SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) – When you have the tournament favorite, a feisty and proud veteran outfit and a true dark horse in the same group, pandemonium is bound to ensue.
Lithuania, Mexico and Côte d’Ivoire will battle it out in Group A in a clash of styles at the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
All 3 nations have plenty of recent experience at the international level and two of them faced off at last year’s FIBA World Cup.
The Favorite: Lithuania
Even with the late withdrawal of center Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania starts as the on-paper favorite not only to win Group A, but to earn a spot in Paris 2024.
The Europeans still have the best player in the tournament (Domantas Sabonis) and a group of experienced EuroLeague veterans headlined by Donatas Motiejunas, Marius Grigoris, Tomas Dimsa, Deividas Sirvydis, Tadas Sederekis and Mindaugas Kuzminkas.
Barcelona point guard Rokas Jokubaitis will run the offense for Kazys Maksvytis’ team after a solid 2023-24 campaign, highlighting the wealth of options in the squad at every position.
Lithuania is coming off a 6th place finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup that included a 30-point victory over Mexico (who they’ll face on July 2nd) and great wins over United States, Slovenia and Greece.
The Underdog: Côte d’Ivoire
The African nation only won one game at last year’s World Cup (against Lebanon) but were coming off a 2nd place finish at the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket.
The possible addition of NBA center Mo Bamba to an already loaded interior rotation that could still include Alex Poythress, Deon Thompson or Ismael Kamagaté could make them very dangerous and a true wild card against a pair of more established opponents.
The Pivotal Game: Côte d’Ivoire vs. Mexico
Size and length vs. chemistry and continuity. Ivorians and Mexicans are seemingly polar opposites, and if styles make fights, the fans will be in for a treat.
With Lithuania the clear favorite in the zone, this game between the remaining Group A squads is likely to decide which team will be joining the Europeans in the semifinals.
Mexico lost Gael Bonilla to injury on the eve of the tournament, making their frontcourt even smaller against what’s expected to be Côte d’Ivoire’s strength.
Conversely, Omar Quintero’s squad has superior ballhandling and shooting – on top of the familiarity and cohesion earned across a decade of international tournaments playing together.
The Open Question: Will Sabonis pick up where JV left off?
When Lithuania announced a few weeks back that both Sabonis and Valanciunas would suit up for the National Team in San Juan, the news sent shockwaves across the other tournament participants.
Such a duo, still in the prime of their NBA careers, would prove too much even in a very competitive field. Now that Valanciunas is out because of his impending free agency, Lithuania suddenly looks a bit more beatable.
Admittedly, they still have the best combination of star power, size, experience and continuity, but Valanciunas has been their heart and soul for the better part of a decade and that’s not easily replaced. This is now Domantas Sabonis challenge.
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Don't forget to check the Team Profiles for: Lithuania, Mexico and Côte d’Ivoire.
FIBA