be: Okur (Tr), Lampe (Pl), Mensah-Bonsu (GB), Kleiza (Lt), Pietrus (Fr), Biedrins (Lv), Brezec (Si)

The second set of players not necessarily part of the coaches’ plans for this Eurobasket, but who’s deprivation bounds nonetheless leaves to scratch a few heads include: Radmanović, Miličić, Pavlović, Rakočević, Ilgauskas, Šiškauskas, Diamantidis, B. Udrih, Vujačić, Vázquez

The greatness underscoring this Eurobasket is that, save for abrupt developments with NBA players’ insurances, despite all noteworthy setbacks it still adheres to be one of, if not the most cogent clash of European Men’s National senior level basketball in recent memory. With the progress and dynamics of the game continuously enhanced, and the number of teams and games played increased, September could be the greatest battle Eurobasket had ever amassed. The only thing left is to hope for maximum health of all parties.

http://www.interbasket.net/news/8073/2011/07/eurobasket-2011-what-you-should-know-2/#more-8073

[Author]

Posts