Group A: Will the French march out of Helsinki, or will wolves be circling?
HELSINKI (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - France, Greece and Poland all arrive in Helsinki with missing pawns, while their Group A rivals Iceland, Slovenia and hosts Finland have all their major pieces in place.
HELSINKI (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - France, Greece and Poland all arrive in Helsinki with missing pawns, while their Group A rivals Iceland, Slovenia and the Group Phase hosts Finland have all their major pieces on the board.
With the start of the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 just around the corner, we take a look at the teams and the brightest stars that the Wolf Pack will be hosting at Helsinki Arena.
FINLAND
Preparation game result: 1 win, 7 losses
2015 placing: 16th place
Major talking point: Remember the party atmosphere the traveling Finns created in the last two FIBA EuroBasket editions in Slovenia and France following the Wolf Pack? Oh, there will plenty of howling in Helsinki!
Injury update: -
Key player: Petteri Koponen
The bottom line: The home court advantage, Lauri Markkanen's strong play in the preparation games and star man Petteri Koponen being ready to roll will give Finland plenty of reason for optimism. Only one win in the friendly circuit for coach Henrik Dettmann's side, on the other hand, suggests a more cautious approach.
FRANCE
Preparation game result: 6 wins, 2 losses
2015 placing: 3rd place
Major talking point: Life after Tony Parker for France was supposed to be a lot about Rudy Gobert and Nicolas Batum; can Nando De Colo and Evan Fournier guide the team to the medals with the spotlight on them?
Injury update: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Moustapha Fall, Fabien Causeur, Rodrigue Beaubois (Nicolas Batum, Rudy Gobert, Ian Mahinmi and Charles Kahudi also unavailable)
Key player: Nando De Colo
The bottom line: No matter how you slice it, coach Vincent Collet's side is still one of the primary contenders for the medals, if not for the title. The French backcourt can match up with any other team in FIBA EuroBasket, both in terms of scoring and creativity, while Boris Diaw and Joffrey Lauvergne provide versatile options in the big man positions.
GREECE
Preparation game result: 5 wins, 3 losses
2015 placing: 5th place
Major talking point: Having guided the Greece team featuring Evangelos Mantzaris, Kostas Sloukas, Kostas Papanikolaou, Nikos Pappas and Georgios Bogris to gold at the FIBA U20 European Championship 2009, coach Kostas Missas will be trying to replicate it on the big stage with a very similar cast of players.
Injury update: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kostas Koufos
Key player: Ioannis Bourousis
The bottom line: Yes, the "Greek Freak" was one of the most talked about names coming to FIBA EuroBasket. However, let's not forget, he has never replicated his NBA numbers in a Greek jersey. Even without Antetokounmpo on board, the roster is one for other teams to envy with the likes of Nick Calathes, Georgios Printezis and Ioannis Bourosis. Don't expect anything less than a trip to Istanbul for this team.
ICELAND
Preparation game result: 3 wins, 5 losses
2015 placing: 24th place
Major talking point: Tryggvi Hlinason impressed for Iceland at the FIBA U20 European Championship 2017 in Crete and the 19-year-old center has continued to rack up eye-catching numbers with the seniors during the friendly game marathon.
Injury update: -
Key player: Jon Stefansson
The bottom line: Undersized both as a nation and on the court, Iceland should not be seen as an easy target in Group A. Always well-organized as a team, the Icelanders have found a nice combination of experience and up-and-coming talent in the core of Jon Stefansson, Hylnur Baeringsson, Martin Hermannsson, Haukur Palsson and this summer's sensation, Tryggvi Hlinason.
POLAND
Preparation game result: 6 wins, 4 losses
2015 placing: 11th place
Major talking point: Mateusz Ponitka will turn 24 just before FIBA EuroBasket, Przemyslaw Karnowski will not turn 24 until November. Are the youngsters ready for the star roles?
Injury update: Maciej Lampe
Key player: Mateusz Ponitka
The bottom line: Poland are going through something of a generational transition after the international retirement of Marcin Gortat, with 1993-born Mateusz Ponitka and Przemyslaw Karnowski taking center stage for coach Mike Taylor's side. Surrounded by the likes of A.J. Slaughter, Adam Waczynski and Damien Kulig, they will be a fun bunch to watch, but the last-minute news of veteran Maciej Lampe not being able to participate is a big blow to their chances to do something special already this year.
SLOVENIA
Preparation game result: 5 wins, 3 losses
2015 placing: 12th place
Major talking point: Having naturalized Real Madrid big man Anthony Randolph just before their FIBA EuroBasket campaign, Slovenia had to say tough goodbye to long-time national team member Alen Omic.
Injury update: Zoran Dragic
Key player: Goran Dragic
The bottom line: The whole continent has been abuzz about 18-year-old rising star Luka Doncic playing alongside the country's number one, Goran Dragic. It will be the last go-around for the Miami Heat point guard, and the whole team, featuring some well-known names in Jaka Blazic, Klemen Prepelic, Edo Muric and Gasper Vidmar, is invested in giving the 'Dragon' a much-desired medal in Istanbul.
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