6 Jonathan Kazadi (SUI), 31 Jamar Wilson (FIN)
17/02/2021
Jeff Taylor's Eurovision
to read

Write off the underdogs' chances at your own peril

VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - Nothing galvanizes a team, or players, more in international basketball than the feeling of being underestimated or disrespected.

It can even happen to a team like the USA. At the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010 in Turkey, none of the USA Olympic gold medal winning players in Beijing two years before suited up for the Americans.

Some said USA Basketball sent a B team to Istanbul believed they were ripe to be beaten. All that did was fuel the Americans' desire to not just win but to beat every opponent convincingly, which other than a close call against Brazil in the Group Phase, they did. The USA unleashed Kevin Durant on the world and well,  you know what happened. Durant and Co stormed to the title, winning the World Cup for the USA for the first time since 1994  in Toronto.

Durant made a mockery of the suggestion that the USA sent their B team to the World Cup in 2010

At the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, when New Zealand made their first  appearance at the event, the Tall Blacks left their battle-hardened veterans at home on purpose so they could instead blood new players. The Kiwis were so good, finishing fourth, that several remained in the country's squad for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers campaign and then competed at the tournament in China, where they racked up an average 99.4 points per game - the highest of the 32 teams.

Iceland's players know all about the doubters, about being underrated and glossed over. No one gave them much of a chance yet they made to the EuroBasket for the first time in 2015 and then again in 2017.

Poland knows what it's all about. They went 52 years without reaching a FIBA Basketball World Cup before  enjoying a stunning European Qualifiers campaign and making it to the big event two years ago. Then in China, they made a run to the Quarter-Finals.

"WE COME TO VILNIUS TO FIGHT LIKE CRAZY AND TO GO AFTER QUALIFYING FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP."- Danish Basketball Federation Sports Manager Jens Dossing

Heading into this week's Continental Qualifiers, there are going to be teams and players that some fans or pundits will dismiss. They'll write off their chances because history is against them and they are not what we know to be big basketball nations.

Yet this is what I love about these Qualifiers. It's about countries and players getting opportunities and seeing which ones are going to make the most of them. It's about proving doubters wrong. 

When Switzerland and Denmark go into their games this week, they will do so knowing their countries haven't played at a FIBA EuroBasket since 1955. Yet both control their own destinies and could make it to the FIBA EuroBasket 2022, which will be staged in Germany, Czech Republic, Georgia and Italy.

If the Swiss win their game against Finland in the Tbilisi bubble on Friday by six points, they'll clinch a EuroBasket spot. They will surely believe in their chances, especially after leading Finland by 18 in the first meeting before losing by five. The Swiss did beat Serbia in the last window, though.

The Danes will have to beat Lithuania, for the second time, in the Vilnius bubble. Adding to the Danish challenge will be having to overcome the absence of their high-scoring guard Iffe Lundberg, who just led Zielona Gora to the Polish Cup and then signed for CSKA Moscow.

Lundberg can't play this week yet that seems to be making the Danes more determined than ever.


Jonas Zahore had eight points in Denmark's 80-76 win over Lithuania in the window

"Anything can happen in this qualification system and we have seen it several times, both with ourselves and other national teams," said Danish Basketball Federation Sports Manager Jens Dossing. "We still have a lot of talented players and a strong chemistry in the team. We come to Vilnius to fight like crazy and to go after qualifying for the European Championship."

Obviously I'm not comparing the talent level of USA of  2010 to the Swiss and Danish teams of today. What I'm saying is that teams can play above expectations.

That USA 11 years ago wasn't supposed to blow everyone out but did, with the exception of Brazil. Switzerland and Denmark started as big underdogs in their EuroBasket Qualifiers campaigns, yet here they are, playing above expectations and still in the hunt.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.

Jeff Taylor

Jeff Taylor

Jeff Taylor, a North Carolina native and UNC Chapel Hill graduate, has been a journalist since 1990. He started covering international basketball after moving to Europe in 1996. Jeff provides insight and opinion every week about players and teams on the old continent that are causing a buzz.