HELSINKI (Finland) - Finland head to Spain making their FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament debut, and the Nordic country will face a major challenge as it hopes to end their 60-year Olympics drought without their superstar leader Lauri Markkanen.
The Roster
Even without the NBA All-Star, Finland will come to Valencia with the same exact frame-mind: playing the best possible basketball and winning one game at a time and hopefully it will be enough to fulfill the dream.
Mikael Jantunen will be needed to take over a lot of responsibility. The forward is still only 24 years old and has taken a jump both in club basketball and with his status in the national team. He averaged 15.0 points shooting 61.5 percent on two-pointers, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in the February 2024 window for the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.
Jantunen will need plenty of help and probably the biggest scoring option for that output would be Elias Valtonen. Having just turned 25, Valtonen is an athletic and versatile small forward who gives the team support at both ends of the court.
Alexander Madsen for his part can provide some spectacular plays around the rim on offense and defense, and Coach Lassi Tuovi might ask the big man to be a bigger part of the scoring attack.
The 33-year-old Sasu Salin still ranks as one of the best shooters on the continent and his presence will give everyone more space to play. Meanwhile, Edon Maxhuni can run the show well enough to help his team to wins and like Madsen the point guard might be needed to shoulder a bit more of the scoring load.
One X-factor could be Miro Little, who did not play much this past season with Baylor in college basketball and could lack the mentality to be a solid contributor. But the 20-year-old's enticing skillset is rather unique in the Finland squad and could come in handy.
The Question
How far can the Susijengi go without Markkanen? Finland have long established themselves as a stronghold on the European stage, but they will be tested in Spain to show they can play on the global level with their top leader.
The Hope
Being doubted you can do something can actually turn into extreme motivation, and Finland could actually rally around being questioned and rise to the challenge.
The likes of Sasu, Jantunen, Maxhuni and Valtonen have helped Finland move from one generation to the next and still remain at a high level. And there could arise a us-against-the-world mentality within the team.
The Fear
Finland in the end might just not have the elite firepower to counter the challenge. Having Markkanen on board allows others to make mistakes that are not punished as severely.
Without him, the team cannot afford as many miscues at either end of the court. And opposing teams do not have to worry about Markkanen.
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