PRAGUE (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - How badly do Barcelona's Tomas Satoransky and Fenerbahce's Jan Vesely want to play for the Czech Republic at the Rio de Janeiro Games? Badly enough to spurn an offer from national team coach Ronen Ginzburg to show up a week late for the preparations for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Belgrade.

They want to play. Even though I told them to take at least five days off after the season, they turned it down. And they told me: 'No, we want to train with the boys.' They're pros and they know that we don't have much time. - Ginzburg

The names of Satoransky and Vesely were on the list of 24 candidates for the Czech team that will play at the OQT (4-9 July) that was presented to FIBA this week. The pair averaged a combined 33.4 points per game last year at the EuroBasket, helping their squad clinch a spot in the OQT. The Czechs averaged 76.9 points per game at the 2015 continental event.

The Czechs will take on Latvia and Japan in Group B at the OQT while Serbia, Angola and Puerto Rico will be in Group A. Only the winner of the six-team event will clinch a spot in the Brazil Games.

A player that might help, judging from his improved physical condition and outstanding performances with Sevilla this season in Spain, would be Ondrej Balvin. A member of the side that played at EuroBasket 2013, the 2.17m center is in the 24-man list but is unlikely to feature.

"He had a good season, his second in a row," Ginzburg said to Idnes.cz. "I know he worked on his lifestyle and is in better shape, but he wants to focus on his chances in the NBA and the Euroleague this summer. For our team, it's a big loss."

Balvin, who watched his former Sevilla teammate Kristaps Porzingis enjoy a terrific rookie season with the New York Knicks in 2015-16, has averaged 10ppg and 8rpg in Spain's top flight. The 23-year-old has had five double-doubles and nearly had six more. Ginzburg has not ruled him out, though.

"Maybe in two weeks, three weeks or a month, something will change," Ginzburg said. "We'll see."

The coach is hoping that David Jelinek (Anwil), Patrik Auda (Manresa), Blake Schilb (Galatasaray) and Pavel Pumprla (Estudiantes) will be more influential than last summer. Schilb just helped Galatasaray win the Eurocup.

"I think Jelinek in Poland, for sure he is improving, the team is improving and it's important to him to have a point guard next to him to make others better," Ginzburg said to FIBA.com.

He's (Jelinek) had a good season. We're not complaining, we're happy. Also Blake Schilb is playing well in Turkey, Patrik Auda now in Spain and Pumprla is okay. I hope we have some young players that can help as well. We have been following them. For sure, we need more and more players to give us something in the qualifying. - Ginzburg

There will also be important roles for more senior players like Jiri Welsch, a former NBA guard, as well as a trio - Petr Benda, Pavel Houska and Vojtech Hruban - that suits up for CEZ Nymburk, the club side Ginzburg coaches.

The Czech preparations tip off on 31 May. As for the OQT warm-up games, the Czechs will be in Italy 16-18 June. The will take on China in Treviso, Italy, on 16 June and then in Trento the next two days, the Czechs will face Italy and then either Turkey or China.

Next will be a clash with Croatia, the team they thumped in the Round of 16 at the EuroBasket last summer, on 26 June in Pazin. The team will then return home and play in Prague against Tunisia on 28 June, Tunisia again the following day but behind closed doors and then Mexico on 30 June.

The OQT in Belgrade gets underway 4 July, but the Czechs will not play until the following day against Latvia. They will then face Japan on 6 July. If they finish in the top two of Group B, they will face a team from Group A.

Ginzburg does not think it's unrealistic to expect a showdown with Serbia in the Final, with the winner advancing to Rio. If that were to happen? It would be a rematch of last year's EuroBasket showdown that Serbia won.

"We can look them straight in the eye and play a balanced game," Ginzburg said. "That's how it was for most of the game last year in the Quarter-Finals of the EuroBasket." 

Czech Republic 24-player preliminary squad for OQT in Belgrade: Patrik Auda, Ondrej Balvin, Petr Benda, Jaromir Bohacik, Pavel Houska, Vojtech Hruban, Jiri Hubalek, Jan Krivanek, Martin Kriz, Tomas Kyzlink, Lukas Palyza, Adam Pechacek, Martin Peterka, Tomas Pomikalek, Pavel Pumprla, Tomas Satoransky, Blake Schilb, Petr Šafarcik, Jakub Širina, Kamil Svrdlik, Jan Vesely, Tomas Vyoral and Jiri Welsch.

FIBA