FIBA.com gives you 10 reasons to follow the event.
1 - The conductor of Croatia's orchestra will be ...
...
Dario Saric has for several years been trumpeted as one of Croatia's finest ever talents and now coach Aleksandar Petrovic wants to get the maximum out of the versatile virtuoso whose passing skills are second to none. The 22-year-old forward can do a multitude of things to help his team win games and he'll have to if Croatia are going to reach Rio. Petrovic isn't looking for Saric to pull all the strings. Guard Krunoslav Simon is also going to have a role of increased importance this summer. But the coach does envision Saric having the ball in his hands a lot, which means trouble for opponents and a lot of excitement for spectators.
2 - Belinelli + Gallinari = scoring explosion
...
There will not be a more exciting one-two punch in Turin than Italy's Marco Belinelli and Danilo Gallinari. The pair of NBA stars tore apart eventual champions Spain in the Group Phase at EuroBasket 2015. Expect Italy head coach Ettore Messina to turn the talented twosome loose, although Belinelli will have to wear a face mask after suffering an injury last week that left him with a broken cheekbone.
3 - Aaahh Freak Out!
...
Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka the 'Greak Freak', has been mezmerizing both in the NBA and with Greece the past few years. With Vassilis Spanoulis now retired from international basketball, it's Antetokounmpo's time to be the main man.
4 - They're better than you think
...
If Iran lowered expectations for their fans when some veterans weren't included on the OQT roster, they may have eased the pressure on coach Dirk Bauermann and the youngsters that will be present. Bauermann, who led a Germany team that had Dirk Nowitzki to 2008 OQT success, will have Hamed Haddadi at center and plenty of up-and-coming talents. Remember Haddadi from the World Cup two years ago? Iran may be more dangerous than people think.
A photo posted by Hector Hernandez (@12hhernandez) on
Gustavo Ayon pulled out of the Mexico squad just a few days before the start of the OQT, citing the need to spend quality time with family. The Real Madrid star said in a statement, however, that the 12 Guerreros are "totally capable of fighting until the last minute to achieve a place at the Olympic Games" and added: "The national team is not one person, but a group." It's time to see how this close-knit this bunch is and how it responds.
6 - Home sweet home
...
This the first time that this Italian generation has a chance to play a major national team event in front of its own fans. The players have been talking about little else since Turin was named as a venue.
Having relied on many of the same players year after year, Iran will bring some new talent to the fore in Turin.
8 - The Big Mak Attack
...
Makram Ben Romdhane is one of the most gifted, well-rounded players to emerge on the African continent in the past decade. A scorer, passer, shot-blocker, Romdhane played a vital part in the country's AfroBasket 2011 title triumph and now, with Salah Mejri missing the OQT after knee surgery, he will be the team's unquestioned leader.
9 - A better Bourousis
Giannis Bouroussis used his immense EuroBasket disappointment of one year ago as fuel for the fire in the 2015-16 campaign with Laboral Kutxa. He was so good that the veteran center earned the honor as the Spanish Liga Endesa's MVP. His aim is now to get back to the Olympics for the first time since 2008, and for the second time in his career. Bourousis was good at EuroBasket 2015, but he'll be even better in Turin.
A photo posted by Isa Hernandez Chamorro (@isahdez2) on
10 - Andrea the Giant
...
Andrea Bargnani has the perfect stage this summer to prove to everyone in the basketball world that he can be as good as everyone envisioned nearly a decade ago when the Toronto Raptors made him the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. Most important of all is that the Rome native wants to fight for his country and take it back to the Olympics.