Spain with a lot of options despite Pau Gasol out of World Cup following foot surgery

MADRID (Spain) - Spain great Pau Gasol has confirmed he will not recover from a foot operation in time to play at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China.

Arguably the best player in his country's history, the 38-year-old said he hopes to be back for the 2020 Olympics if Spain, the No. 2 team in the FIBA World Ranking presented by Nike, qualify with a strong showing in the Far East this summer.

"It's going to be difficult," Gasol said in an interview tweet by EFE Deportes. "I would have loved to have been with the national team, with my teammates. For me the national team has always been very important to take part in. I'm very proud to compete for the national team and to fight to achieve success at international level.

"But due to the injury and the subsequent surgery, I'm not going to be able to go to the World Cup in China. I will nevertheless be supporting the team and hoping they have a great tournament. I've always been close to them for many reasons, we are a family. It's not a slogan, it's a reality of our team. I hope we can qualify for the Olympic Games and that I can be back next year."

Speaking on the Spansish Basketball Federation (FEB) website, his former teammate, FEB President Jorge Garbajosa, expressed his disappointment about the absence of Gasol, the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Cup MVP, but also his belief that the team will have a strong showing.

“I WILL NEVERTHELESS BE SUPPORTING THE TEAM AND HOPING THEY HAVE A GREAT TOURNAMENT. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CLOSE TO THEM FOR MANY REASONS, WE ARE A FAMILY. IT'S NOT A SLOGAN, IT'S A REALITY OF OUR TEAM. I HOPE WE CAN QUALIFY FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES AND THAT I CAN BE BACK NEXT YEAR.”- Pau Gasol

"The absence of Pau Gasol, our great reference player for many years, at the World Cup is going to be very important for the national team," he said. "We will also go to China for a big tournament without him and Juan Carlos Navarro. In this type of situation, the main thing is the player's health.

"I have no doubt that his teammates will give their maximum and will try to minimize his loss with the highest degree of commitment possible. The World Cup squad will try to show Pau great performances and they know, as he has stated, they will have all of his support.

Marc Gasol , one of the best centers in the world, will have a leading role to play for Spain in China

"As he has manifested, I hope he can realize his dream and be with us next summer at the Olympic Games. His presence in Tokyo would mean that we have been able to compete, perform at our level this year at the World Cup and achieved a ticket to the Olympics. I'm certain that will be the case."

Garbajosa knows better than anyone how a team can overcome the loss of a player like Gasol because he helped Spain do just that in 2006. Gasol got hurt during a 75-74 victory over Argentina in the Semi-Finals and missed the title game against Greece.

“I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT HIS TEAMMATES WILL GIVE THEIR MAXIMUM AND WILL TRY TO MINIMIZE HIS LOSS WITH THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF COMMITMENT POSSIBLE. THE WORLD CUP SQUAD WILL TRY TO SHOW PAU GREAT PERFORMANCES AND THEY KNOW, AS HE HAS STATED, THEY WILL HAVE ALL OF HIS SUPPORT”- FEB President Jorge Garbajosa

Everyone in the Spain squad rose to the occasion, including Garbajosa and Navarro with each pouring in 20 points, and the team rolled to a 70-47 triumph over the Greeks.

As Sergio Scariolo's side showed at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 when players like Pierre Oriola and Joan Sastre made their national team bows and contributed to a third-place finish, and as Spain showed in an impressive European Qualifiers campaign for the World Cup with 10 wins in 12 games, there is no shortage of talent and also plenty of hunger to succeed in the set-up.

Spain have Gasol's brother, Marc, who is currently excelling in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals with Toronto. He was in the 2006 team and many of the other successful sides.

Spain could also have his Raptors teammate Serge Ibaka, who last represented the country at the 2014 World Cup. Ibaka, who would be in the team as a naturalized player, had 17 points and 13 rebounds in Toronto's 120-102 victory over Milwaukee on Tuesday night, a result that knotted the series at 2-2. He has already expressed the hope of being with the national team in China.

Nikola Mirotic was the naturalized player in Spain's FIBA EuroBasket 2015 triumph in France and the bronze-medal winning side at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Spain also have Willy Hernangomez of the Charlotte Hornets, a player that helped the country capture the EuroBasket 2015 crown and then competed at the Olympics the following year. He, too, spoke recently about his desire to play for Spain in China.

It may be that Scariolo will turn to 36-year-old Fran Vazquez or emerging star Sebas Saiz, two bigs that were crucial in the European Qualifiers. Vazquez took part in eight of the Qualifiers while Saiz, 24, was one of just two players to feature in all 12 games. He helped Iberostar Tenerife reach the Basketball Champions League Final this season.

Oriola only played in two of the European Qualifiers but did make a big impact, pouring in 15 points and corralling 12 rebounds in an 85-82 home triumph over Latvia.

Oriola's contribution was vital in an 85-82 European Qualifiers triumph over Latvia on September 17, 2018 

Spain fans, however, will miss seeing Gasol, the country's "great reference player" as Garbajosa called him.

Not only was he the MVP of the 2006 World Cup but also EuroBasket 2009 and EuroBasket 2015.

When his chances of making it to China looked bleak last week, Scariolo told the El Pais newspaper: "His absence is a blow because he is a historic player and in terms of leadership, more so. It will be the first time we go into a big tournament without Navarro and Gasol at the same time."

Yet Scariolo knows Spain's pool of talent and the overall confidence in the set-up has grown, something that happened while he coached the team to a spot in the World Cup by relying on less heralded but still very talented players.

FIBA