Scariolo sees benefits of FIBA's new competition system

MADRID (EuroBasket 2015) - Spain coach Sergio Scariolo believes young, emerging players can benefit from FIBA's new system of competition, which basketball's world governing body presented in Lille last week.

Under the new system, which comes into effect following EuroBasket 2017, there will be 15-month qualification cycles for each major FIBA competition during which national teams will play regular home and away games.

Spain and other countries will not be able to call on their NBA players during the two winter qualification windows, but Scariolo said: "We can give opportunities to our young players, or other players who have not yet played [on the senior national team] to gain international experience."

Scariolo has coached Spain to EuroBasket titles in 2009 (Poland), 2011 (Lithuania) and 2015 (France).

A big part of his squad this summer was 24-year-old Nikola Mirotic, a former MVP of the U20 European Championship with Spain who did not feature for the senior side until this summer.

"Nikola is one of those who know how important that part, international experience, is in the overall formation of an ambitious player that wants to become a top player," Scariolo said.

"No matter how talented you are as a player, you need to put in years and lots of international games in order to grow.

"This kind of game will help in that direction."

The qualification cycle for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup will commence with the first window in November 2017 and will include five more windows in February 2018, June 2018, September 2018, November 2018 and February 2019.

FIBA