[sitlbitoParticipant]

 So the first round is over and it was terrific. 3 teams are undefeated and are,to me,the 3 best teams in the tournament at this point: France,Serbia and Greece. Serbia is the lucky one as they won’t face neither of these two teams until the final.

The 5 best scorers are NBA players:Gasol(23 ppg),Gallinari(21 ppg),Schröder(19.8),Valanciunas(19.7),Casspi(18.5).

After watching a lot of these games,it’s still unfair to me that Europe only gets 2 directly qualified teams to Rio. I mean even the worst teams like Estonia,Ukraine,Iceland,they all fight hard and actually can really play. It’s just a hard tournament with a lot of teams,while in the Fiba americas teams like Canada and Argentina are in a 10 team tournament with half the teams being almost amateur players. And they still get 2 teams to Rio.

 

[omphalosParticipant]

Canada has a team loaded with NBA talent, they certainly deserve a spot more than Iceland or Estonia.

I mean, I get that you like Europe, but how can you not want to see Canada do their thing in the Olympics?

 

[sitlbitoParticipant]

 Wow I’m sorry maybe my point wasn’t clear. I mean one team/continent is OK,just saying that when you watch the Eurobasket and FIBA Americas,there’s a world of difference in terms of level of play except Canada and mayyybe Argentina. I wasn’t saying Estonia and Iceland were better than Canda,but that they were better than certainly Venezuela,Panama and all those teams. The fact that both competitions get as many teams in the Olympics is weird to me. And by the way,Olympic qualifying tournaments will be held next year,and I wouldn’t be surprised to see 3 european teams being the last 3 teams qualified. It was the case 8 years ago,and 2 teams out of the 3 that qualified 4 years ago in this tournament were european teams as well. 

In the end,what I meant is that a pool play game for Canada against teams like Cuba is a hundred time easier than playing Iceland or Estonia for european teams. Maybe that wasn’t clear.

 

[sitlbitoParticipant]

 Wow I’m sorry maybe my point wasn’t clear. I mean one team/continent is OK,just saying that when you watch the Eurobasket and FIBA Americas,there’s a world of difference in terms of level of play except Canada and mayyybe Argentina. I wasn’t saying Estonia and Iceland were better than Canda,but that they were better than certainly Venezuela,Panama and all those teams. The fact that both competitions get as many teams in the Olympics is weird to me. And by the way,Olympic qualifying tournaments will be held next year,and I wouldn’t be surprised to see 3 european teams being the last 3 teams qualified. It was the case 8 years ago,and 2 teams out of the 3 that qualified 4 years ago in this tournament were european teams as well. 

In the end,what I meant is that a pool play game for Canada against teams like Cuba is a hundred time easier than playing Iceland or Estonia for european teams. Maybe that wasn’t clear.

 

[omphalosParticipant]

Canada has a team loaded with NBA talent, they certainly deserve a spot more than Iceland or Estonia.

I mean, I get that you like Europe, but how can you not want to see Canada do their thing in the Olympics?

 

[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

 Mexico is actually pretty strong, they beat Argentina at full strength.

Overall though, yes you are exactly right. Europe should get 3 bids atleast. All ofther continets for the most part are weak; but don’t forget americas does still have USA, Argentina, Brazil, and Canada. Plus 1 r 2 half decent teams. Brazil just has an automatic bid, so there top 5 players are not playing, and USA is well the USA, lol.

 

[King CaluchaParticipant]

I did not like the officiating in the Mexico-Argentina game, which was expected. The referees were calling a lot of fouls in favor or Mexico.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

I did not like the officiating in the Mexico-Argentina game, which was expected. The referees were calling a lot of fouls in favor or Mexico.

[barbabodomParticipant]

 Mexico and Puerto Rico are better than the worst european teams and both Uruguay (experienced and tough) and Venezuela (with Vasquez) at least give fits to Estonia and Ukraine. But yeah, Europe should have more bids, for sure. Maybe three or four automatic bids

[barbabodomParticipant]

 Mexico and Puerto Rico are better than the worst european teams and both Uruguay (experienced and tough) and Venezuela (with Vasquez) at least give fits to Estonia and Ukraine. But yeah, Europe should have more bids, for sure. Maybe three or four automatic bids

[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

 Mexico is actually pretty strong, they beat Argentina at full strength.

Overall though, yes you are exactly right. Europe should get 3 bids atleast. All ofther continets for the most part are weak; but don’t forget americas does still have USA, Argentina, Brazil, and Canada. Plus 1 r 2 half decent teams. Brazil just has an automatic bid, so there top 5 players are not playing, and USA is well the USA, lol.

 

[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

 you are right though. 4 really good teams in america to about 7 or 8, 

[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

 you are right though. 4 really good teams in america to about 7 or 8, 

[JV’s_pump_fakeParticipant]

Even though Australia and New Zealand are good teams, is it fair that after they play each other the winner goes to the olympics and the loser still gets another shot at the qualifying tournament?

[JV’s_pump_fakeParticipant]

Even though Australia and New Zealand are good teams, is it fair that after they play each other the winner goes to the olympics and the loser still gets another shot at the qualifying tournament?

[sitlbitoParticipant]

"Even though Australia and New Zealand are good teams". You can’t just say that like "yeah even though…. but…". That’s the entire point. What would be your solution? In soccer they put Australia in the Asian World cup qualification and they beat everybody. My point is,Australia is better than any non european team except the US and maybe Canada,although we don’t even know if Canada is better than them. And quite honestly New Zealand is a really solid team,better than any Asian or African team also. I get your point,there’s just no good solution to that Oceania problem. And the amount of teams qualified for the olympic per continent is determined by previous results,and Australia is almost consistently in the quarter finals of the World cup or the olympics. So they also have earned the right to qualify that easily by proving in the actual competiton that they deserved to be there.

 Sorry it’s a bit long maybe.

[sitlbitoParticipant]

"Even though Australia and New Zealand are good teams". You can’t just say that like "yeah even though…. but…". That’s the entire point. What would be your solution? In soccer they put Australia in the Asian World cup qualification and they beat everybody. My point is,Australia is better than any non european team except the US and maybe Canada,although we don’t even know if Canada is better than them. And quite honestly New Zealand is a really solid team,better than any Asian or African team also. I get your point,there’s just no good solution to that Oceania problem. And the amount of teams qualified for the olympic per continent is determined by previous results,and Australia is almost consistently in the quarter finals of the World cup or the olympics. So they also have earned the right to qualify that easily by proving in the actual competiton that they deserved to be there.

 Sorry it’s a bit long maybe.

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