VALENCIA (Spain) - Bahamas' rise in the global game has been so quick that many out there might be surprised the Caribbean nation is even playing at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Spain. But Bahamas are part of a wide-open Group B in Valencia alongside Finland and Poland which could end being so close that every point in every game matters should there be a tiebreaker.
The Favorite: Bahamas
For those who haven't been following Bahamas, no, it is not a joke calling the islanders the favorites. After all, the Caribbeans beat hosts Argentina twice at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 Argentina and they will have more current NBA players on their roster than Finland and Poland combined. In addition, there is actually a lot of veteran experience on this Bahamas team with the likes of Eric Gordon and Buddy Hield as well as strong talent like Deandre Ayton and up-and-coming players such as Dominik Bridgewater.
The Underdog: Finland
Finland will desperately miss Lauri Markkanen and his ability to take over games in various ways, meaning the rest of the squad will have to step up. Finland showed at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers in February 2024 what they are without Markkanen: falling apart in the second half and losing to Serbia on the road by 16 points and then needing to fight back from 17 points down to beat Denmark 89-85 at home.
The Pivotal Game: Finland v Bahamas
With only two teams going through to the Semi-Finals every game is so crucial, and this will be the first game of the group. If Bahamas pull off the win, it will give them that much more confidence as they dream about Paris. Finland need to win in order to show themselves they can beat teams without Markkanen.
The Open Question: Will it end up being Poland who takes top honors in the group?
Poland has not really been mentioned here yet as most people are trying to figure out if Bahamas are for real and what Finland can do without Markkanen. The Poles cannot be counted out either. This is the team that defeated Luka Doncic and Slovenia in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Quarter-Finals to ultimately take fourth place after having finished eighth at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.
FIBA