EuroBasket musings

VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - We could sit around and moan about the players that won't be at the EuroBasket in Slovenia.

For example, Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro are missing for Spain and Luol Deng and Joel Freeland for Great Britain.

What we should do when it comes to the absences of some players, however, is be sensible.

We should understand that sometimes, putting on the national team shirt may not be the best thing to do.

As the host nation of next year's 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Spain have a spot in the tournament assured so Gasol and Navarro, the two most important players in the national team set-up for the past decade, are resting.

Gasol had a procedure on both knees after this season with the Los Angeles Lakers while Navarro, who played with various knocks during Barcelona's campaign, elected to have surgery on his ailing ankle.

Spain, however, will remain a force and could win a third straight gold medal.

More on that later.

For the Brits, an illness that sent Deng of the Chicago Bulls to the hospital during the NBA playoffs has led to his decision not to play in Slovenia.

Deng was in bad shape in early May.

He complained of severe headaches and spoke of his struggle just to walk after having a spinal tap to detect possible viral meningitis.

Deng missed Chicago's entire second round series against Miami, which the Heat won, 4-1.

His absence is a no-brainer.

"It's one of those decisions that you have to use your head over your heart," Deng said on Friday.

"After the medical tests, it just simply isn't safe for me to put my body through that amount during the summer. It's tough to take."

Freeland, coming off a disappointing rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers, wants to concentrate on a workout regime that will help him hit the ground running with the Trail Blazers in 2013-14.

His decision is understandable.

You can argue the big man might have really benefited from going to Slovenia.

Joe Prunty, Britain's new boss, has worked in the NBA for a long time as an assistant coach and received praise in the area of player development.

Freeland might have benefitted from his coaching, and he could have built some confidence with some solid performances at the EuroBasket.

Then again, Prunty is going to have his hands full coaching for the first time in Europe.

"At this time, it's crucial that I remain with my NBA work, as it is a pretty pivotal part of my career," Freeland said.

It's difficult to be enthusiastic about Britain's chances.

Britain will struggle to get out of a Group A that includes Belgium, Ukraine, Germany, France and Israel. The Brits may not win a game.

There are a lot of questions that won't be answered until teams start playing games.

How will Russia cope with a new coach? For so long, they had the continuity of David Blatt at the helm.

Since his departure, Fotis Katsikaris has been appointed, only for the Greek to resign just days before the start of the preparations.

Vasily Karasev is the acting head coach. Without Blatt and Andrei Kirilenko, Russia will find it difficult to advance from Group D (Italy, Turkey, Greece, Finland and Sweden).

Even if they do, it will still be difficult to clinch a spot a top-six finish (top seven if Spain are in the first six) to reach the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

How will Italy cope with the additions of Marco Belinelli and Andrea Bargnani, players that didn't compete last summer with the side won all eight qualifying games? Remember, this is an Italy that doesn't have an injured Danilo Gallinari.

What about Turkey? They have a great coach, Bogdan Tanjevic, but one who had wanted to retire after the 2010 FIBA World Championship. The Turks had wanted Ettore Messina to coach them, but have had to go to Plan B with Tanjevic.

Turkey have a veteran-laden group that could, if it played as well as it did for much of EuroBasket 2009 and at the World Championship, go all the way and capture the gold medal.

We'll see how hungry the veterans are.

Finland, on paper, should not have a chance of advancing from Group D but don't bet against them. They'll arrive well organized with smart players and perhaps the most underrated coach in the competition in Henrik Dettmann, the man who led Germany to bronze at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

The Finns weren't supposed to survive the first round two years ago in Lithuania but did. They'll have more experience and should have plenty of confidence.

In Group C, Spain will still have an incredibly talented team despite the absences of Gasol, Navarro, Felipe Reyes and Serge Ibaka. They will have Real Madrid's Spanish Liga Endesa champions Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull. They will have Marc Gasol, the Memphis Grizzlies center who was voted the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year.

I'm thinking that Lithuania, whose Jonas Valanciunas has played to rave reviews in the NBA summer league with the Toronto Raptors, will reach the podium.

Greece will have plenty of weapons and experience, but must show they can win under a new coach in Italian Andrea Trinchieri.

Serbia are missing several players, yet still have the great coach Dusan Ivkovic and a deep pool of talent.

Slovenia will play at home, roared on by the fans.

France will have Tony Parker.

Spain are as well equipped as any team to make a run at gold. I think they'll do it, but we'll have to wait and see.

Jeff Taylor

FIBA

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